To celebrate the publication of our new book, Literary Cats, here are some of our favourite cats from the world of books.
1
A talking cat the size of a pig, that walks on its hind legs, drinks vodka and hangs around with Satan while causing havoc on the streets of Moscow. Behemoth, from 'The Master and Margarita' by Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov, is rightly one of the most deliciously evil cats in fiction.
2
Rivalling Behemoth, but perhaps more roguish than actually evil, is Greebo, a cat belonging to Nanny Ogg. She is a wise, friendly and lovable witch. He is a battle-scarred, flea-bitten bully who wants to fight, eat or mate with any creature he comes across. His first appearance is in this Discworld novel.
3
When Muri the cat finds his family has fled war-torn Sarajevo, leaving him behind, he is most perturbed and decides to track them down because, "I need my bowl, my blanket and my people to serve me." What follows is a road trip with a difference, with Muri making an impact on the lives of everyone he meets on the way. An Eastern European feline version of 'The Littlest Hobo'. Sort of.
4
Spider, the cat, does not actually appear in this 1964 thriller by Patricia Highsmith – instead, the book is dedicated to him. He has the honour of being owned by not one, but two great writers. When Highsmith moved from Italy to live in England, she was unable to take her beloved Spider with her, so he was adopted by Muriel Spark, who lived in Rome. The two writers would correspond for years afterwards and Spark would always include news of their shared pet cat.
5
A celebration of cats in literature across history... cats in poetry, children's books, the classics, science fiction, cats who narrate novels, cats in translation, and lots more. If you love books and love cats, we hope this is the perfect addition to your reading list.
1
A talking cat the size of a pig, that walks on its hind legs, drinks vodka and hangs around with Satan while causing havoc on the streets of Moscow. Behemoth, from 'The Master and Margarita' by Russian novelist Mikhail Bulgakov, is rightly one of the most deliciously evil cats in fiction.
2
Rivalling Behemoth, but perhaps more roguish than actually evil, is Greebo, a cat belonging to Nanny Ogg. She is a wise, friendly and lovable witch. He is a battle-scarred, flea-bitten bully who wants to fight, eat or mate with any creature he comes across. His first appearance is in this Discworld novel.
3
When Muri the cat finds his family has fled war-torn Sarajevo, leaving him behind, he is most perturbed and decides to track them down because, "I need my bowl, my blanket and my people to serve me." What follows is a road trip with a difference, with Muri making an impact on the lives of everyone he meets on the way. An Eastern European feline version of 'The Littlest Hobo'. Sort of.
4
Spider, the cat, does not actually appear in this 1964 thriller by Patricia Highsmith – instead, the book is dedicated to him. He has the honour of being owned by not one, but two great writers. When Highsmith moved from Italy to live in England, she was unable to take her beloved Spider with her, so he was adopted by Muriel Spark, who lived in Rome. The two writers would correspond for years afterwards and Spark would always include news of their shared pet cat.
5
A celebration of cats in literature across history... cats in poetry, children's books, the classics, science fiction, cats who narrate novels, cats in translation, and lots more. If you love books and love cats, we hope this is the perfect addition to your reading list.
© Five Books 2024
