Reviews

Cat Person: Storys by Kristen Roupenian

lutzstaacke's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ein durchaus zwiespältiges Buch. Ein paar der Geschichten gefallen mir richtig gut, andere Short Storys so gar nicht. Bin auf weitere Bücher gespannt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Cannibalism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

angela_light's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.75

buecherballern's review

5.0

Die Kurzgeschichteb von Kristen Roupenian erzählen von Macht, Begehren und Geschlechterverhältnissen. Auch wenn das Buch dadurch sehr heteronormativ ausfällt, fällt es schwer, es aus der Hand zu legen. Ein fesselndes, brilliantes Buch über Machtmissbrauch, Sex und das Böse im Menschen.

amandar9fa2f's review

5.0

Girl (Margot) meets older man (Robert), they message each other for a while and eventually go on a date...which goes very wrong. Told in fascinating, horrifying and uncomfortable detail, this is a commentary on the use of social media/electronic communication in relationships. Oh, and the cat(s) may or may not exist.

If, like me, you think the cover photo has a touch of the 50 shades about it, do not be deceived. This short story is the reverse of the coin to that genre. But, this story has proved to be just as much a publishing phenomenon as E L James's trilogy. When it appeared in The New Yorker, Cat Person went viral. It even inspired a form of 'fan fiction' with a Twitter account (Men React To Cat Person @MenCatPerson) through which male writers put forward Robert's story (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/d0ef8a0d-82c6-4df7-acb4-8688b514cd32).

Cat Person will be included in Roupenian's debut collection, You Know You Want This, out Spring 2019.

pivic's review

4.0

This is a short story that enthralled me. It's modern, current, and singular, in the sense that it captures readers of all ages. For me, a 42-year-old male, it made my hairs stand on end, nearly ashamed for how men can behave. As a Western book at its core, this is a Shakespearian up-and-downfall of folly.

This story definitely made me want to read the author's short-story collection that came out this month.

sarahlw96's review

4.0

When I think about what to write for this review, I keep returning to one particular Maya Angelou quote, "I've learned people forget what you said, forget what you did, but will never forget the way you made them feel." A lot of people are commenting on the characters used in this story, perhaps that Margot is narcissistic or Robert illusive and unfulfilled as a character. But for me, this story is not one about character, but instead about the feelings it evokes.

This story is an unflinchingly realistic portrayal of a date gone wrong. Anyone dating right now will probably be able to relate on some level. While I can understand some frustrations of reviewers along the lines of, "but she wasn't forced into anything, so why would it be tied to #MeToo?" the genius of this is the exploration of delicacies of a relationship, what happens if you change your mind?

Neither character are the epitome perfect dating, but they're not supposed to be. For the first time in my life I have recently had to block a guy from messaging me, not a decision I took lightly and still sometimes think about. I read this story at an interesting time, it made me reflect on my own feelings and offered an absurd comfort... It's not just me.

fiekesfiction's review

So this is a very interesting but controversial short story.
It went viral.
And I am not really sure what to think of it yet, some parts made me (intentionally) very uncomfortable.
But I do think my rating would more lean to positive than negative. It has an interesting view and message on gender(assumptions), date culture and what culture in general (also porn) might have done to the world. It is however very negative. The protagonist is... well she’s not great and it’s very much about how she herself views herself (as an object).
So... idk I think you should check it out for yourself