Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T.S. Eliot

[goodreads]

Title: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats Author: T.S. Eliot Genre: Poetry Rating: 4/5 # pages: 64 Date read: July 2008, October 2013

Summary: Old Possum's Book, originally published in 1939 and dedicated to Eliot's godchildren, contains a delightful rogues' gallery of felines, including the Rum Tum Tugger cat whose "disobliging ways are a matter of habit", Mr Mistoffelees "The Original Conjuring Cat" and Macavity: The Mystery Cat "the master criminal who can defy the law".

Review: I love the musical Cats, so thought I ought to read the original poems. It's practically impossible to distinguish one from the other, because Webber has taken the poems almost word for word - meaning I cannot read any of them without hearing the songs in my head. That being the case - and I know it's sacrilege - I'd recommend the play over the book any day.

Comments

[irinaauthor.livejournal.com]

When I was six, I knew every poem in that book by heart.

I have to confess, though, I'm not anywhere near as big a fan of the play as you are. My aunt took me to see it for my birthday when I was five, and I loved it, as any little girl would. So she took me back when I turned six. And seven. And eight. By ten it was starting to get old, and by the time I turned thirteen I had to beg my dad, "Please! Please tell her anything but CATS! I can't take it anymore!" So I think we went to see Miss Saigon. Which shocked the hell out of my aunt, because it's about prostitutes and suicide, and she's a nun.

It's a funny bit of personal trivia, though, that I've seen Cats eight times.