Customer Reviews

Cat Rising

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Every once in awhile you come across a book that qualifies as literature: Bastard Out of Carolina, The Color Purple, Ruby Fruit Jungle. Cat Rising falls into that category. The fact that the main characters in Cat Rising are lesbians is both a bonus and inconsequential to the story.

Although the author, Cynn Chadwick, was born a Yankee (Southerners will know what I mean), she brings the hills of North Carolina into view with a Southern drawl whispering in your ear. This is a book so rich with language you can hear, taste, touch and smell the story. This is not to say that the writing is wordy, but it is alive with detail like the way someone leans against a doorway, or how the aroma of cooking fills a kitchen, or the way someone smells when you hug them. Reading this book is a sensory experience.

The story revolves around Cat (Catherine) Hood, an orphan, a writer, a lesbian, and lifetime resident of a Southern small town. Like all small towns, everybody knows everybody, and they still manage to coexist. As essential to the story as Cat, is her best friend, Lily. These two have known each other since childhood, and like sisters they love, embarrass, support and exasperate one another. The dialogue that ensues between these two is both funny and thought provoking. In fact, the dialogue throughout this book rings true to the ear and is as much a part of the character development as the action. It's the relationship between Lily and Cat that acts as the barometer of change that's occurring in Cat's life. It's a humorous, heart-wrenching, and vivid portrait in which we, the readers, glimpse our own humanity.

As much as this book is about self-discovery, it's also a story about family. It's because of Cat's real and extended family that she is both pushed and thwarted in her journey towards herself and her history. It may sound odd that a book whose main character is an orphan reflects the complexity of family life, but it does.

Buy this book. Curl up for a good read. It'll make you laugh and cry. It's a book that reminds us why we love to read in the first place. The other good news is that there's a sequel on the way.

I thought this book was incredible. Within the first few pages Chadwick draws you into this world full of amazing local color, friendship, romance and self discovery. The characterization of Cat and Lilly and the ups and downs of their friendship begs the reader to continue. The descriptive language within the book immerses you into the lives of characters rich with love, doubt, cold nights and hot coffee,german shepards and carpentry. It is a beautifully written novel that begs for a sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a novel to refresh their soul and enliven their senses.I got this book for christmas, and read it in two days, i couldnt put it down!

Cat Rising is a great book about finding someone to share your life with. Although it's lesbian literature, anyone can read it and take something from it. It has an impecable mountain backround to it that makes me feel at home. At points in the book I just wanted to curl up with my dog and sit in front a fire with a blanket and a cup of apple cider.

Having been raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, this book was a like being home all over again. The characters were developed, the dialogue sharp and to the point. I loved the fact that her characters were so easy to identify with, even though I am not a lesbian nor a woman. A quick read, I would recommend this book to anyone.

I picked up Cynn Chadwick's novel, CAT RISING, this past week telling myself that I would read fifty pages a day over the course of the week. If only it had been easy to limit myself to that. Once I picked up Cat Rising, I couldn't stop reading it. I was brought into a world of fresh, well developed characters,and lush settings. A story at once familiar and distant enough to rouse the curiosity. The book is both riotous and somber, ribald and elegiac. Anyone who is looking merely to be entertained, should try another book. Those who want a deeper experience, which is to say thinking, would do well to read Cat Rising.

Cat Rising is a beautiful story, endearing, funny, poignant, and complex all at once. These characters, Cat and Lily, felt like old friends to me and by page two I was hooked by them both. Stylistically, Chadwick's mastery of language makes this a rich poetic read. Cat Hood is a complicated woman making challenging life decisions and we root for her along the way. To find Lesbian characters living happy, believable, lovable lives is a gem of a find and for me this is a diamond.

Chadwick has written an engrossing book, full of realistic characters -- complex, charming, vulnerable yet brave. It is the story of Cat Hood who lives in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. She has a day job as a carpenter (Girls with Hammers) but her life is about to change. Cat has been writing since she was a child and at the age of 34 she's just been published -- a first book that is getting a lot of attention and is guiding her toward a new path in her life. At the same time, she has met someone who could be "the one."

Trying to cope with the changing tides of relationships, career, and impending fame; coming to terms with ghosts from the past; Cat struggles with the ever-shifting shapes of a life in transition. In the process, we are taken on a rich and insightful journey. This is a wonderful book. When I finished it I wasn't willing to put it down, so I went back to the beginning and started reading it again. If I had to describe it in a word, it would be Treasure.

I bought this novel on the pretense that since Chadwick is a power, thought provoking professor, that maybe this would apply to her writing as well. Her lively excerpt from the yet to be published "Flying Sperm Donors" was humorous and witty, so I just had to get a taste for myself.
This is the perfect book for the less than frequent reader. It allows you to remember that reading can actually be enjoyable. Between the creative imagery and voice, I was hooked. After my first evening of reading this, I was excited about the prospect of finding time to finish it. Cat, the protagonist, was such an empowering individual. She had to struggle against any middle aged woman's fear: singleness and self-discovery. As a product of the southern anti-liberal conspiracy, I found Cat's cynicism toward religion to be heart-warming. I also appreciated the occasional reference to the hardships that left-handers face. In short, Cat is amiable, and her imperfection is what makes her so easy to relate to.
This novel was a smooth read. My feelings evoked were similar to the chilled dairy of a smoothie steadily traveling down your throat in a savory thick stream, with the occasional sweet chunk of banana lingering in your molar to prolong the taste long after you have swallowed.

Having been raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, this book was a like being home all over again. The characters were developed, the dialogue sharp and to the point. I loved the fact that her characters were so easy to identify with, even though I am not a lesbian nor a woman. A quick read, I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book reminded me of something from the literary classics I read in high school and college. It was written in a more intellectual tone than your typical romance. I found it a little difficult to get hooked on the story, but my patience paid off and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Highly recommended if you're looking for an atypical lesbian romance.