Cats in Love [Hardcover]

Hans Silvester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

"The finest pictures ever taken of cats." Atlantic Monthly

Perhaps the most acclaimed photographer of cats in the world, Hans Silvester returns to his beloved Greek isles, the subject of his best‑selling Cats in the Sun, for this glorious new collection of deliciously sun-drenched photographs. Cats in Love reveals the full wealth and intensity of feline affection ‑‑ from the amorous prowl of a tomcat to the motherly tenderness of a tabby; from the playful nips of tussling kittens to friends caught curled up in a nap; from a pair of young acquaintances shyly rubbing noses to a couple of old friends grooming each other. Set against the idyllic white‑washed villages of the Mediterranean, this is love in all its sweet diversity. Sure to delight fans of Silvester's previous work, Cats in Love will certainly charm softies of every stripe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cats' camaraderie, motherly love and carnality speak for themselves in a large format picture book free of captions or explanations save for a brief introduction by photographer Silvester (Cats in the Sun). Shot against blinding whitewashed buildings and blocks of brightly colored doors and shutters, the photographs explore the affections of the freewheeling cats of the Greek Isles. Silvester catches them lounging in the Mediterranean sun (in one picture, reclining cats-a whole staircase of them, one on each step-stare questioningly at the camera), worn out from the playful romping and frolicking featured on other pages. While most of the pictures show these distinctly individual personalities in cozy poses, or in feigned aloofness toward their fellow felines, others are devoted to the cats' animal passions. Several photographs present the less decorous side of feline love (did someone say kitty porn?), with groups of two, three and four males ganging up on a female in heat. Even cat lovers who find these shots a little vulgar will still be delighted with this irresistible collection.
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About the Author

Hans Silvester is a renowned photographer who has traveled the Greek islands over a period of three years in search of the endearing images contained in these pages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811844064
• ISBN-13: 978-0811844062
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,938,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Photography, Graceful Cats., February 11, 2004

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cats in Love (Hardcover)

"Cats in Love" is the latest book of feline photography from noted cat photographer Hans Silvester. This large, colorful book is filled with beautifully composed photos of cats in the Greek Isles. Most of the photos are of one or two cats, though there are a few that have larger groups of cats.

The beauty of this book is in Sylvester's ability to convey feline temperament, mood, attitude, guile, poise, and grace in every frame. Most people who love cats admire their range of physical expressions of mood, from facial expressions to body language. Here Silvester captures all of the moods related to feline affection beautifully. The cats come across not so much as mere animals, but as loving, caring beings that have a wide range of emotions, which is of course one of many reasons that humans love cats so much.

Although it definitely is a part of feline affection, my only criticism of the book would be the inclusion of a couple of photographs of cats actually mating. I don't object to this out of prudishness, but that those photos tend to damage the mood of the rest of the book: going from love and sensuality to a more overt, biological look at the mechanics of feline reproduction, which is not what the book is really about. Fortunately there are only a couple of these examples, yet their presence is the sole reason that I didn't give this otherwise very worthy book five stars.

For a cat lover, or anyone who admires beautiful photography, this book would be hard to beat, and I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hans Silvester's Cats in Love, January 14, 2008

By 

G. Uchello (Katy, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cats in Love (Paperback)

Hans Silvester has a phenomenal ability to capture cats in their natural environment on film. He obviously has a great understanding of and empathy with these cats. This particular book candidly illustrates cats and their complex relationships with one another. If you love cats, you will love Cats in Love!

5.0 out of 5 stars a beautiful testimony to the beauty of cats!, April 15, 2006

By 

Maddalena "la_maddalena" (United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cats in Love (Hardcover)

Wonderful, artistic, whimsy, colorful, amazing photos of cats.
If you just can't get enough cats, you need this book!