Customer Reviews

Kitty City: A Feline Book of Hours

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

 

 

Judy Chicago explores feline charm and curiosity in this beautifully illustrated book. Every page takes you further into a day in the life of a cat, and both the words and images are lovely and captivating.

If you are familiar with Judy Chicago's work, you know that endless hours of research precedes each project, and this one continues in that tradition. The text is lively and informative, and the illustrations prove once again what a fine artist Judy Chicago is. Her sense of color is just amazing. Even if you're not a cat lover, this book is a treasure.

I read this book several times and found it a loving diary of hours with cats that are truly loved and are free to be what they are, cats. I have many friends who are cat lovers and am delighted to have found a perfect gift to give them

My daughter, mother and I -- animal lovers all -- have spent many hours enjoying Judy Chicago's new book! We have learned from this smart and well written text, and grown very fond of each cat character. This renowned artist has given us an intimate glimpse and personal rendering of her life and loves. The extraordinarily fine book design allows the reader to fully appreciate the careful detail and remarkable color of the images, and this monumental project of twenty-four hours in the lives of some very special kitty's. We highly recommend this thought provoking and stellar book.

As a long-time companion of dogs, I have never paid much attention to cats. Had there been a book like Judy Chicago's when I was younger, my life with animals would have taken a different course.

Ms. Chicago's mixture of feline facts with the frolics and foibles of her cat companions provides an informative and entertaining reading adventure.

As always, her art enlightens the viewer and challenges one to see the world from different perspectives. Brava! Ms. Chicago, and thank you for making me see life from a cat's perspective.

Judy Chicago has applied her considerable analytic ability to the interaction of cats and people. Each of her cats is shown with its unique personality and appearance. In every art work her ideas challenge our assumptions about the way we live. This book is in that tradition. It charms and entertains while she helps us understand that "... our relationship to each other, to the planet itself must undergo a transformation in terms of human beings' sense of entittlement...".

Art is a personal preference, as are 'cats vs. dogs!' I don't think we all will find the same art pleasing. But, I imagine any cat lover will be enchanted with this book. It is chock full of intriguing facts and lovely drawings. The price is truly modest for the beauty of the book itself (not only the art but the paper and color printing).

Grady Harp, who has earned a badge for writing over 1400 book reviews for Amazon, was not pleased with the artist's depictions of people. I hope the people pictured in the book do not read Grady Harp's review. The people I know who are pictured are very nice looking, and the drawings of them are true to life.

Maybe rewarding people for speed writing thousands of reviews is not a bright idea on the part of Amazon.

For someone who seems to have way too much free time on her hands, Grady Harp obviously hasn't done her research, which is pretty evident to anyone who reads this book.

Kitty City is AMAZING -- the art is beautiful, the book itself is gorgeous and full of interesting factual information regarding cats & Judy Chicago's experiences with them. It would make a great gift for any cat lover.

As for the paintings of people in the book being of poor quality, I would have to disagree. We all have different views about which style of art we prefer, but both I & my friends love Judy Chicago's artwork and this book is no exception.

Kitty City: A Feline Book of Hours caught my attention because of the author's name, Judy Chicago. I have always admired her work in the world of fine arts. This book is a wonderful surprise. It is beautifully illustrated and truly influenced by the illuminated Book of Hours treasured during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The pleasing illustrations are enhanced by the use of gold and vellum.

To my delight, the reader is allowed a very intimate look at the life of the artist with her husband and their feline family. The day-to-day joys as well as life's harsh reality in the loss of a loved one.

Kitty City makes a great gift for anyone that has ever loved an animal or is interested in feline history and feline facts of life. Little known tidbits about cats and their place in the world add to the uniqueness of this book.

As an artist and an animal person, I treasure this exquisite book. Not only is it beautifully painted (in the challenging medium of water color no less!) but it has a rich feel of the Medieval with its purples, golds and parchment divider pages. Hence the sub-title, "A Feline Book of Hours." I share my home with several cats as I have my whole life. This book honors cats by not just showing one's daily routine with them, but also shows the dignity, courage and humor cats possess. It also shows, from the artist's perspective, the joys of daily life in the companionship of cats and the tragedy of inevitable loss.
It is a joy to see cats represented as the unique creatures that they are by one of the most gifted and brilliant artists of our time.