Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats [Hardcover]

T. S. Eliot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1986

An engaging collection of humorous poems. These verses, originally composed to amuse Eliot’s intimate friends, have proven irresistible to cat lovers, lovers of nonsense, and admirers of Eliot throughout the English-speaking world. “Enough ferocious fancy and parody to knock the spots off most cat books and most...verses” (Time). Drawings by Nicolas Bentley.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is an absolutely marvelous rendition of Eliot's poetic classic, written for his godchildren and friends in the 1930s, which inspired the Broadway musical Cats. The tales of Mr. Mistoffelees the trickmaster, old Deuteronomy, a laid-back cat, Rum Tum Tugger, a contrary cat, and Macavity, the famous master criminal, are dramatized by Richard Briers, Alan Cumming, Nigel Davenport, Andrew Sachs, and Juliet Stevenson. Unfortunately, some material is repeated on the cassette's second side. Moreover, it comes with another tape that consists of excerpts of forthcoming Penguin audiobooks. This edition seems targeted more toward consumers than libraries.?James Dudley, Copiague, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

This is an absolutely marvelous rendition of Eliot's poetic classic, written for his godchildren and friends in the 1930s, which inspired the Broadway musical Cats. The tales of Mr. Mistoffelees the trickmaster, old Deuteronomy, a laid-back cat, Rum Tum Tugger, a contrary cat, and Macavity, the famous master criminal, are dramatized by Richard Briers, Alan Cumming, Nigel Davenport, Andrew Sachs, and Juliet Stevenson. Unfortunately, some material is repeated on the cassette's second side. Moreover, it comes with another tape that consists of excerpts of forthcoming Penguin audiobooks. This edition seems targeted more toward consumers than libraries. James Dudley, Copiague, N.Y.
(Library Journal )

One can't say much for the kind of feline society Mr. Eliot keeps, but his verses are very entertaining and smack a bit of Archie and Mehitabel, of Gilbert and of Lewis Carroll. Written with gusto and humor. (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; First American Edition, Second Printing edition (1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151686572
• ISBN-13: 978-0151686575
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,473,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a British subject in 1927. The acclaimed poet of The Waste Land, Four Quartets, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, among numerous other poems, prose, and works of drama, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. T.S. Eliot died in 1965 in London, England, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feline fun with a master poet, April 9, 2003

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (Hardcover)

"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," by T.S. Eliot, is a book of poems about cats. The basis for the wildly successful musical "Cats," the book stands on its own as a delightful work of literature. The poems are accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Edward Gorey.

This book is hilarious and very enjoyable. Eliot's words leap and dance across the pages with a zany musicality. Gorey's accompanying artwork is whimsical and full of interesting details. Eliot has created some great feline characters: the fearsome Growltiger, dapper Bustopher Jones, Magical Mr. Mistoffelees, and more.

Yes, these poems are great fun to read. But if you are inclined to look closer and analyze them at a deeper literary level, you will find that each one is a masterpiece of poetic craftsmanship. Eliot uses a wonderful variety of meters, rhyme schemes, and various poetic effects. Each poem stands on its own, and together they form an effective artistic unity.

Also noteworthy is the very "English" flavor of the book, which Eliot achieves by spicing his poems with many references to English geography and cultural history. Highly recommended, whether or not you like cats.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If not for yourself, how about your kids?, November 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (Hardcover)

OK, the musical has been going on and on for some time now, PBS has it on tape, but have you actually sat down and read these poems out loud? My daughter of 5 years watched Cats on PBS and loved it, and enjoyed hearing the poems as well for bedtime reading. TS Eliot as a childrens' book - well, why not? if not as well for yourself!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good poetry; brilliant illustrations, November 16, 1999

By 

A Reader (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (Hardcover)

The poetry - well, there are many editions of the work the Andrew Lloyd-Webber made the most famous of Eliot's books. Gorey's illustrations bring the poems to life in a whole new way. This is a book for any collector, and a great introduction to one of the world's greatest illustrators.