Hallmarks of Felinity: A 9 Chickweed Lane Book (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Cats have long been a favorite subject of cartoonists. From Jim Davis's Garfield to Patrick McDonnell's Mooch, cartoon cats make us laugh. Now in the form of Solange the Siamese, Brooke McEldowney has successfully captured the endearing qualities that makea cat, well, a cat: the way they cannot resist dark fabric, their unflinching indifference to squalid humanity (unless, of course, said humanity comes bearing treats), and their advanced heat-seeking technology that leads them to the warmest laps and the coziest corners. Readers will grin with recognition at each of these humorously illustrated hallmarks. The result is a delightful field guide to a cat's moods, motivations, and behaviors. Ever since it appeared as a recurring theme in the comic strip 9 Chickweed Lane, Hallmarks Of Felinity has attracted a large and devoted readership of its own. Longtime fans and newcomers alike will enjoy this charming gift book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740721992
• ISBN-13: 978-0740721991
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #716,661 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last! Essence of Cat..., March 8, 2002

By	GoryDetails "gorydetails" (Nashua, NH USA) - See all my reviews

I've been a fan of Brooke McEldowney's "9 Chickweed Lane" for some time, and have been hoping it would show up in book form - especially the "Hallmarks of Felinity" sub-stream. Fans of the strip need only know that the book contains Hallmarks 1 through 46 (since the current count is around 119, I hope another book's in the offing), and that you want this.

To cat-fans who don't know the strip, I recommend this book; each of the "hallmarks" encapsulates an all-too-familiar attribute of our feline companions, as illustrated by the winsome Siamese, Solange. Some of the hallmarks are charming, some exasperating, some hilarious. (See Hallmark #12, "Grace" - depicting oblivious cat strolling along mantelpiece as bric-a-brac tumbles behind her... Well, OK, maybe that one's hilarious when it's somebody else's bric-a-brac.)

It would have been nice if there were more strips included in the book, but it's still a charming, funny collection that I consider a must-have for the cat-humor section of the bookshelf. [What do you mean, you don't have a cat-humor section?!?]

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great strips, OK book, March 27, 2003

By	D. Dulay (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

9 Chickweed Lane has been a favorite comic strip for some time. Brooke McEldowney uses heavy lines and negative spaces to capture a unique atmosphere. These strips about the family cat, Solange, and her feline quirks are some of the best.

Unfortunately, the book's addition of pink to the otherwise black and white comics detracts greatly from his artwork. A book in the same format as Mutts or Calvin & Hobbes would have been much preferred over this "special" book. And I hope that 9 Chickweed eventually gets such a collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even if you don't like cats..., September 19, 2002

By	Josef Finsel (Cincinnati, oh United States) - See all my reviews

You will probably enjoy this book.

Cats are easy to understand. The ancient Egyptians worshipped them as gods and they have never forgotten this fact. And Brooke must be not only owned by a cat but love them as well to show off their endearing traits as well as they are presented in this book.

Kipling may have had it right when he quoted the cat as saying "I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me." but Brooke show us the hilarity that ensues when a cat takes that expression to heart and settles down for a nap while you're trying to do taxes or yoga or, well, anything that's not involving the cat.

I said this book would be coming from the first Hallmark of Felinity and I'm glad to see it in print. Now if only we could get more of these strips in print...