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WRAP COMPLETES THE GIFT
Overall rating: 4.3333335 / 5 from 9 reviews.
Review topics: ["artwork","cats","book","read","pictures","enjoyed"].
"Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own. Middle cat art has fascinated me for a while, why did the not know what a cat looked like ? I was educated on many interesting (and at times cruel) ways cats were treated while being amused and I enjoyed that . Fun book for both cats and history lovers"
"This is a lovely little book is full of wonderful medieval cats from various illuminated manuscripts. It is also full of fun little stories, tidbits, and ‘who knew’ about cats. An enjoyable read and would be a fun gift for any cat lover in one’s life. The only criticism I would have with the book is that I felt that the jokes about the cats in the manuscripts were not needed in my opinion. Most seemed a bit immature and they took away from all of the more interesting information the author had put together."
"Catherine Nappington is a university professor, but this book is not a high-brow, in-depth look at cats; this fun art book features cats with human faces, ugly cats, and cats doing their jobs poorly, alongside quotes and possibly too many cat-based puns. Included in the book is a wide variety of medieval drawings of cats, but my favourite is the grey cat, with his tongue in full bleep and a crown above his weirdly human eye and nose combo, second only to the furious cat (you know I love an angry cat) illustrating Edward Topsells potion to cure blindness which includes the head of a black cat. Ten Speed Press gave me Medieval Cats for review via NetGalley. Medieval Cats by Catherine Nappington is out on March 04 2025. Thumbs up 👍. Go read a book! Body count: Are we counting Edward's potion?"
"This is an EXTREMELY cute read, though quite light on actual historical details -- it's got lots of pictures, and brief quotes or pithy commentary to go with them. If you like cats through history and want to know more, this is at least a great place to start so you can look up some of the pictures, quotes, or terms used. That said, I definitely side-eyed page one having historical inaccuracies on it right away -- it claims this is a time before cutlery (technically untrue, forks weren't used but eating knives and spoons were, along with picks) or underwear (technically untrue, it just wasn't the form-fitting underwear we have now, but clothing is expensive, of course people wore undergarments between the clothes meant to be seen and their skin, such as braies and chemises). It affected how I read the rest of the book, because I'm not confident that the author was going to do research or be specific where a quippier vagueness could be used instead. Still, it let me look at so many wonky medieval cats and see a lot of medieval cat quotes, so I can't complain about any of it!"
"Medieval Cats is a charming look at paintings of cats in medieval manuscripts. When you think of the fact that monks were often copying manuscripts alone, with perhaps a cat for company, it’s no wonder that these little beasties find their way into nooks and crannies throughout. They are cats being cats - mousing, prowling, and of course licking their privates (I laughed out loud at a painting of Jesus, obviously appearing to his disciples after rising from the dead, and in the corner is a cat - leg in the air, bright red tongue licking and giving that “what are you looking at?” Stare that we all have seen). Since it is clear that medieval illuminists did not take their task fully seriously, neither does the author. The plates are accompanied by witty captions and fun cat facts to know and tell. This book would make a wonderful coffee table book - beautiful pictures, yes, but also something for people to laugh about and have fun with. I loved it! Many thanks to Ten Rivers Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review."
"What do you call a book full of kitties? A catalog! Cats for thousands of years have been our friends, our foes, and everything in between. In our feline and human history together, the Medieval Ages were a rough time between our species. Some women blamed their cats for whispering dark evils that led them to murder their husbands. Religious leaders pointed the finger at those nasty demonic cats for The Black Death. While The Medieval Ages were a dark time for both species, this wonderful book is filled with depictions, information, jokes, legends, poems, quotes, and riddles that will suck you in. I would recommend this book for lovers of all things cat-related, history buffs, and those that are humored by how cats were depicted between 500-1500 CE. One of my favorite depictions of cats is the Kitty Lick, Bibliothèque Municipal, MS 320, f. 73, Valenciennes, France, 1280. I was delighted to find out that The Book of Kells has a whole section on cats called the Catslechtae, which is a medieval code of conduct for owning, if such a thing could be said, a cat. There are so many gems within these pages that you need to read it. It is worth the read! #ThxNetGalley #CatherineNappington #MedievalCats"
"A must-have for any cat lover! Medieval Cats is a compilation of anecdotes, poems and art work and more from the middle ages. I especially enjoyed the art work - much of it anthropomorphizing cats. This book will provide hours of entertainment!"
"Catherine Nappington has assembled a fascinating collection of images, quotations, and commentary in her book, Medieval Cats. Subtitled “claws, paws and kitties of yore” this book takes a look at one of our favourite domestic animals, the cat, and charts how the feline was viewed and presented in the medieval age. It’s a wide-ranging text, taking in rich and poor, religious and secular, and a variety of countries where the cat was feared or revered. Mice-catching abilities rub shoulders with the witch’s familiar; cats are pictured with the highest and lowest in the land. This is a book for both art lovers and kitty obsessives. Informative, amusing, and full of colourful plates and illustrations, Medieval Cats will be a popular gift for those who pamper and enjoy their little friends. The number of cats seen in illustrated manuscripts of the period doing naughty things is fascinating. Even The Book of Kells, in Ireland, has a whole section devoted to them. Cats as servants, playful companions, and even deities, are explored in the pages of this clever book. Even a set of fables and proverbs puts them in the centre. The works shared are often bawdy and crude, and set aside those of reverence. Medieval Cats is ultimately a hilarious celebration of the cat, with tongue-in-cheek comment on illustrations and facts and figures on the little animal that deigns to share our homes and lives."
"A must-have for any cat lover! Medieval Cats is a compilation of anecdotes, poems and art work and more from the middle ages. I especially enjoyed the art work - much of it anthropomorphizing cats. This book will provide hours of entertainment!"
