The Catswold Portal

Rating:
Summary: Incredible book!
Review: Catswold Portal is one of my all-time favorites! I share an uncanny amount of similarities to the main character--not the least of which being green eyes, streaky-blonde hair, the same first name and an unnatural affinity for cats. I read this when I was sixteen and was totally hooked. There are a few snags that seem a slight bit predictable or over-used, perhaps the 50's setting is hard to believe, but nevertheless, if you suspend disbelief, this book will take you on a fantasy ride you'll never forget.

Rating:
Summary: Fond memories of reading this book
Review: I'm glad to see that in the reprint the cover art has been fixed. While the painting on the first edition is well executed it has NOTHING to do with the story. The new cover art is closer to correct, though I would have loved to see the little calico standing in front of the ornately carved blue door rather than inside the tool shed. I guess the door would have been quite difficult to do justice.

I also have to admit that once I was about 1/3 through this book, I realized and remembered that I had read this book when it had first come out (but had forgotten much of the plot). I can recall reading it for the first time in a salon on State Street as a freshman at UCSB. I remember thinking it would be cool to have a calico cat (I now do). And I remember being annoyed by the cover art.

One piece that confused me about the story is the timing of the events. Only until the last chapter and the epilogue is the story given a timeline of 1957 being the "present" but the way San Francisco and Marin are described, pieces of the story feel like they should be taking place either now (late 1990s when the book was written or 2000s if the present was meant to be the near future). Other events make the book seem like it should be taking place in the 1920s or 1930s. I think the biggest sticking point is the mention of an earthquake being strong enough to kill some characters in the back story. San Francisco is known for two big quakes: 1906 and 1989. Of course it turns out that the earthquake in question is completely fictional but I think it would have been better if the timeline could have been wrapped around an actual quake or the city in qusetion moved to a place not so known for two quakes. In other words, I found the odd details distracting at times that I just wanted the plot to take where it wanted to go.

The author though excels at two pieces of this book: her understanding of cats and her ability to describe paintings. It helps that she is an accompished artist in her own right. When she was describing Braden's series of portraits fo Melissa I could see them so clearly! When she was describing the little calico cat, I felt as if she were in the room with me.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: One of the best science-fiction/fantasy stories I have ever read. Murphy is an expert on cats and their behaviour, and makes the story compelling and hypnotic. Her descriptions of Melissa's (the main character) world are both enchanting and original.
Having the upper-world meet the Catswold through one of the portals available to both was a wonderful stroke of genius. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any fantasy/romance enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: A true Cat fantasy....
Review: The Catswold Portal totally blew me away when I first read it in high school. A gripping fantasy that will have you turning the page for more.