Module 1 The Cat or How I Lost Eternity

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Richter, Jutta. 2007. THE CAT OR HOW I LOST ETERNITY. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions. ISBN 1571316760. Translated by Anna Brailovsky.
Originally published: Munich: Carl Hanser Verlag, 2006 under the title, Die Katze.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Young girl Christine is an imaginative girl who likes to spend the day talking to an alley cat. The cat gets her into trouble by making her late to school and tries to teach her to be spiteful and pitiless.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
This is a complex read that few children will fully grasp or enjoy. The title and summary are misleading because it is not a playful book about a girl with an active imagination and an imaginary cat. The main character, Christine, is a lonely child who has found it easier to communicate with an imaginary cat instead of interact with the real world. Christine is a balanced character because she struggles with many decisions all humans make. For example, Christine is not sure whether to befriend a dog or a new neighbor. By listening to the cat, she chooses to ignore both. The cat takes on the role of playing the universal theme of good vs. evil. Luckily, Christine does mature by the end and is more comfortable making her own decisions independently. The theme of coming of age is a theme that all cultures can appreciate and relate.

This selection is void of any cultural detail and most readers would not know it was originally published in Germany unless they read the bibliography. The story could have taken place in any street in any city in the world. It has so few details that it makes it a very cold and sparse read. The setting is also unclear on whether it is a historic or contemporary time. The illustrations are modern and cold. They do not add to the story or help the reader visualize the character development.

I would recommend libraries pass on purchasing this book for their children or young adult collection.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Eight-year-old Christine is late for school every day because she is stopped by a white alley cat that insists on talking to her. They discuss math and loneliness and eternity. While at first Christine feels an affinity with the cat, it later repulses her. The conversations eventually come to an end once Christine stops believing that the feline has anything wise or useful to say to her. It acts the role of The Serpent, trying to lure the Eve-like Christine into doing and being what she knows is not right. There is even a discussion about the Tree of Knowledge and Original Sin at the end to hammer home the point. There is an abundance of unpleasant food imagery (starting with the fish smell that the cat leaves on Christine's hand whenever she touches it), male characters who are either incompetent or unfeeling, and an eclipse that represents the end of the world. It is hard to imagine a broad audience for this book. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

E. CONNECTIONS
Discuss the values and character themes (willfulness, friendship, and compassion) witnessed in the book.
Discuss the theme of coming of age and losing one’s imagination and imaginary friends.