Cat's Eye (novel)

Cat's Eye

Author	Margaret Atwood
Cover artist	T. M. Craan, design; Jamie Bennet, illustration (first edition, hardback)
Language	English
Genre	Novel
Publisher	McClelland and Stewart
Publication date	September 1988
Publication place	Canada
Media type	Print (Hardback and Paperback)
Pages	420 (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	0-7710-0817-1 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC	19271117
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Class	PR9199.3.A8 C38 1988b
Preceded by	The Handmaid's Tale
Followed by	Wilderness Tips

Cat's Eye is a 1988 novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood about fictional painter Elaine Risley, who vividly reflects on her childhood and teenage years. Her strongest memories are of Cordelia, who was the leader of a trio of girls who were both very cruel and very kind to her in ways that tint Elaine's perceptions of relationships and her world — not to mention her art — into her middle years. The novel unfolds in mid-20th century Canada, from World War II to the late 1980s, and includes a look at many of the cultural elements of that time period, including feminism and various modern art movements. The book was a finalist for the 1988 Governor General's Award and for the 1989 Booker Prize.