While watching the video of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats", I noticed that the video case said that the musical was based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", by T.S. Eliot.



Because I enjoyed the musical very much, and also because I'm very fond of cats, I decided to see if I could find the actual Eliot book.



I finally found it in a local library, and I was certainly not disappointed! And as I read, I found myself hearing the Webber melodies in my head. (Yes, you actually CAN read the book and follow along with the Webber soundtrack!)



It is a wonderful, whimsical, fanciful collection of poetry, and it also displays an amazing wit, which I enjoyed quite a bit.



My particular favorite poems from this collection include: "The Song of the Jellicle Cats", "Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer", "The Rum Tum Tugger", "Macavity: The Mystery Cat", and many others.



The artwork in the particular edition featured in this review (done by Edward Gorey) also sets the poetry off very well.



So pick it up, watch the musical, sing along, and enjoy!

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Created Oct 21, 2002 at 12:48am • Submit your own review...