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Penny: A Graphic Memoir
"Penny is a major literary figure--right up there with Madame Bovary." -- David Sedaris
This colorful graphic novel features the philosophical and existential musings of a cat named Penny.
Told through a collection of stories, A Graphic Memoir wanders through her colorful imagination as she recalls her humble beginnings on the streets of New York and waxes poetic about the realities of her sheltered life living in an apartment with her owners.
Filled with ennui, angst, and vivid dreams, Penny proves that being a cat is more profound than we once thought. A unique blend of high art and humor, A Graphic Memoir perfectly portrays one cat's struggles between her animal instincts, her philosophical reflections, and the lush creature comforts of a life with human servants.
• DISTINCTIVE, BEAUTIFUL, AND Reading like a highbrow Garfield, this unique dose of sardonic wit and cat content combines humor and storytelling with Karl Stevens' very realistic illustration style. Fresh and imaginative, this graphic novel feels familiar and accessible, featuring one of the world's most beloved animals.
• IMPRESSIVE AND DECORATED Karl Stevens has written four graphic novels, and his comics have appeared regularly in the New Yorker, Village Voice , and Boston Phoenix . His work has been well received all around, and The Lodger was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.
• UNIQUE GIFT FOR CAT For cat lovers who have all the classic cat humor books, this is something new that's both unique but familiar, combining a new voice with stunning artwork in a fresh format. For anyone who wonders what their cat is thinking, this book is pitch-perfect, and the gorgeous artwork and package make it a delightful present.
This colorful graphic novel features the philosophical and existential musings of a cat named Penny.
Told through a collection of stories, A Graphic Memoir wanders through her colorful imagination as she recalls her humble beginnings on the streets of New York and waxes poetic about the realities of her sheltered life living in an apartment with her owners.
Filled with ennui, angst, and vivid dreams, Penny proves that being a cat is more profound than we once thought. A unique blend of high art and humor, A Graphic Memoir perfectly portrays one cat's struggles between her animal instincts, her philosophical reflections, and the lush creature comforts of a life with human servants.
• DISTINCTIVE, BEAUTIFUL, AND Reading like a highbrow Garfield, this unique dose of sardonic wit and cat content combines humor and storytelling with Karl Stevens' very realistic illustration style. Fresh and imaginative, this graphic novel feels familiar and accessible, featuring one of the world's most beloved animals.
• IMPRESSIVE AND DECORATED Karl Stevens has written four graphic novels, and his comics have appeared regularly in the New Yorker, Village Voice , and Boston Phoenix . His work has been well received all around, and The Lodger was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.
• UNIQUE GIFT FOR CAT For cat lovers who have all the classic cat humor books, this is something new that's both unique but familiar, combining a new voice with stunning artwork in a fresh format. For anyone who wonders what their cat is thinking, this book is pitch-perfect, and the gorgeous artwork and package make it a delightful present.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
55 people are currently reading
2128 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
January 2, 2023
I love cats. I've grown up with cats, I've always had cats around. I have a cat now. I'm the guy who comes to visit you, and your normally shy cat will climb all over me. What I'm trying to say is I love cats, guys.
Fiction involving cats as a character can go several ways. My least favourite kind anthropomorphises cats too much, makes them speak and think like a human being.
This book seems to go down that route, although it does something different too. The book is about Penny, a cat who lived on the street and was adopted by the author and his significant other. Turns out that Penny has a rich intellectual inner life, and likes to ponder the feline condition. This boils down to her having a lot philosophical thoughts, and linking that to her personal predicament.
How she views humans (and specifically her humans) is a bit more cliched - she is a prisoner in a velvet cage, she doesn't really think much of her owners, etc. It's the usual spiel about cats not really loving their owners, or of them being cold and calculating animals. I personally think that's a bit hackneyed, as in my experience cats are quite sensitive and responsive.
All of this makes Penny a quirky character, but also kind of... well, boring. There's nowhere left to go with the character. The book is a collection of mostly one page comics, Penny grumping about her life, and several multi-page stories - one in which indoor cat Penny escapes her building is the one that sticks most in my mind (probably because this would be a personal nightmare scenario).
I do think the art is great, and has a real sweet edge to it, full of warm colours.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
Fiction involving cats as a character can go several ways. My least favourite kind anthropomorphises cats too much, makes them speak and think like a human being.
This book seems to go down that route, although it does something different too. The book is about Penny, a cat who lived on the street and was adopted by the author and his significant other. Turns out that Penny has a rich intellectual inner life, and likes to ponder the feline condition. This boils down to her having a lot philosophical thoughts, and linking that to her personal predicament.
How she views humans (and specifically her humans) is a bit more cliched - she is a prisoner in a velvet cage, she doesn't really think much of her owners, etc. It's the usual spiel about cats not really loving their owners, or of them being cold and calculating animals. I personally think that's a bit hackneyed, as in my experience cats are quite sensitive and responsive.
All of this makes Penny a quirky character, but also kind of... well, boring. There's nowhere left to go with the character. The book is a collection of mostly one page comics, Penny grumping about her life, and several multi-page stories - one in which indoor cat Penny escapes her building is the one that sticks most in my mind (probably because this would be a personal nightmare scenario).
I do think the art is great, and has a real sweet edge to it, full of warm colours.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
June 27, 2021
Worst Garfield collection yet. Odie doesn't show up at all!
Mostly the book consists of one-page gags with the cat waxing philosophical for several panels and then offering a haiku-like twist that hews closer to its animal nature. That repetition actually gets pretty darn old pretty darn fast. There are around four multi-page sequences that offer small adventures to break up the monotony -- running away from home, owners on vacation, moving household, pet-sitting a bird -- but they are very brief and it's right back to the formula. It's well drawn at least.
Probably best read a few pages at a time and by someone who really likes cats a lot.
Mostly the book consists of one-page gags with the cat waxing philosophical for several panels and then offering a haiku-like twist that hews closer to its animal nature. That repetition actually gets pretty darn old pretty darn fast. There are around four multi-page sequences that offer small adventures to break up the monotony -- running away from home, owners on vacation, moving household, pet-sitting a bird -- but they are very brief and it's right back to the formula. It's well drawn at least.
Probably best read a few pages at a time and by someone who really likes cats a lot.
March 12, 2021
Mixing existential ennui with cats seems like a match made in heaven, and the humor works (largely because of the juxtapositions between questioning reality and the meaning of existence and hunting birds and purring). But the joke isn't really enough to sustain an entire book. And when the author moves into longer stories it really isn't as interesting. Would work great as episodes in a magazine or webcomic, though.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2021
Here's something I came across while looking for books in my favorite bookstore here. A story of a calico cat, born a street-cat, living with a young couple (incl. the author) in New York and Boston. It's not a whole-life story, so she's still living, with another cat, Pepper, as a companion - what life is like with the two cats would be a nice continuation for this story.
This is a humorous look into the head of an introspective, life-musing cat who is still a typical cat. Humor cannot be avoided. There are dreams (bit like humans'), toy encounters, memories of the past. And events: left alone when owners go on vacation, escaping into the street but not too long, at the vet for an eye issue, watching a fly, wanting a caged bird who the humans are temporarily bird-sitting, one Christmas and New Year, and hiding from a vacuum.
The art style of this book is lovely. Penny's inner voice is (unintentionally) funny, deep but very cat. Humans are seen through her POV (sometimes voices only), or from reader's POV, how they interpret Penny's actions and reactions.
One example of inner dialogue:
"In order to be truly free, one must eradicate the ego." (she says)
"But I've never seen an ego, let alone find a way to kill it."
(sits up, looks around in all directions)
(lies down again) "Contemplating this dippy nonsense will surely be end of me."
She's food-centered, often. And her moods towards people, toys, and other animals she meets are interesting. The last dream in the book is particularly trippy, dreamt while hiding *in* the couch.
I think this book is best read gradually, because otherwise one might get slightly numb at Penny's great thoughts. But it's a great look into a cat's world, with thoughts and actions and dreams that might make you smile, and think 'that's so cat'. XD :)
This is a humorous look into the head of an introspective, life-musing cat who is still a typical cat. Humor cannot be avoided. There are dreams (bit like humans'), toy encounters, memories of the past. And events: left alone when owners go on vacation, escaping into the street but not too long, at the vet for an eye issue, watching a fly, wanting a caged bird who the humans are temporarily bird-sitting, one Christmas and New Year, and hiding from a vacuum.
The art style of this book is lovely. Penny's inner voice is (unintentionally) funny, deep but very cat. Humans are seen through her POV (sometimes voices only), or from reader's POV, how they interpret Penny's actions and reactions.
One example of inner dialogue:
"In order to be truly free, one must eradicate the ego." (she says)
"But I've never seen an ego, let alone find a way to kill it."
(sits up, looks around in all directions)
(lies down again) "Contemplating this dippy nonsense will surely be end of me."
She's food-centered, often. And her moods towards people, toys, and other animals she meets are interesting. The last dream in the book is particularly trippy, dreamt while hiding *in* the couch.
I think this book is best read gradually, because otherwise one might get slightly numb at Penny's great thoughts. But it's a great look into a cat's world, with thoughts and actions and dreams that might make you smile, and think 'that's so cat'. XD :)
May 20, 2021
PENNY is an absolute gem--it's not the type of graphic novel our library usually gets, but I'm so glad we did. Stevens imagines the rich inner world of Penny, a well-fed and pampered tortoiseshell kitty who reminiscences, ponders the nature of existence, and even enters an inter-dimensional portal while her people mostly make the sort of inane comments we all make to our pets.
The artwork is stunning--the artist is truly adept at capturing the many moods, postures, and expressions of cats. Feline fans will recognize much of their own cats in these pages. I dearly hope we will see more of Penny's adventures soon.
The artwork is stunning--the artist is truly adept at capturing the many moods, postures, and expressions of cats. Feline fans will recognize much of their own cats in these pages. I dearly hope we will see more of Penny's adventures soon.
January 20, 2021
Rescued from the streets, Penny lives a rather boring pampered existence while having a full and vivid mental life full of existential ponderings. I thoroughly enjoyed dichotomy of Penny stretched out in a patch of sunlight as she deems the bright light to be a portal to another dimension. I can understand it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as a fan of cats and sarcasm it brought me many a smile. The illustrations are of a quality I don't normally see in too many graphic novels, several are frameable. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2024
This was an entertaining comfort piece. The most easygoing intro to cat psychology. Pure fun.
May 23, 2021
I haven’t lived with a cat, but I still find Penny relatable because Penny’s struggles are mine too. Her philosophical meditations are urgent. What is life? How do we cope with existential dread? Why are we here? What is our place in the universe? Is it possible to have freedom and safety? Is a quiet life of contemplation and reflection enough? Penny turns these questions in a self-important tone in her head. Her reverie and thought experiments (she is obsessed with extra dimensions and portals and asteroids made of cat food) are often broken by her humans who can’t see the postmodernist philosopher in her.
Are there answers? Perhaps, asking is enough.
“Eh. I should probably stop asking all these questions and be happy that I am warm, dry, and well-fed. It is good to be a petit bourgeois wallowing in smug privilege.”
Are there answers? Perhaps, asking is enough.
“Eh. I should probably stop asking all these questions and be happy that I am warm, dry, and well-fed. It is good to be a petit bourgeois wallowing in smug privilege.”
January 31, 2021
Penny by Karl Stevens is an interesting graphic novel about a very philosophical cat.
This book was a little dull for me, but the illustrations were incredible. Penny was a stray kitten on the street who was picked up, "kidnapped", and adopted by a couple. They bring Penny home and the cat begins to think about everything philosophical about a cat, existence and life itself. The cat is sassy, intelligent and has an intriguing story.
I thought this book might be funnier or a bit more engaging than it was. I found it very slow to get through but I really like cats and graphic novels and I really wanted to finish it.
Overall, this is a good book but it wasn't fast enough or funny enough for me. It was advertised as a comedy on NetGalley which is why I was excited for it.
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
This book was a little dull for me, but the illustrations were incredible. Penny was a stray kitten on the street who was picked up, "kidnapped", and adopted by a couple. They bring Penny home and the cat begins to think about everything philosophical about a cat, existence and life itself. The cat is sassy, intelligent and has an intriguing story.
I thought this book might be funnier or a bit more engaging than it was. I found it very slow to get through but I really like cats and graphic novels and I really wanted to finish it.
Overall, this is a good book but it wasn't fast enough or funny enough for me. It was advertised as a comedy on NetGalley which is why I was excited for it.
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
January 15, 2021
This is a rather lovingly illustrated book about the life of a very dull cat, who thinks big thoughts.
And that is it. The cat questions her existence. The cat questions life. The cat pays with toy mice. The only excitement is when the cat escapes her apartment, but other than that, nothing more happens. A lot of this is typical cat things, such as eating, sleeping, and playing.
But, as I said, the pictures are lovely and very spot on to how cats look and climb and sleep and do all the things they like to do. But if you are looking for a plot of some kind, or story then you have come to the wrong place.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
And that is it. The cat questions her existence. The cat questions life. The cat pays with toy mice. The only excitement is when the cat escapes her apartment, but other than that, nothing more happens. A lot of this is typical cat things, such as eating, sleeping, and playing.
But, as I said, the pictures are lovely and very spot on to how cats look and climb and sleep and do all the things they like to do. But if you are looking for a plot of some kind, or story then you have come to the wrong place.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
February 5, 2023
I live with a small, orange monster and found the humor in this book to be spot on. I could only nod along, thinking, “Yes, that’s a cat.”
It is possible that my son’s kitten often thinks philosophical thoughts, just like Penny. Also similar to Penny, I’ve no doubt he is thinking murderous thoughts. 😂
When my son moves out, my heart will ache intensely, both because he’s my baby boy (don’t tell him I said that) and he’ll be taking that fluffy monster I’ve fallen so deeply in love with.
Maybe I’ll have to reread this everyday when that happens.
It is possible that my son’s kitten often thinks philosophical thoughts, just like Penny. Also similar to Penny, I’ve no doubt he is thinking murderous thoughts. 😂
When my son moves out, my heart will ache intensely, both because he’s my baby boy (don’t tell him I said that) and he’ll be taking that fluffy monster I’ve fallen so deeply in love with.
Maybe I’ll have to reread this everyday when that happens.
February 28, 2021
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5
This is like the perfect coffee table book for a cat lover. It's got:
1. Beautiful illustrations of a cat's life
2. Philosophizing
3. Anecdotal short storylines
4. Cuteness and jokes
Basically, it's perfect to pick up and read for a short bit. I really liked the illustrations, and the themes are funny too. It's like, all the things we imagine a cat ponders as she lives a lazy life on the couch. Is she thinking of birds to catch? Or the meaning of existence? And what has she been staring at on that wall for over a minute now?
It's best to read these in a short burst, cause they don't have a storyline as such, it's more like short anecdotes. But they're all very relatable if you're a cat owner, and you've probably wondered if your cat is thinking those very things yourself. I chuckled at a lot of them. Plus, the drawings are really cute!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5
This is like the perfect coffee table book for a cat lover. It's got:
1. Beautiful illustrations of a cat's life
2. Philosophizing
3. Anecdotal short storylines
4. Cuteness and jokes
Basically, it's perfect to pick up and read for a short bit. I really liked the illustrations, and the themes are funny too. It's like, all the things we imagine a cat ponders as she lives a lazy life on the couch. Is she thinking of birds to catch? Or the meaning of existence? And what has she been staring at on that wall for over a minute now?
It's best to read these in a short burst, cause they don't have a storyline as such, it's more like short anecdotes. But they're all very relatable if you're a cat owner, and you've probably wondered if your cat is thinking those very things yourself. I chuckled at a lot of them. Plus, the drawings are really cute!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
June 16, 2021
Cats have been well served by comics and graphic artists: James Kochalka’s Peanut Butter and Jeremy, Jeffrey Brown’s cat books and Judith Kerr’s glorious Mog books spring readily to mind. And they all are concerned about what the inner life of a cat is, both sacred and profane. And Penny feels likes the apex of that genre - beautifully observed (my cat Cluedo, who is far closer to Penny in temperament than her brother Spooky, walked in for a bit as if looking for something and then left as I was reading it), very funny, beautifully drawn and occasionally genuinely moving. It’s daft and silly but has glimpses of that strange melancholy you sometimes get from cats, that air of a creature lost in their thoughts as they gaze at shadows or dust motes. Other animals don’t always have that same glimpse into a deeper world of emotion that cats do but Stevens captures it brilliantly here. It’s a beautiful and joyous book and, rather wonderfully, even has a dream of flight along the lines of one of Mog’s most iconic moments. A truly special book
June 7, 2021
This is a somewhat amusing "memoir" from Penny, a cat Karl Stevens and his significant other rescued from the street. It takes a not-completely-original view that this cat is very wise and insightful and philosophical, and Karl and his partner are comparatively shallow, attributing no insight to Penny at all.
Reminded me of the story of Edward the Hamster by Elias, which I thought was way funnier, and also reminded me of the horror manga-ka's Junji Ito's Cat Diary, where he (tongue-in-cheek) credits his cute cats with inspiring his most creepy manga tales.
Now, Karl Stevens is a painter so if the tale itself was just okay, the painterly cartooning of Stevens is amazing, wonderful. One of the best artists in comics/illustration.
Reminded me of the story of Edward the Hamster by Elias, which I thought was way funnier, and also reminded me of the horror manga-ka's Junji Ito's Cat Diary, where he (tongue-in-cheek) credits his cute cats with inspiring his most creepy manga tales.
Now, Karl Stevens is a painter so if the tale itself was just okay, the painterly cartooning of Stevens is amazing, wonderful. One of the best artists in comics/illustration.
June 21, 2022
I wish there was structure to this story as opposed to stream of consciousness. The book felt very disjointed. The art is stunning though
April 9, 2024
Cats are the best thing on earth.
February 5, 2021
English Review below.
كتاب مصور مضحك وعميق في آن واحد. فيه المؤلف يتخيل الأفكار الفلسفية التي تدور في عقل قطته بيني.
الكتاب فيه الأفكار التقليدية والانطباعات المتكررة عن علاقة القطط بالبشر، لكن أغلبها مضحكة وظريفة جدا رغم تكرارية بعض الأفكار. ممتع جدا وأرشحه فعل لكل محبي القطط.
This was adorable, funny and quite deep and hilarious at the same time.
The author imagines the philosophical thoughts of his cat Penny, in these hilarious comics. The art is beautiful, and though there was some repetitions, and some typical stereotypes about cats and what they think of humans, I loved it and enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend it especially if you're a car lover.
I thank Netgalley and Chronicle books for the digital ARC.
كتاب مصور مضحك وعميق في آن واحد. فيه المؤلف يتخيل الأفكار الفلسفية التي تدور في عقل قطته بيني.
الكتاب فيه الأفكار التقليدية والانطباعات المتكررة عن علاقة القطط بالبشر، لكن أغلبها مضحكة وظريفة جدا رغم تكرارية بعض الأفكار. ممتع جدا وأرشحه فعل لكل محبي القطط.
This was adorable, funny and quite deep and hilarious at the same time.
The author imagines the philosophical thoughts of his cat Penny, in these hilarious comics. The art is beautiful, and though there was some repetitions, and some typical stereotypes about cats and what they think of humans, I loved it and enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend it especially if you're a car lover.
I thank Netgalley and Chronicle books for the digital ARC.
June 12, 2022
The artwork is great, and I love that Penny has these existential thoughts. I happen to have a cat named Penny who looks much like this cat, and at times I felt like I was reading about my Penny. There were some eerie similarities!
April 13, 2024
4.5 / a precious and hilarious graphic novel about Penny’s daily life, existential thoughts, and vivid dreams. recommend to all cat owners!
June 19, 2024
4 | So funny (tons of LOL moments for me!), short and sweet. As a dog owner, I can completely relate to writing a story about what’s going on in your pet’s head. Loved the illustration style as well.
January 16, 2021
If you expected a book about a most worldly-wise, mystically-minded moggie to be a lazily-drawn comic, think again. This shows great craft and artistry in giving a portrait of a cat that just seems to be doing cute cat things, and sleeping it off when there was little 'it' in the first place to speak of, but actually is cogitating life, the universe and everything. As great as the visuals are, this is for dipping into and not binging on, for it can get one-note, even if it is broken up with the humans' holidaying and leaving Penny at home alone, and other more plotted sections. Also, Penny's interior monologue does stretch from the opening, where you think she'd be able to understand "Tenet" at the first watch, to the fact she thinks a stuffed mouse with a broken ear is her boyfriend. An odd swing to the character, then (partly caused, you eventually work out, by a non-sequential presentation of stand-alone pages desperately out of order), but this whole effort is odd – and oddly compelling, too.
July 17, 2021
Are cats as introspective as Penny? I wonder...
A fun read for cat lovers.
A fun read for cat lovers.
January 21, 2021
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Imagine if a photorealistic Garfield sat all day contemplating existential crises (instead of lasagna) but always only ends up shrugging and either eating or sleeping and you'll get an idea of Penny. Too much of the story was a lot of mumbo jumbo metaphysical musings that didn't really go anywhere and never really had a humorous punchline. In that regard, the book became a one-note from end to finish that never really captivated, amused, humored, or intrigued.Story: Penny was rescued (or kidnapped, if you ask her) from the trash of New York's streets and given a warm home and steady food. She thinks she misses the freedom and spends each day having acid trips on catnip, wondering about the universe, and giving her toys names and calling them friends. The humans give her petting, food, call her stupid when she plays with strings - all the while otherwise alternating between insulting her and putting up with her. It makes for a very mixed message about unrequited love on both sides of the relationship.
I can see how the author decided to do this: watching his cat just stare or idly play all day and then deciding to create a stream of consciousness in her head. The problem is that we never come to like Penny, the human couple, or any of her 'faux personality' cat toys. Penny never really seems happy and the humans, who have memories of rescuing her maggot covered kitten body, seem to see her more as a separate oddity than as a member of the family. This is like a cat story written by someone who never had a cat until recently and has no idea about the bond human and felines form. Compounding the issue are logic holes: e.g., Penny contemplating living in the desert - how would a NYC cat who only lived in one small area even know what a desert was?
Penny is drawn very true to life - a tortie (tortoise shell) stray with blotchy features and admittedly a fairly unresponsive face. Most of the expressions the cat gives look the same - and very disaffected from the deep thought bubbles above her. I applaud a true-to-life drawing of a cat but can't help but feel disappointed that the author failed so spectacularly to convey all the different and subtle expressions a cat can make. I can't help but make comparisons to Neil Gaiman's Sandman Night of a Thousand Cats and how there was so much more pathos there in giving cats voices.
Penny isn't a bad story but due to the one note nature (contemplate random subject then give up) it felt long and fairly dull. I felt as disassociated from the cat as the owners did in the story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
January 8, 2022
Cats are among the hardest subjects to draw, which is something I learned from my cartoonist father and also from my own attempts. Karl Stevens really nails the various moods and postures of his cat, Penny, in this eponymous graphic memoir.
Who hasn’t ascribed deep angst and existential ennui to their feline companions? I adopted my cat during the early days of quarantine and she and I have had more meaningful exchanges and conversations than I have had with friends or family in the past nearly two years.
This book would be a great gift for any cat lover, especially if they happen to be a millennial and enjoy dark humor. I flipped through my copy and chuckled as my cat doubtlessly pondered her existence and my demise.
Who hasn’t ascribed deep angst and existential ennui to their feline companions? I adopted my cat during the early days of quarantine and she and I have had more meaningful exchanges and conversations than I have had with friends or family in the past nearly two years.
This book would be a great gift for any cat lover, especially if they happen to be a millennial and enjoy dark humor. I flipped through my copy and chuckled as my cat doubtlessly pondered her existence and my demise.
July 9, 2023
I hate-read this book. It was so monotone. It starts out sad and ends up annoying. It’s about a cat with abusive owners. They are neglectful and mean. The writer’s perception of what goes on in cat’s minds is bizarre. All the stereotypes were evoked. Nothing substantial. The story is weak. I’m glad it was a gift and I didn’t waste my own money on it.
January 14, 2025
¿Sabes cuando tienes una mascota y en tu imaginación le otorgas una personalidad a partir de sus comportamientos?, eso es esta novela grafica, el autor dándole voz a unos de sus gatos en 152 paginas de esta pequeña felina filosofando en su aburrimiento, tiene muchas cosas que decir del mundo con su moralidad gris y son interesantes de oír, eso es en grandes rasgos este libro.
Es una serie de viñetas divertidas llenas de amor para aquellos que aman los gatos, con ilustraciones llenas de color, psicodelia y alta atención al detalle, con una protagonista súper expresiva que aunque sus aventuras no sean mas que ella durmiendo o comiendo mientras en su mente piensa en cosas hasta metafísicas, ese choque de realidad aburrida en la ilustración y de texto profundo es muy divertido, aunque hay algunas ilustraciones llenas de imaginación y psicodelia que representan el verdadero interior de la gatita que es un gusto verlo y algunas cosas que dice si te dejan pensando, no da respuesta a nada solo preguntas eso puede enojar a algunos, se siente como si el autor pusiera la primera incógnita de la vida que se le viniera en la mente sin pensarlo mucho para desarrollarlo, posiblemente haya sido así pero eso es justamente lo divertido, que lo pienses tu, que le des un significado personal a lo que te presenta, aunque no diré que es una obra cambiadora de vidas, en su mayoría es solo divertido y confortable, pero puede que alguna de las vivencias de esta criatura se te queden un tiempo en la cabeza mas tiempo de lo que debería, cosa que parece un gran logro por parte del autor al solo hacer un libro sin mayor pretensión que honestamente entretener, ser divertido y tener un gato, ¿Quien no ama a los gatos?.
Es una serie de viñetas divertidas llenas de amor para aquellos que aman los gatos, con ilustraciones llenas de color, psicodelia y alta atención al detalle, con una protagonista súper expresiva que aunque sus aventuras no sean mas que ella durmiendo o comiendo mientras en su mente piensa en cosas hasta metafísicas, ese choque de realidad aburrida en la ilustración y de texto profundo es muy divertido, aunque hay algunas ilustraciones llenas de imaginación y psicodelia que representan el verdadero interior de la gatita que es un gusto verlo y algunas cosas que dice si te dejan pensando, no da respuesta a nada solo preguntas eso puede enojar a algunos, se siente como si el autor pusiera la primera incógnita de la vida que se le viniera en la mente sin pensarlo mucho para desarrollarlo, posiblemente haya sido así pero eso es justamente lo divertido, que lo pienses tu, que le des un significado personal a lo que te presenta, aunque no diré que es una obra cambiadora de vidas, en su mayoría es solo divertido y confortable, pero puede que alguna de las vivencias de esta criatura se te queden un tiempo en la cabeza mas tiempo de lo que debería, cosa que parece un gran logro por parte del autor al solo hacer un libro sin mayor pretensión que honestamente entretener, ser divertido y tener un gato, ¿Quien no ama a los gatos?.
November 29, 2024
I got this book I wanna say last year? So glad I finally read it ehehe 4⭐️ more like 4.5 ish but yeeee
Main character: Penny is HER. She lowkey gives a more realistic and more cynical Garfield but like she still has her silly moments. I feel like I could genuinely believe that that’s what cats are thinking
Plot: she was the plot. She was the instigator, the protagonist, the villain, and the solution. It was at first a lil hard to follow because there waaaas a bit of a storyline but since she side quested with her thoughts so much I did get confused at first
Character development: veryyyy light, almost not there but like not in a bad way like I enjoyed the bits where she learned or reflected on her past but the character development was not the focus of the book ehehehe
Warning: don’t read this while having an existential crisis or under an influence or both 🙂↕️
Dislikes: I do feel like if I had to recall a full storyline/bit from the book like I get bits and pieces but not the whole pic yano? Like it did side quest a lottttt. Not enough for me to rank it as bad like I still loved it but yeah when I was done with it it was like “wait so what was the point exactly besides take me on a literary and visual acid trip thru a cat’s brain” especially with how it ended.
Recommend? Yes! I would be so curious to hear other takes on it and discuss :)))
Main character: Penny is HER. She lowkey gives a more realistic and more cynical Garfield but like she still has her silly moments. I feel like I could genuinely believe that that’s what cats are thinking
Plot: she was the plot. She was the instigator, the protagonist, the villain, and the solution. It was at first a lil hard to follow because there waaaas a bit of a storyline but since she side quested with her thoughts so much I did get confused at first
Character development: veryyyy light, almost not there but like not in a bad way like I enjoyed the bits where she learned or reflected on her past but the character development was not the focus of the book ehehehe
Warning: don’t read this while having an existential crisis or under an influence or both 🙂↕️
Dislikes: I do feel like if I had to recall a full storyline/bit from the book like I get bits and pieces but not the whole pic yano? Like it did side quest a lottttt. Not enough for me to rank it as bad like I still loved it but yeah when I was done with it it was like “wait so what was the point exactly besides take me on a literary and visual acid trip thru a cat’s brain” especially with how it ended.
Recommend? Yes! I would be so curious to hear other takes on it and discuss :)))
April 14, 2021
I enjoyed this, it was fun. Penny was born an alley cat, and gets "rescued" by a couple, who take her back to their apartment. We're basically hearing Penny's inner monologue throughout the book, and for the most part, it stays out of cliche-land- the "I'm a cat, so I don't really care about my human/s" cliche is present, but we do see Penny admitting to some attachment beyond "they give me food, so I tolerate them," which is nice. Penny does a lot of pondering the cat condition; is she really better off as an indoor dweller with an easy life but limited space to roam and less opportunity to do real cat stuff? Would she be happier living on the street, where she'd have extremely limited access to food and shelter, and be in danger almost all of the time, but would have the thrill of hunting for her food, roaming as she wanted? I enjoyed Penny's perspective on life, and wow! she has some really wild dreams! Also, I love the relationships she has with her toys, that was fun. The art is really nice, lots of warm colors and catness.
February 13, 2021
Penny, a graphic novel about the life and thoughts of a house cat. I am not surprised to find that Penny is as philosophical as Plato and spends what time is not used for sleeping or eating for existential musings over the meaning of her life.
While missing the wild, wilderness of her kitten-hood on the street, Penny is still a slave to the creature comforts that her humans have provided.
Karl Stevens validates my belief that catnip is simply weed for cats, and they get high off it, as well as my fear that my cats sleep on my chest at night because they are trying to decide if I will be tasty when they have to eat me if I die during the night.
Simply loved this graphic novel and Penny. Recommended for cat lovers and those who wonder what a cat is thinking when it spends an hour staring at a blank wall.
I received this proof free from Chronicle Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
While missing the wild, wilderness of her kitten-hood on the street, Penny is still a slave to the creature comforts that her humans have provided.
Karl Stevens validates my belief that catnip is simply weed for cats, and they get high off it, as well as my fear that my cats sleep on my chest at night because they are trying to decide if I will be tasty when they have to eat me if I die during the night.
Simply loved this graphic novel and Penny. Recommended for cat lovers and those who wonder what a cat is thinking when it spends an hour staring at a blank wall.
I received this proof free from Chronicle Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
July 28, 2021
I reserve five star ratings for books that really really mean something to me. This is about a 4.5, but as time goes on it may move up. Sometimes a book I think is good I continue to consider and decide it isn't good, it's very very good; other times I look at a rating and can't remember what the book is about so I don't know why I thought I liked it so much. I think this one will go up in estimation.
This isn't so much a narrative save for a couple of episodes, but more vignettes, tiny musings from a cat who understands that she is the center of the universe. I didn't really like the people calling her stupid but then she calls them stupid, so I guess it's even. There are lines I still think about and smile. ("Mom always said I'd die in prison." "So much thinking. So so so much thinking.") Well, I guess you had to be there. Stevens captures feline expressions magnificently.
I read the library's copy, then went out and bought my own. 'Nuff said.
This isn't so much a narrative save for a couple of episodes, but more vignettes, tiny musings from a cat who understands that she is the center of the universe. I didn't really like the people calling her stupid but then she calls them stupid, so I guess it's even. There are lines I still think about and smile. ("Mom always said I'd die in prison." "So much thinking. So so so much thinking.") Well, I guess you had to be there. Stevens captures feline expressions magnificently.
I read the library's copy, then went out and bought my own. 'Nuff said.
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