REVIEW: Claw the System by Francesco Marciuliano

JayneB+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsactivist poets / cats / Humor / poetry / social justice1 Comments

Poems from the Cat Uprising

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Could Pee on This, Francesco Marciuliano, comes a lesson from cats in resistance.

Cats are done with humans’ crap. For too long they have put up with baby talk, the humiliation of holiday costumes, and the social injustice of being told, “No.” They will not sleep through this anymore. We humans have woken the beast, and in this book they have gathered together to reclaim their voice, loudly and repeatedly until we pay attention. Watch the uprising unfold, through anthems such as “Redefine Terms,” “Accepted,” “Decide,” “A New Dawn,” and “Just What Do You Think You’re Doing?” Show support for your feline friends and try to understand why they’re so spitting mad.

Dear. Mr. Marciuliano,

I’m a cat person. I have been since an early age. A friend and fellow cat person gifted me with a copy of I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats and after reading it, I dimly began to understand that cats are fed up. But I still didn’t quite get it.

“And oh hell no with the antlers.”

Cats have had it. Being made to ride Roombas, wear silly clothes, get off the table or counters. Never having their point of view seen much less acknowledged. Always listening to our problems but not having their “meows” understood or acted on. Well that stops now. In stark, powerful poetry cats finally demand to be heard.

“Who keeps buying nothing but wicker furniture

and not a single scratching post”

Think you’re going to blame the cat when it’s your fault? Oh no buddy. If you can’t get the cat what the cat needs, the cat will do what it needs to do even if that means digging into your newly upholstered sofa.

“We are not anti-people

We are pro-cat”

Their time to revolt is now. Their time to be heard is now. Their time to demand their due is now. They may call you their chum, crony or pal but never owner. Or your name because they’ve forgotten it. Deal with it.

After reading these social protest poems, I’ve seen the light. I think I finally understand. I will support their cause because I really don’t want to sleep on the floor. And when the cat revolt begins in earnest, I will wave a copy of this book high overhead and yell, “I’m with you! The sofa is yours!” To the barricades, singing “La Meowseillaise!” B+

~Jayne

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Jayne

Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break before started back again about 25 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there's no TSTL characters and is currently reading more fantasy and SciFi.

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