My Father, the Cat by Henry Slesar
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"My Father, the Cat" by Henry Slesar is a whimsical short story that was likely written in the mid-20th century. The narrative blends elements of fantasy and humor, centering around the peculiar relationship between a human son, Étienne, and his father, an extraordinary talking cat named Dauphin. The storyline explores themes of identity, societal norms, and the complexities of love, particularly in how Étienne navigates his relationship with his fiancée, Joanna, while
keeping the true nature of his father a secret. The story unfolds as Étienne, raised by his cultured cat father after the death of his delicate mother, prepares to introduce Joanna to his family's estate in Brittany. As the couple arrives, Étienne grapples with revealing the truth about his paternity, fearing that Joanna, a lively woman from the American Southwest, may react poorly to the revelation of having a cat as a father. The narrative builds tension as the dinner unfolds, culminating in a humorous yet poignant moment when Joanna unknowingly treats Dauphin as a regular pet. Ultimately, the tale explores the weight of secrets and the unexpected, juxtaposing the ordinary with the fantastical in Étienne’s life, and challenges readers to consider the nature of love and acceptance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Slesar, Henry, 1927-2002 |
|---|---|
| Title | My Father, the Cat |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 74.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Fantasy fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 28119 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-28119-3 |
| Release Date | Feb 19, 2009 |
| Last Update | Jan 4, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 466 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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