Reviews

A Cat, a Hat, and a Piece of String by Joanne Harris

susie_m's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

A set of satisfying short stories. Lots of different themes, settings and genres many with an undercurrent of the mystical. Well paced and easy to read but often containing wonderful descriptions of place.  I liked the authors notes at the beginning of each story and the fact that some of the characters came back for a second story! My favourite was ‘Dee Eye Why’

aliciagriggs's review against another edition

4.0

I like reading short stories in the bath, but I'm not a big lover of them in general and I've never given a collection (or a single short story) more than 3 stars until now. This book was very good and though I didn't like all of them, most of them were gripping and interesting ,varying from spooky (ghost story), to romantic, or funny. A very good collection.

bluestarfish's review against another edition

4.0

This is a collection of short stories from Joanne Harris and the title is quite wonderful:) There's a whole variety in here and each story is introduced with a few words by the author. I particularly liked Faith & Hope (I gather they have made an appearance before), and the African stories (the River and Road songs).

tibbynaj's review against another edition

3.0

Some stories I enjoyed immensely, others I felt dragged. All in all a solid book of short stories with flowing writing and interesting plots, premises and characters.

alikelystory's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

peppypenguin's review against another edition

5.0

This book was so utterly charming it took me by surprise. I had initially picked it up after reading the back quickly and finding it intriguing.

I'd never read Harris before, but I'm certainly glad I did. Her ideas are so simple, yet so interesting, and pulled off in such a way that they really make the reader feel something. Her "horror" shorts were so haunting, and I adored her stories of Faith and Hope, the elderly dears living in a home and facing their own challenges.

Her characters are very intriguing, and I just adore her writing style. I had a hard time putting it down. I would read one story and tell myself, "Ah, just one more", until the next thing I knew I reached the end.

I really look forward to reading more from this author!

emmererr's review against another edition

Absolutely fantastic. A mix of the comic, the twisted, and the sweet.

wk52bookreviews's review against another edition

5.0

Amazing! Joanne Harris is one of my favorite authors so I knew I would love this book. I wish I was related to Faith & Hope - read the book and you'll understand.

kernowme's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

gillopad's review

5.0

I loved these short stories. I've been a Joanne Harris fan for such a long time. Some of the first books I read when I started reading for pleasure again were Joanne Harris. These stories are like a comfort blanket. They were so engaging and I felt like I just flowed through them. This was such a calm and soothing read.