PENNY by Karl Stevens {reviewed by Stella}
Penny: A graphic memoir by Karl Stevens
If you think you know what your cat is thinking, think again. Penny is a graphic novel about the world of a domestic housecat. We meet Penny as a kitten, found on the street (in her words kidnapped), and discover what a world in prison (inside an apartment) with humans consists of. Here’s Penny’s take on the situation: “Am I in denial that I am living in prison? Is this vision of the ‘outside world’ a real thing? Or is it a hologram used to amuse me?” From the opening pages of this lovingly drawn graphic novel, we are offered a glimpse into the existential thoughts of a cat, this cat, and her musings on a life well-lived. “Em, 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.” But, like us, we discover that cats — well, Penny — get restless, too. Penny has times of discontent, irritability, and general scratchiness. She also tires of the games that her humans think amuse her, but she indulges them, and does quite like the catnip toys. Some of them are favoured — she adorns them with names and some even make the grade to boyfriend. The catnip gives her opportunities for escape, and her drug-induced dreams are psychedelic. Discovering a portal seems to be a constant obsession (alongside the other fixation — food), and where does that door lead to? Her humans go out and come back weighed down with items. It must be a portal. If only she could get past the door — imagine all the delicious morsels she could find. She thinks about her past life, wondering where her mother is now. If she focuses, she can remember her kind eyes. She likes her humans okay, and does miss them when they pack and head away for a few days: “I miss the humans’ dull, ugly faces. Their vacant eyes, their crude behaviour…I miss the god damn wet food.” Penny is adorable and extremely enjoyable. She’s a cat with too many questions, her thinking drives her crazy, but also is useful for countering time. That and sleeping. A 30-hour day of sleep is her bliss. So, next time your cat is staring at you, be nice, and be careful. That innocent look may be anything but. Mostly though, if Penny is anything to go by, the existentialism is unlikely to play out into nefarious behaviour (well, some of the time it does — there are many “Penny, no!”s scattered throughout) or actions that will undermine your ability to coexist with your cat, no matter how maddening they can be. They like to sleep, can embrace mediocrity, and like to be petted, even when their motivations are beyond our human grasp. Apparently.