Author behind viral 'Cat Person' short story on dating that was praised for being so 'gut-wrenching and relatable' sparks a MILLION DOLLAR bidding war for her first book
- Cat Person by Kristen Roupenian was published in the December 11 issue of the New Yorker and thousands of women have since shared it online
- Many expressed their awe over how relatable it is
- Others said it captures experiences they've had while dating, particularly when measuring their behavior in response to the 'fragile' masculinity of some men
- Now Roupenian, 36, has scored a five-figure publishing deal in the UK
- In the US, 11 publishing houses are bidding for the rights, which have reached over $1 million
- Her first book, You Know You Want This, will be a collection of short stories
Just a week after her short story was published by the New Yorker — and went viral overnight, becoming the magazine's most-read short fiction of the year — Cat Person author Kristen Roupenian is heading toward a seven-figure book deal.
The New Yorker published Roupenian's story about a short-lived relationship between a 20-year-old woman and an older man in its December 11 issue. The piece was deemed 'triggering' and 'gut-wrenching' by female fans on social media, who found the story incredibly relatable.
Now Roupenian, 36, has reportedly landed a five-figure book deal with a UK publisher — while the rights to her first book in the US have sparked a bidding war that's topped $1 million.
![Fiction famous: Kristen Roupenian wrote Cat Person, a story published in the December 11 issue of the New Yorker](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/19/19/47759C0100000578-5195509-image-a-1_1513711762284.jpg)
Fiction famous: Kristen Roupenian wrote Cat Person, a story published in the December 11 issue of the New Yorker
![Ladies love a good read: When it was published, women went viral for the piece, which they found incredibly relatable](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A501200000578-0-image-a-58_1513024035864.jpg)
Ladies love a good read: When it was published, women went viral for the piece, which they found incredibly relatable
Thousands of women bonded over Cat Person, saying it perfectly captures the uncomfortable encounters so many of them have faced.
'The themes of the story (sex, gender, power, consent) are ones that I've been thinking about, and trying to write about, for years,' the author said in a New York Times interview.
Those themes certainly resonated with many female readers, a fact that left publishers scrambling to lock Roupenian in with a contract.
According to The Guardian, she's now set to publish her first book, a collection of short stories called You Know You Want This.
UK publisher Jonathan Cape reportedly bought the rights for a 'high five-figure sum' — in pounds, which could be six figures in US dollars. And bidding for the rights in the US is still underway, with 11 publishers involved and the top offer currently above $1 million.
Michal Shavit at rJonathan Cape said, 'I was submitted the collection on Tuesday. By Wednesday, I had bought the book. She's the real deal.'
![Impressive: Now Roupenian has scored a five-figure book deal in the UK, while bidding for her book in the US has topped $1 million](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/19/19/47759C0500000578-5195509-image-a-2_1513711776633.jpg)
Impressive: Now Roupenian has scored a five-figure book deal in the UK, while bidding for her book in the US has topped $1 million
![Fiction frenzy: The story has been described as 'horrifying' and 'gut-wrenching' but 'relatable'](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4C5B00000578-0-image-a-61_1513024053488.jpg)
Fiction frenzy: The story has been described as 'horrifying' and 'gut-wrenching' but 'relatable'
![Common thread: Thousands of women are amazed at how spot-on the piece is and how well it captures their own feelings and experiences](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4F8F00000578-0-image-a-59_1513024042270.jpg)
Common thread: Thousands of women are amazed at how spot-on the piece is and how well it captures their own feelings and experiences
![Been there: The story is about an uncomfortable dating experience from the point of view of a young woman](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4BCC00000578-0-image-a-62_1513024058553.jpg)
Been there: The story is about an uncomfortable dating experience from the point of view of a young woman
'Cat Person captured the public imagination to become a phenomenon. You see that so rarely in literary fiction. It's an extraordinary story of human relationships and the sexual dynamics between a man and a woman, the power plays within that. It doesn't just play into the #metoo thing — she just writes very honestly and truthfully about the human experience'
He said that the new collection is 'dark,' 'funny,' and 'irreverent', adding: 'They’re occupying a similar space in the imagination, but they’re not all about the relationships between men and women … I genuinely think she’s a brilliant writer.'
![Surprise hit: Roupenian wasn't an especially well-known author before the piece resonated with thousands of women online](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/12/13/473C9F1800000578-5168717-Surprise_hit_Kristen_Roupenian_is_the_author_of_Cat_Person_a_sho-a-2_1513083624562.jpg)
Surprise hit: Roupenian wasn't an especially well-known author before the piece resonated with thousands of women online
Cat Person, at over 7,000 words, isn't exactly a speedy read, but it's attracted thousands of fans who can't stop talking about it on Twitter.
It tells the story of Margot, a 20-year-old college student who is working at a movie theater concession stand when a somewhat older man named Robert takes a liking to her and asks for her phone number.
They spend weeks texting, during which time Robert alternatively acts like he likes her very much — like by insisting on getting her snacks when her campus dining hall is closed — and becomes more stingy with his friendliness, making Margot feel like she needs to work to keep him interested.
'Soon she noticed that when she texted him he usually texted her back right away, but if she took more than a few hours to respond his next message would always be short and wouldn't include a question, so it was up to her to re-initiate the conversation, which she always did,' the piece reads.
They go on a strange first date which is described in excruciating detail, from the Holocaust movie he picks to the dig he makes about her casual outfit. Despite these moments that might make a reader think, 'Run, girl, run!' Margot ends up going home with Robert.
![Thanks: Roupenian took to social media to thank her new-found fans for their support](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/12/13/473C9F2300000578-5168717-Thanks_Kristen_took_to_social_media_to_thank_her_new_found_fans_-m-3_1513083691078.jpg)
Thanks: Roupenian took to social media to thank her new-found fans for their support
![Expectations: The author has since granted several interviews in which she talked about the piece and why she thinks so many women relate to it](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4CCF00000578-0-image-a-63_1513024062373.jpg)
Expectations: The author has since granted several interviews in which she talked about the piece and why she thinks so many women relate to it
![Though some said it's a great representation for dating in the digital age, some think the feelings go deeper than that](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4D7000000578-0-image-a-64_1513024076212.jpg)
Though some said it's a great representation for dating in the digital age, some think the feelings go deeper than that
![Tapping in: One woman pointed out that it's unfortunate that there aren't more stories that speak to women's experiences on the same level](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4E0900000578-0-image-a-65_1513024090731.jpg)
Tapping in: One woman pointed out that it's unfortunate that there aren't more stories that speak to women's experiences on the same level
Just before they have bad sex, she decides she doesn't want to do it. But because she fears his reaction if she pulls the breaks, she goes through with it.
'The thought of what it would take to stop what she had set in motion was overwhelming; it would require an amount of tact and gentleness that she felt was impossible to summon,' the piece reads.
The overall feeling of the story and several details in particular have touched a nerve with many female readers, who've lauded the piece on social media.
'The most gut-wrenching, relatable content I've ever read,' wrote one. 'Just read the New Yorker's "Cat Person" and want to crawl up under a duvet and die it's so embarrassing and relatable,' wrote another.
'The "cat person" essay in the New Yorker is so bizarre, awkward, relatable and horrifying,' added a third.
'Basically anyone who's ever used a dating app could write Cat Person, just maybe not as well,' said writer Nancy Jo Sales, tapping into the feeling of familiarity shared by many readers.
![Yikes: Many saw their own uncomfortable dating encounters in the story, both in interactions with men and bad sex](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4D8500000578-0-image-a-72_1513024127168.jpg)
Yikes: Many saw their own uncomfortable dating encounters in the story, both in interactions with men and bad sex
![Insight: Some expressed a wish that more men would read the piece to better understand what so many women feel](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A501600000578-0-image-a-66_1513024100340.jpg)
Insight: Some expressed a wish that more men would read the piece to better understand what so many women feel
![Playing the part: Much of the story portrays the main character adjusting her actions and words to placate the man she is interested in](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4EBE00000578-0-image-a-67_1513024104021.jpg)
Playing the part: Much of the story portrays the main character adjusting her actions and words to placate the man she is interested in
'I want an investigation on how she wiretapped my inner monologue,' said another in a much-liked tweet.
Others tweeted to talk more about the common experiences brought up in the piece. In particular, many wrote about how women are conditioned and socialized from a young age to be agreeable, to not come off as 'prude' or 'uptight' and to make men feel comfortable.
'As brilliantly/depressingly relatable as everyone has said. Now imagining a world where women aren't socialized to placate men's feelings above her own safety, happiness and pleasure,' an Australian woman wrote.
While some said they could especially relate in times of online dating, a few pointed out that the problems aren't new now, they are just magnified.
![Mesured: Many of the woman's actions seem calculated to prevent her date from getting angry or reacting badly, which he does on occasion](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4CE600000578-0-image-a-68_1513024111517.jpg)
Mesured: Many of the woman's actions seem calculated to prevent her date from getting angry or reacting badly, which he does on occasion
![Cool dude: Robert, the male character, gets angry when he feels he isn't being paid proper attention or respect](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4D9400000578-0-image-a-69_1513024116141.jpg)
Cool dude: Robert, the male character, gets angry when he feels he isn't being paid proper attention or respect
![Dig deeper: Some women are frustrated to find that men reading the piece aren't 'getting it'](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4BC800000578-0-image-a-70_1513024120445.jpg)
Dig deeper: Some women are frustrated to find that men reading the piece aren't 'getting it'
![Complex: While a man's bad behavior is betrayed, the piece is more about the steps women take to work around bad male behavior, prevent it, and save themselves from it](http://web.archive.org./web/20171220065009/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/20/473A4D3C00000578-0-image-a-71_1513024122065.jpg)
Complex: While a man's bad behavior is betrayed, the piece is more about the steps women take to work around bad male behavior, prevent it, and save themselves from it
'Robert isn't a new character or a product of the digital age. He's had that same reaction earlier, too — it's just easier to spot & compare notes nowadays,' read one tweet.
A few Twitter users were quick to point out that the story isn't necessarily about a man behaving badly, but more about how women are socialized to deal with men who behave badly, or who might behave badly.
'Hey, men: we don't claim this story is about a guy being abusive/nasty to a girl. That's another level. This is about the romantic hoops women are trained to jump thru, continually, from a [very] young age & the kid gloves we wear around guys for protection from [your] rage/entitlement,' wrote one woman.
'The number of guys rallying to Robert's defense in threads related to this (see: this tweet alone) is maybe my favorite thing about the article? Men refuse to see masculinity for how fragile it is,' said another.
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