Now You See Me

from Endangered to Extinction
by Diane Brischke

This book is a call to action on behalf of endangered wild animals. It highlights twenty very recognizable species- cheetah, elephant, panda, manatee, wolf, iguana, parrot, rhinoceros, etc and tells briefly what kinds of threats they face from mankind including pollution, habitat loss, climate change, poaching and population decline due to the pet trade. Sadly, it is not a book I can recommend. I expected from the large format to find gorgeous photographs inside, but only a few are excellent in quality, the rest are just okay. I know the book is directed at younger readers, but still it seemed overly simplified and very repetitive. Not much real information was shared, mostly generalizations about animals loosing habitat and facing the end: extinction. Except- some of them aren't in that dire of a situation yet. Black bears are featured in this book, yet the IUCN lists this bear as being of "least concern" and National Geographic says "this is the only bear species considered secure throughout its range". Sloths are also "of least concern." Leopards are "threatened". So why are they in this book? There are far more species seriously critically endangered that could have been included.

Aside from that, I found it annoying to read because of the numerous typos, odd punctuation, run-on sentences and awkward phrases that seemed to be missing words, so they made no sense. I often had to read a sentence two or three times. The book really needed a better editor. White text on various dark and colored backgrounds was a poor choice, it's a headache for my eyes. I can only imagine this would be frustrating and disappointing for kids to read, as it was for me.

I received a copy of this book for review.

Rating: 1/5      52 pages, 2014

The Octopus and the Orangutan

by Eugene Linden

What, exactly, is the nature of intelligence? This book looks at a wide variety of animal behaviors that baffle or surprise people, because they display a level of intelligence and ingenuity that we like to reserve for ourselves. Most of the incidents described here are encounters wild animals have with people in captive settings, not in the kind of measured experiment scientists use for proof. So it's anecdotal evidence, things we can only surmise and guess at what they might really mean in terms of how much the animal actually understands. I was actually expecting a lot more stories, but appreciated what I got- the author takes pains to examine the background of each incident presented, and goes into depth considering all the implications and possible explanations. There are stories of animals using deception, offering comfort, using tools in new ways (at least not seen by humans before), communicating across species, hiding their intentions and negotiating for rewards. The discussion ranges all over- sometimes I got impatient when it seemed to veer off topic (away from the animals), but the author always had a point. Lots of ideas that I'm still thinking about. Orangutans and octopuses are held up as key examples of intelligence but the book also features squirrels, orcas, elephants, dolphins, chimpanzees, starlings, dogs, horses and more.

I found this book at a thrift shop.

Rating: 4/5      242 pages, 2002

extra TBR

Most of these book titles I came across as references listed in the back of The Soul of an Octopus; the rest of them I happened across while looking for the former in the library's online catalog. Add to the list!

Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms by Richard Fortey
Sex, Drugs and Sea Slime by Ellen Prager
Still Life with Chickens by Catherine Goldhammer
A Farm Dies Once a Year by Arlo Crawford
Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas
One-Woman Farm by Jenna Woginrich
Growing a Farmer by Kurt Timmermeister

Octopus the Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate by Roland Anderson
Window to the Sea by John Grant
Super Suckers by James Cosgrove
Octopus and Squid: the Soft Intelligence by Jacques Yves Cousteau
The Outermost House by Henry Beston
The House of Paper by Carlos Maria Dominguez- So Many Books

The Soul of an Octopus

by Sy Montgomery

The octopus is an alien intelligence, right here on earth. These creatures are fascinating. Sy Montgomery wowed me as usual. She's one of my favorite nature writers- always accessible, easy to get immersed in her stories, I can't put the book down. She tells about getting to know several octopuses in succession at a public aquarium behind the scenes, becoming a priveledged enough visitor to receive an access badge and herself answering questions about the animal for visitors. Ocotopuses have a very short lifespan in spite of all their smarts (three to four years at best) so the aquarium usually had a younger one adjusting to life in captivity behind the scenes when the current octopus on display began to age. They each had their own personality, some appearing to like the company and attention of humans, others not. They presented different challenges- a bored octopus will cause trouble by attempting to escape or eating its tankmates, so the aquarium staff have to find toys to amuse it or make food puzzles to keep it occupied. In between visits to the aquarium tanks, Montgomery took diving lessons and made forays into the ocean with guided groups, hoping to observe wild octopuses (they're hard to find). She also relates many interesting things about many other fish and invertebrates at the aquarium or that she encountered on the ocean dives, and talks about her developing friendships with other octopus fans, how contact with the octopus changed some of their lives. Mostly it is full of wonder for this strange, incredible animal and knowledge shared. And now I want to read more about octopus, must find more books. There's several on my list, but I haven't been able to find copies yet...

I borrowed this book from my public library.

Rating: 4/5       261 pages, 2015

The Book of Animal Ignorance

by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson

A book full of really odd and intriguing facts about animals. Lots of things I never heard of before. Made me constantly blurt out an astonished "did you know-??" to my husband if he happened to be in the room when I was reading, and jot things down to look up online later- yeah, they're true. It's organized in alphabetical order and tells about all kinds of interesting critters, from the unusual (naked mole rats, tardigrade aka "water bears", quolls) to the more commonly known worms, rabbits, monkeys, fleas, you name it. Surprising bits of information on all of them. It reminded me a lot of those "True Facts About the [insert animal name]" videos you find on youtube with the deep voice narrating, because of the amount of crazy information about how animals mate. From anatomy to behavior, animals have more strange ways of doing it than I had ever imagined!

Some things that really jumped out at me: polar bears will eat toothpaste. Apparently they find the smell of it irresistible. There is a moth that smells like goats (and another one that smells like chocolate). The area of an echidna's brain that has to do with reasoning and personality is very large in proportion to the rest of it- even bigger than that in "higher" mammals. No one's figured out why. Female ferrets actually get sick if they're not mated when in heat. Also: ferrets have been used to thread cables through long tunnels or pipes, and Boeing used them to run cables through inaccessible parts of airplanes- until apparently the ferrets started getting bored and taking naps halfway through finishing their task! Some frogs will vomit by turning their stomach inside out and cleaning it with their hands before swallowing it again! (I think that's nearly as gross as the sea cucumber's defensive mechanism of vomiting up its guts). The giraffe's tongue is dark blue to keep it from getting sunburned (it is used so much to pluck leaves off trees). Echidnas may appear brainy for their size, koalas are not. Their brain is so small it floats in the cranial cavity, surrounded by twice as much empty space! There is a calculator made from the neurons of leeches?? I don't understand this one, really. There is a specific species of louse that infects almost every animal- except for bats, echidnas and the platypus (why?) The Romans used to eat parrots, when their novelty as pets wore off. There is a species of rabbit that has stripes- it is extremely rare. The tuatara (primitive reptile related to lizards) has a third eye. An earthworm has ten hearts!

Very interesting article this book lead me to look up: Humboldt's Parrot: Endangered species and endangered languages. Want to know more crazy stuff about animals? Read the book!

Rating: 3/5      241 pages, 2007

TBR again

I think this is the first time I've posted a TBR list where every title on it is actually available at my local library.

Cat Sense by John Brandshaw- Opinions of a Wolf
Working Stiff by Judy Melinek- Shannon's Book Bag
The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne- Caroline Bookbinder
Jennie alternate title The Abandoned by Paul Gallico
Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks- seen on library shelf
Aquarium by David Vann- Bermudaonion's Weblog
The God Species by Mark Lynas- So Many Books
Help! I'm a prisoner in the library by Eth Clifford- Melody's Reading Corner
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson- Things Mean a Lot
Living in Denial by Kari Marie Norgaard- So Many Books

Children of the Wild West

by Russell Freedman

A juvenile non-fiction book, this is pretty good for its intended audience but won't be a keeper for me. It relates what life was probably like for kids during the mid- to late 1800's in America. Pioneer children travelling west in wagon trains and native american children living in their various tribes. Mostly it just details daily life, occasionally touches on some deeper topics such as how native american children were often taken from their homes and put into white schools, taught new occupations. (Some of the most compelling images were side-by-side pictures of groups of native girls and boys, depicted when they first arrived at a school dressed in their traditional attire, and again a year or so later in stiff western clothing. They look miserable- but its hard to tell really when you remember how still they had to keep their faces for a clear photograph back then). The book also tells how young children had to work on farms and homesteads, in town jobs such as running messages or typesetting, riding horses on ranches and even acting as travelling performers. Their typical daily chores. What kinds of games and amusements they had. Schooling in one-room buildings (that often doubled as a church on sunday), the hardships of frontier schoolteachers. I did not find a lot here that was new to me, but the photographs are excellent for their time, it is quite something to peer at their solemn, often indistinct faces and wonder what it was really like for them. The book also details how early photography was done, the difficulties of travelling photographers who presented their skill as a novelty item to the hardworking people in frontier and mining towns.

Rating: 3/5        104 pages, 1983

Of Wolves and Men

by Barry Holstun Lopez

The last book I read sparked my interest to read another one about wolves off my shelf. This book introduces the biology and behavior of the wolf, but mostly it is an examination about the different aspects relationships between mankind and wolves have taken on through the centuries, up to the present day. It looks at fairy tales, myths, folklore and misconceptions alike (presenting a nice distinction between fable and fairy tale by the way). It is not exactly linear in nature, discussing firstly the close parallel lives of native americans and other peoples who lived a hunting lifestyle had with wolves (and how this affected their view and esteem of wolves), then the warfare and extermination programs run against wolves in North America- all the various methods and justifications people had for killing wolves and the devastating effects this had. Then it examines the medieval view of wolves, which was mostly fanciful and moralizing. Wolves were presented as the embodiment of evil and religious powers only strengthened this idea, which persisted for a very long time. Then there's the completely opposite idea of the wolf as a nurturing mother that would raise human children in the wild- I came across a lot of familiar material in this chapter. Lopez shows how eventually science tried to look at real wolves and understand them, but how difficult it remains to break from old ideas, to see past what we've always believed to be true. The final epilogue is all too short, a glimpse of the time the author spent raising two wolves- I want to read more about that. I suspect he did not write much about it because he realized it is a bad idea and didn't want others to be encouraged to copy the experiment. Throughout it all, some fascinating history and intriguing ideas about how human minds from the depths of the past have shaped what we see and understand today. The overall idea I came away with was that no matter which way we look at the animal, we only see a part of it, what we think of it, never completely what the wolf truly is in and of himself. Some part of the animal will always remain a mystery to us, and Lopez seems content to leave it that way.

Rating: 3/5      308 pages, 1978

Women who Run with the Wolves

by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

This is a heavy book. Rich indeed. One you have to read slowly, take in pieces, ponder over. I'm not sure I understood all the things Estes was getting at, and its definitely a book that requires a re-read, if not many. In a nutshell, Estes examines and analyzes fairytales, myths and folktales in the context of what they can teach about the inner lives of women. It reminded me a lot of Care of the Soul, a book I haven't read since high school. In each segment of the book, Estes examines a particular fairy tale (often several related tales or different versions as well) and goes into great depth about the wisdom and insight it can convey about such things as finding inner strength, recognizing things that take you away from your true self, enduring and continuing on in the face of difficulties, recognizing people you feel kinship with, finding and drawing upon your creative energy and so on. The ways and manners in which women expresses themselves and mine their inner strengths are myriad, and Estes recognizes that. She presents a lot of tales I was completely unfamiliar with, and explains others in ways I had never considered before. I was a bit surprised to find some other reviewers disagreed entirely with her viewpoint, said she forced and changed the stories to say what she wanted, diverted from their original meaning. But I just took it to be part of the power of storytelling, to use stories and word imagery to communicate something strong and lasting. Oh, and there are many comparisons to wolves and how they live. Estes calls the feminine soul your inner Wild Woman, who is keen and responsive and fierce in ways like the wolf...

So is it a bunch of interpretive hogwash, or something profoundly insightful? I guess it depends on the reader. For myself, I found quite a bit to take away and ponder at length, and I am keeping this book on my shelf to delve into again someday.

this is what 926 books look like

all piled up in one room, waiting for shelving to be installed.

There's another few dozen TBR books under the bed as well

this stack next to my smaller aquarium

and my regular TBR shelf that's full of clutter because I don't have things all organized and put away yet. Oh, and the count is off- some more books here on the floor in front of little shelf that my father-in-law gave me (unfortunately I won't be keeping most of them- half are of a genre I don't usually read, and the other half books I know I love- because I already own copies of them!)

And last of all, the book I'm currently reading. It's taking me a long time to get through this one, but what a fantastic read!

Mother West Wind's Children

by Thornton W. Burgess

Following Mother West Wind, these are more "why" stories that describe animal traits in a fanciful manner. The bear hibernates as punishment for being a mean-spirited glutton, the rabbit has long ears so others will know he's an eavesdropper and a gossip and so on. I think my favorite was the one about why the toad swallows his old coat -it was a little closer to actual nature. Through most of these stories Grandfather Frog is the one who holds knowledge, he will share his stories with eager listeners if given a little respect and a gift of fat green flies to eat. The wind and breezes are personified, and there were a few forest characters I didn't quite recognize (I think this is one of Burgess' earlier works). I haven't read any Burgess in a while, and this doesn't quite live up to what I remember enjoying. But it was still nice and of course an easy distraction to dip in and out of.

Rating: 3/5        156 pages, 1911

Pigs Don't Fly

by Mary Brown

A story set in medieval times. This girl grows up daughter of the village whore, and is left bereft when her mother dies. She is pretty much shouldered out of town, and sets off on the road seeking her fortune- a husband, really, because that's what her mother taught her to aspire to- find a good husband. She wears a magic ring left by her unknown father, turns out it allows her to communicate with animals. So a menagerie slowly gathers- first a dog becomes her companion, then a young mare, both sensible animals to have on a journey. But she also collects a tortoise, a wounded pigeon and a strange creature found miserably exploited for display in a fair- a pig with wings. And innocently falls head over heels in love with a knight she meets on the road. Ignorant infatuation, really. The guy was a bore, and not very nice to her at first. But he needs her because when set upon by robbers he sustains a head injury, goes suddenly blind and looses his memory. She promises to help him find his original home, and cares for him (and all the animals) on the journey...

Well. She's smart and kindhearted and a bit naive, but also overweight and considers herself unattractive (often comes across as desperate) and mentions a lot about being glad the knight is blind, so he won't mind being with her. The hardships of the road eventually get her fit again, but she doesn't realize it until the end. Some of the things that happen in the story I saw coming, others really surprised me. Aside from all these interesting descriptions of nature and weather and how crops are brought in and how travelers are treated and survival travelling afoot in medieval times. They have quite a few run-ins with thieves, soldiers, greedy rich people who should have been their kind hosts, women who turn out to be jealous and spiteful, a ghost in a ruined castle (which I thought at first was a vampire?), a strange little man who rules the forest and other odd magical things. Not the least of which was the flying pig. I did not figure out what the pig really was until the very end- and that became the most interesting part of the book. Curiously, as each creature found what it sought and left the travelling companions- the pigeon a flock to join, the tortoise its proper habitat, the mare her herd, etc- they all had to settle for a less-than-perfect outcome- and yet were content and willing to put up with shortcomings. Our narrator is pulled up short when she realizes at the end that the knight she fell in love with at first sight -now that he appreciates her- is not whom she loves, that a merchant met along the way who proposed to her isn't her cup of tea either, so what will she do? (ahem- does she really need a husband?) The ending begged for a sequel, which I bet I would find a lot more interesting, the way it was leaning.

Rating: 3/5      370 pages, 1994

A Hog on Ice

and Other Curious Expressions
by Charles Earle Funk

A book that tells the origins and meanings of many many sayings- over four hundred of them. It's a nice read if you are interested in etymology, and an easy book to dip in and out of. The forward describes in detail how the author sought out the original meaning of the phrase "as independent as a hog on ice"; the rest of the entries simply outline what the final findings were. Most of the expressions I had heard before, a few were entirely unfamiliar to me. Some I had an idea where they came from, others it was the opposite of what I would have assumed. Lots are from political moments in history, old arcane practices, or mispronunciations of former word forms (many of the expressions are centuries old). In some cases the author found no evidence at all, so he surmised a best guess.

Rating: 3/5      214 pages, 1948

Peony

by Pearl S. Buck

A gentle, slow, rich story about a Jewish household that lives in China during the mid-nineteenth century. It is told from the viewpoint of a chinese bondmaid in the house, who was bought into service as a child to be companion to the merchant's only son, David. She grows up on very close terms with David, but when they become adults the dynamics change. Peony the bondmaid loves David, but it is beyond her status to ever marry him. His religion forbids him to keep her as a concubine, which the Chinese people would easily accept. Instead she remains in his house faithfully serving him, subtly manipulating events and insinuating herself into schemes on whom David will marry- the pretty daughter of another merchant who would solidify a business partnership? or the beautiful strong Jewish daughter of the rabbi, whom his mother desires for him? I have never read anything about the assimilation of Jewish people into China before, so the full breadth of this story was very interesting. It's about much more than just the love story and the self-sacrifice that is Peony's life. It's about the meeting of two cultures, each with their pride and faithfulness, their laws and structure, their tolerance or prejudiced ideas. Older generations sought to hold onto their religious identity and keep their children from intermarriage, but slowly this dissolves through the years. David in particular has an awakening when he realizes he will not follow his mother's ideal path for him, nor exactly his father's, but must choose his own way.

All in all a very engaging read. It definitely encourages me to read more Pearl S. Buck- especially as this book is said to be not quite her best! I used to have The Good Earth on my shelf, can't find it now. I'm afraid I tried it several times when I was younger and got nowhere. I intend to find another copy and attempt it again. And others.

Rating: 4/5     312 pages, 1948

more opinions:
Book Nook Club
A Striped Armchair
Becky's Book Reviews

brief hiatus

My blogs are falling into the background right now- as you might have already noticed. I am facing some wonderful life-changing events. I'm getting married next month, then will be moving shortly after. Summer seems brief enough as it is, but now it's going to be very busy and go by quickly. So I am quite preoccupied right now planning a wedding (even a small, casual backyard event takes a lot of work) and all the tedious tasks that go along with moving the household...

I'm still reading of course- need to unwind and get my mind off things sometimes- but not nearly as much as usual and well, my mind tends to wander so the book posts might seem kind of hurried, unfocused or sporadic here for a while. If I seem to currently abandon a lot of books it's probably not their fault at all, just mine! if they appear to have potential regardless of my ability to focus, I will probably set some aside to give another try later.... And I haven't even opened my google reader in over a week- so I'm really behind and unaware of what is going on in the "blogosphere".

Catch up with you later!

The Singlehanders

the Evolution of a Lonely Art
by D.H. Clarke

Singlehanders are men (or women, though far less common) who sail boats all by themselves across an ocean or around the world. It's an amazing feat, whether done in desperation for survival due to some accident or stranding, or deliberate attempts. Lots and lots of men have done this- either sponsored into exploring, racing against each other, testing how far they could go or to what was out there, or just to prove to themselves/others that it could be done. To set records. The author here was really into this stuff and did singlehander journeys himself, and here he set down a record of all the people who've made attempts that aren't famous- all the unsung heroes. There's plenty of them. So their tales are short. It's heavy on names, and who-is-from-where and where-they-went-and-why and short on the details I like, the descriptions of the experience itself.  I just can't keep focus on this book. Maybe it's me. I started skimming a lot and the bits I did read where well-explained and interesting but I don't think I'll go back to it. It's only mildly interseting if, like me, you've never actually been sailing.

Abandoned        206 pages, 1975

Company K

by William March

I didn't expect to really like this book, but it grew on me. It's about WWI, a company of men marching through France, little stories from each of them. Some only a couple of paragraphs long, others several pages. Often two paired together showing the same incident from their different viewpoints. The voices are not very distinct, but the individual responses to the horrors and senselessness of war are. Men befriending enemies and killing friends, injuring themselves on purpose to get out of fighting, searching for solace with women along the way, misunderstanding the locals in the countryside, insurgency and bravery and cowardice, pain and suffering and bewilderment. It's gruesome in many parts, in a straightforward, matter-of-fact way. Roughly chronological, although there really is no storyline to follow, just pieces here and there of each man's experience. Eagerness at the beginning when the men are first enlisted and training, the long slog, the growing horrors, the numbness and fear and everything else, what it was like for many of them to come home. Lauded when they didn't deserve or want it, others ignored when they had gone through the worst, the difficulties in making their lives again. Reminded me some of Strange Meeting by Susan Hill.

Rating: 3/5      183 pages, 1933

Ask the Animals

Bruce R. Coston

A vet looks back on his early training and development of his own practice, relating stories of animals that are brought in to see him, their ailments and cures, plus things that revolve around the pet owners involved and his own family. In a friendly fashion, it's a comprehensive look of what a vet's life is like, I think- from descriptions of studies in veterinary college, early work in other practices and establishing his own office to tales of repeat clients, following the animals through their lives. It was kind of nice to see some animals and their owners make repeat appearances- I don't usually find that in vet books, which are often a collection of separate clinical stories (not as dry as that sounds). This one has a lot more about people- in particular, there's one whole chapter about the author's graduation day, another about how he meets, woos and finally proposes to his wife, another about an embarrassing night trying to eat out with his parents and new wife after they've moved to a new town... they're nice stories, but didn't quite fit in with what I wanted to read about! Which was the animals, mostly. Some of the stories are quite touching, like the ones about malnourished abandoned kittens that are brought back to health to become mascots at the vet's office, or the one about how the vet lost his own cat from his own clinic (while away on vacation) and finally tracked it down, to a tearful reunion. Most of the stories are what you'd usually find- about various injuries and illnesses, surprising cases, difficult ones, a few amusing. About the difficulties people have with affording care, tough decisions when nothing can be done or it isn't affordable, and how a wealthy friend of his set up a foundation to assist other pet owners in need. That was nice. Oh, and there's one chapter about a crazy-late-hour phone call the author received from a woman concerned that the egg she'd started boiling had a live chick inside (due to a squeaking sound). Rational explanations did not work- he was talking in circles with her- it was hilarious.

This book doesn't really deserve the 2 I gave it, it's just my personal response. By the last few chapters I was quickly loosing focus and just skimming stuff. It's fairly repetitive of so many other vet books I've read, and the writing style wasn't quite funny or engaging enough to keep me interested regardless.

Rating: 2/5      274 pages, 2009

The Worst Princess

by Anna Kemp

Princess Sue is pining around waiting for a prince to come and sweep her off her feet. When a prince finally arrives at her castle, she's ecstatic- until she realizes his plans for her. Her new prince expects his lady love to stay in the castle, try on pretty dresses and "just smile a lot and twist your curls." Princess Sue is incensed- she wants to ride horses and have adventures. Not one to accept defeat, she teams up with a dragon to realize her dreams. Great fun. Love the bright, slightly sketchy illustrations by Sara Ogilvie. It's also nicely written, the rhyming text flows smoothly when read aloud. And funny, to the right listener- my ten-year-old was listening on the other side of the room and kept giggling quietly as I read this at bedtime to her younger sister. The story really reminds me a lot of The Paper Bag Princess.

Rating: 4/5      32 pages

more opinions:
Vulpes Libris
Waking Brain Cells
Jen Robinson's Book Page
My Favorite Books

Saving Simon

by Jon Katz

Katz says he steers clear of the animal rescue world, in general. But people knew he had a few donkeys already, so when Simon was pulled off a farm where he'd been left in a small pen to die, they contacted him. The animal was terribly neglected, but with care and tending to he recovered well, became dominant animal on the farm, making his personality known. His wife, his dogs, his other donkeys, an aged pony that lives on another farm nearby, strangers driving down the road and people who come as tourists, all interact with Simon. There are lots of adjustments to make, and they don't all go well. The author likes to point out frequently that animals act on instinct and conditioning, not emotional and reasoning like us- so although he expects Simon to be gentle and grateful after his rescue, once the donkey is recovered he acts like, well, a donkey (which include aggression towards other animals he views as a threat). The story is not just about a donkey's recovery and connection to people, but a lot of musings on compassion. The most interesting (and polarizing, if you glance at the online reviews) aspect of it all is that Katz wonders why we tend to show more compassion and caring to animals in need than to people in difficult or demoralizing circumstances. He approaches the man who was fined for abusing Simon, in an effort at understanding. Unfortunately as in some prior books, when Katz finds that some of his animals are suffering and unlikely to recover from an illness, or that the situation is untenable, he has them put down. A lot of people find this unacceptable. He states his reasons but it's hard to read about.

Rating: 3/5    209 pages, 2014

Rabbit's Wooly Sweater

by Mark Birchall

Really cute book I found at the library with my kids the other day. Little Rabbit's aunt knits her a wooly striped sweater, but she doesn't want to wear it. She wants her toy doll Mr. Cuddles (who does everything with her) to have one too, and besides it's too big. Her mom insists the sweater is lovely, and makes her wear it to play outside. Rabbit takes her sweater off at the park and leaves it behind, but someone finds it and brings it home for her- all dirty from laying on the ground and getting kicked around in a soccer game. Into the washing machine it goes- and it shrinks! Much to small now. What will Rabbit do?

The pictures are lively and charming- they look very freehand. And the story presents a predicament lots of kids will be familiar with- disliking a well-intended gift, wanting something different... with a nice ending here. I liked it enough I'm looking to find other books by this author to read to my three-year-old too.

Rating: 3/5      24 pages, 2000

Ishi: in Two Worlds

by Theodora Kroeber

Ishi was the sole survivor of his tribe- one of the Yani that had lived in California for centuries before the gold rush overran their land with settlers and miners. Displaced by the encroaching white man and loosing their already tenuous livelihood when game was driven away or slaughtered, his people naturally turned to hunting the new animals settlers brought with them- cattle, sheep, horses. They didn't realize these animals belonged to men, as their only domestic animals were dogs. Retaliation was harsh. To keep it short, his tribe was deliberately exterminated. When Ishi was ten years old, the remaining few dozen of his people went into hiding after a devastating massacre. They were pretty much unseen, unheard of for several more decades until in 1908 a group of surveyors happened across a hidden camp where three or four people were living- including Ishi. He fled one way, his sister another, they never saw each other again. Three years later, in 1911, Ishi stumbled out into the modern world. He was in his early fifties. He had lived his entire life in a state of warfare, hiding from enemies, in fear of his life, watching his people dwindle, seeing his loved ones die. Can you imagine, after decades of living in a small group forever in hiding, after having wandered alone for months perhaps several years without a person to speak to, to then walk into the camp of your lifelong enemies, probably expecting to die at their hands?

And yet Ishi, to all accounts, seems to have handled his introduction into the modern world very well, After the initial shock, he realized people meant him no harm. People were so curious to see "the wild man" he was at first locked up in jail for his own safety, then taken to a university where eager anthropologists wished to learn about his vanished tribe, to study him. It sounds as if they were very gracious about it. Ishi had living quarters in the museum. A member of another California tribe was found who spoke a neighboring dialect, so language was not a complete barrier. Ishi learned enough rudimentary English to communicate fairly well. He adapted quickly to using modern conveniences; it was interesting to see which modern implements he admired and appreciated for the work they saved, and which he found puzzling or amusing- the telephone he seemed to consider a toy. He did not pine for his old way of life, in fact rarely spoke of it and never divulged much about his past- probably the memories were too painful. But he was content to demonstrate his skills over and over again to museum visitors and others- making bows and arrows, starting a fire, knapping arrowheads and so forth.

It is a very sober and intriguing story. Parts of it I found very interesting, others quite dry. This account is written in such a straightforward fashion, very factual and often dull to read. It's only by reading between the lines that you start to wonder what this man was really like, what a shock he must have experienced. The way Kroeber tells it, he was so grateful and glad to have human company again, he always wanted to be surrounded by others, to be among friends, never desired to go back and live in the hills again. Was cheerful, easily amused, patient and steady temperament, content with his life. A lot of the book is about the history of the area, the linguistic development of his tribe, what is known about their distribution and culture, early accounts from settlers in the area of conflicts and so on. It's very informative, but hard to get an idea of the human experience, the real person. I am glad to have read the book, to know what it contains, but it's not one I'm likely to read again just for enjoyment.

Rating: 3/5        255 pages, 1961

Love, Let Me Not Hunger

by Paul Gallico

This book surprised me. It's about a small circus that falls onto hard times. Entertainment shifting towards the new invention of television, the circus owner decides to take his tour to Spain, where nobody in the small villages has tv yet and his performers will still be appreciated. But when they get there, after a promising start, disaster strikes. The locals are equally devastated by natural disaster, and can't offer any help. When the owner and most of the circus hands return to England to seek redress and assistance, just a few people are left behind to care for the animals. Pretty soon their money runs out, they are all starving, and turn to rather desperate measures to keep the valuable livestock - and themselves- alive.

I was surprised on several fronts. Surprised at the turns the story took- nothing was as I expected, yet I could imagine all this really happening. Surprised at how well it was told, how tender and brutally realistic at the same time. Most of all, surprised at how much this book was about sexuality. Not in a sordid way (although one amazon reviewer thought so- I couldn't find opinions elsewhere online of this book- it seems pretty obscure). But, I thought, in an honest depiction. There's a young girl Rose, grown up in poverty, who comes along with the circus as companion to one of the clowns- she keeps house for him in his little caravan, and becomes enamoured of the animals in the menagerie. There's the strict moral code among the circus people- they reject her as an outsider, and assume that because of her background she's just selling herself (which is untrue). For her part, Rose accepted the old clown simply as a matter of course and a measure of comfort, but she finds herself attracted to the young horseback performer Toby. He is drawn to her even more, having never been with a girl before, but at the same time despising her because of gossip and agonizing over things he doesn't know. When (as is obviously inevitable) these two finally get together, Toby is disappointed that his first experience doesn't live up to wild expectations. More stuff happens, there's estrangement and rejection and forgiveness, and in the end Toby finds what he had been looking for- the difference between needing and using someone, and truly loving them. I think that was the most tender, delicate moment in the whole book.

It was Rose and Toby's story that touched me most, but everyone else in the novel also has their needs and desires- in different forms. Some abandon the circus to try and survive elsewhere, some make promises and fail to keep them, some turn to violence and petty revenge. Some care most for the animals, others for their own skills and opportunities, others for their family's approval and so on. They all do what they can to get what they want, but those who go out of their way to assist the others and keep their integrity really shine through the dross. One of the strangest passages in the book occurs when the old man who is caretaker for the menagerie approaches a vastly wealthy woman in the hope of some charity. The enclosed world that was her walled estate such a very different place, with its own rules and codes. There is a shocking scene near the end that suggests this woman too, had her own needs, but she forced others to meet them, able to do so with her vast power and the fear she instilled in people. I didn't know what to make of this at first. It was disturbing to say the least. What a bald contrast this selfish manipulation, to the free tenderness shared between Toby and Rose. And yet in the end I just found it hideously sad.

I've just mentioned what stood out most to me when I turned the final pages, but the novel is full of other details and characters. There's a woman-hating elephant. A beautiful, wild tiger. The complexity and frustration of dealing with laws and regulations in a foreign land, where none of them speak the language. The ins and outs of the performers, animals and property changing hands as the status of the circus changes. The difficult decisions the manager faced. The social hierarchy within the circus. How they played the crowd, work behind the scenes, attitudes towards the animals, the public, their fellow circus workers. Close on the heels of Bad Elephant, Far Stream, this was another look at circus life that says a lot about love and need, the generosity and mean-spiritedness of human nature, all hand-in-hand.

Have any of you read this book? What did you think.

Rating: 3/5       323 pages, 1962

more TBR!

thanks to all my fellow book-loving bloggers!

Blackbringer by Laini Taylor- Read Warbler
The Cruise of the Cachalot by Frank T. Bullen- mentioned in Alone
Between You and Me by Mary Norris - Caroline Bookbinder
The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller- Book Chase
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro- Ardent Reader
That's Not English by Erin Moore- Caroline Bookbinder
Hold Still by Sally Mann- Bermudaonion's Weblog
How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson- Melody's Reading Corner
Hammer Head by Nina McLaughlin- Sophisticated Dorkiness
The Tarball Chronicles by David Gessner- The Lost Entwife
Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky- So Many Books
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro- Maggie Reads
When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning- So Many Books
My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel- Farm Lane Books Blog
On the Move by Oliver Sacks- Caroline Bookbinder
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby- Things Mean a Lot

Letters from Yellowstone by Diane Smith- Caroline Bookbinder
The Death of Jim Lonely by James Welch- The Lost Entwife
Buffalo for the Broken Heart by Dan O'Brien- The Lost Entwife
And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier- Jules' Book Reviews
Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson- mentioned in Gipsy Moth Circles the World
Alone Through the Roaring Forties by Vito Dumas- ditto
Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum- ditto
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang- Stuff as Dreams are Made On
The Virago Book of Women Travellers edited by Mary Morris and Larry O'Connor- Read Warbler

all of the below written by authors quoted on the back of Gifts of An Eagle:
Flight to Freedom by Kent Durden
A Fine and Peaceful Kingdom by Kent Durden
A Squirrel of One's Own by Douglas Fairbairn
Wild Brother by Ronald Rood
How Do You Spank a Porcupine? by Ronald Rood
The Blue Whale by George L. Small

some random bookish thoughts

I don't do this kind of post often, but have been thinking lately a few things about books, where else better to share them.

~ Do you ever come across a book that suddenly makes you realize how very different times are now from a century or more ago. How acutely opposite the way people thought, their worldview, their concerns and outlook on things?

A few of these have really jumped out at me lately. When I read The Alley Cat (published 1981), there was a character distinctly disdained by the others for his bookish habits. They all seemed puzzled by his immersion in the written word, dismissed and pitied him for it, and tried to avoid his company, because his conversation was so dull and incomprehensible! In Beautiful Joe (published 1893) also, there was a son who loved to read. The mother saw this as a bad habit and advised how to compassionately encourage a reader to set the books aside and become engaged with the world. She was very earnest about this. I'm glad reading as a whole is no longer seen as a lazy habit that will ruin your mind. I have run into people who can't imagine why I spend time reading- it seems pointless to them- but overall I think most parents and teachers encourage their kids to read, correct? (Or do I just see it that way because I am a reader).

On a different note, in The Sea and the Jungle (published 1912) there's a little passage about a man who looses his job because he went into debt. Not to the company, just in his own circumstance. His wife was ill, the doctor bills unmanageable so he "went to the moneylenders" and this was seen as such a foolish, irresponsible act that his boss (a "rigid moralist") fired him because a man who got into debt, not being able to control his own life, was no good for the business of another man. How times have changed. While I don't like having debt and am trying to pay mine off, I can't imagine someone nowadays getting fired for simply acquiring it!

I ran into quite a different example when I tried to read Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour (published 1853). I couldn't get past the first chapter, as I could not at all visualize what was being described. It was mostly about clothing styles. Characters were introduced with meticulous descriptions of their clothes, obviously meant to communicate something about their station in life and habits, but I had no idea what all these clothing articles were, much less what they said about the person. It makes me think that a lot of books which have remained classics over the decades, have a key feature: not only are they well-written, compelling stories, but they must also be accessible to readers beyond their own time frame. Books like this one full of dense descriptions that are pretty much meaningless to someone like me, have made themselves obscure in part because they're hard to enjoy and understand. At least, that's my thought.

~ On a completely different track, why is it that when I saw this picture, I instantly and vividly thought of The Dragonbone Chair (which I haven't read in over a decade)? Was there a scene in the forest where Simeon saw a white deer, or some other elusive, mysterious animal? I cannot remember. Anyone enlighten me? (I never finished that series either, got about halfway through its sequel Stone of Farewell. Another set of books I mean to go back to someday).

The Sportsman's Anthology

edited by Robert Kelley

The short stories in this collection are about sports. Sports enjoyed by outdoorsmen- I imagine they reflect was was popular in the forties. There are stories of mountaineering and saltwater fishing, of yacht races, of football and baseball. There's a story of a golf club getting itself established, another about a poor western college boy cobbling together a crew team so he could travel to New York and meet a girl. Another about a bobsled team. I liked two about mountain climbing - Matterhorn and McKinley. Quite a few hunting stories- most with dogs, setters and spaniels. I rather liked the one called "A Red Letter Day" by Edwyn Sandys which really gave a beautiful picture of the skill, eagerness, communication and grace a good bird dog can bring to the field (such was my impression). More than half the stories are about horses: horse racing, fox-hunting, steeplechases, etc. Of men trying to show themselves upper-class enough to go foxhunting but making fools of themselves, or of a man pitching himself into a race with high hopes on how his horse would perform. One featuring a polo pony match is just a blur."Ting-a-ling" by David Gray was a poignant story. Told how a young bride saw a streetcar-horse struggling with an overloaded car, she admired its spirit and bemoaned its fate. Her new husband promptly bought the horse for her. They hoped he would shine as a steeplechase horse, but he turned out to do something much more significant for their family than simply win a race.

My favorite story was "Don- the Story of a Lion Dog" by Zane Grey. This one was set in wild, dry scrub country that was Arizona at the time- the author accompanied a group of men that set out with hounds to catch mountain lions. Although the story centered on a certain aloof dog and how the author tried to win its affections, I was struck by two points. Firstly, the lion-hunter just gathered up a motley bunch of unwanted dogs, and when they got out in the desert let them run loose alongside the horses. He taught them to hunt lion in a simple, brutally effective manner- if the dogs took off after any scent or animal sign that was not from a lion, he yelled at them and shot them (birdshot). When they finally struck a lion's trail, they were encouraged instead. The author adamantly opposed this method, but nobody would listen to him. I was also left wondering why they were tracking and roping up cougars. It surprised me how many, how easily they came upon the big cats. The descriptions of their grace and wildness stunning. It was obvious the hunter wanted to take them alive, but I didn't know their intended fate. I've read somewhere else that they roped lions to use for training other dogs or to sell to zoos, but this story itself was never clear on that.

But I actually only read half the book. I skipped many chapters- either because I know nothing about the sport and couldn't follow well, didn't care for the writing style, or just didn't find the story itself interesting. I found this one in an antique store, in a pile of books on horsemanship.

Rating: 2/5       396 pages, 1944

Bad Elephant Far Stream

by Samuel Hawley

The life of a circus elephant. Far Stream, given many different names later in life, was captured and taken by force from her forest home in Asia. Separated from her family, shipped across the ocean, she spent thirty years learning routines and performing for peoples' amusement. This sad and disturbing book details what it might be like to lead such a life- from the elephant's viewpoint. The confusing lessons on unnatural dancing and balancing acts- beaten into them by force. The long hours standing in confinement, in chains, in railway cars, in stables. Being teased and poked and stared at by thousands of strangers. Expected to accept everything mutely and submit endlessly. It's no wonder some of them "went bad", and this particular elephant, called Topsy near the end of her shortened life, did just that. Simmering resentment built up during long years of bad treatment and idle torment lashed out just a few times, and she was sentenced to death, deemed too dangerous to keep. Done by triple means- poison, hanging and electrocution with over six thousand volts, orchestrated by Thomas Eddison himself (who probably wanted the publicity), her death was a spectacle in itself.

Distressing as all this is, for me the most poignant parts of the book were reading about her distant memories of the forest, the physical sensations she would dream away into, removing herself from current boredom and misery. Or the one moment she actually escaped and roamed the countryside for a week, finally realizing she couldn't find enough food to keep alive, she missed the company of other circus elephants, even the reassurance of familiar routine and human direction. It was a sad reminder of how used to this travelling life she had become, how dependent on the people who enslaved her. There's so much more to this book- the way circuses were run, the constant changing hands, being rented out for events and such. The danger of male elephants- eventually Far Stream saw most of them disappear from the circus tents, as people realized they were just too much liability. How things changed over the decades- the first few troupes she was with journeyed by horse-pulled wagons, later it was all by rail. She survived quite a few derailments, witnessed or experienced many kinds of accidents as well.

It's all based on actual accounts of circus elephants, most of the incidents in the book are purportedly true although of course the details have been re-imagined. They feel very authentic- the author's notes at end of the book list numerous sources that I bet are rich reading in themselves. Even the way the author chose to portray how the elephants communicated among themselves with contact calls, reassurances or moments of humor, how they felt each others' emotions and shared memories, didn't feel contrived to me (as it did to some extent in The White Bone). It felt like the way things could be. Most of all I felt sad at the complexity, intelligence and patience of these great animals that were often treated so inhumanely, for so long.

I received a copy of this book from the author, via a giveaway at Opinions of a Wolf. Thanks to them.

Rating: 4/5      263 pages, 2013

Bird Brainteasers

by Patrick Merrell

Curious and interesting facts about birds, lovely quotes and myriad games and puzzles pack this short volume. The illustrations, done in an ink style reminiscent of old woodcuts, is quite lovely, and I really like the inclusion of a page of dodo sketches, from a 1601 journal kept aboard the ship De Gelderland. I enjoyed working through the crosswords, searches and other word puzzles that all feature bird names. This little book is a quick, fun read (probably would make a great gift for any bird-lover).

Some of the more interesting tidbits I read: when the James Bond character was created, author Ian Flemmings was looking for a very ordinary name and glanced at the cover of his favorite bird book- by James Bond, an ornithologist. Cassowaries are the most dangerous bird- in some zoos they are considered the most dangerous animal. It was also interesting to read about all the different presidents who have kept pet birds, and of many musicians throughout history who have incorporated specific birdsongs in their melodies. Mozart kept a starling, Charles Darwin had a pet crow, Picasso was fond of pigeons. Audubon killed hundreds of birds for collections and to study their anatomy for his paintings. There is a bird I never heard of before, the hooded pitohui, which has poisonous feathers and skin!

My favorite quote, by Henry Ward Beecher: If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows.

Rating: 3/5      324 pages, 2008

People of the Sea

by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear

I can't remember the last time a stranger approached me in public because of a book I was reading! But it happened just a few days ago in the park while my kids were playing- this guy came up to me surprised and delighted to see I was reading a book from his favorite series. He (and his dad) like the books so much they wait anxiously every few years for the next one to be published. The First North American series is written by a husband-wife team, one is an anthropologist, the other a historian and archaeologist. As far as I understand it, each book is set deep in pre-history, based on archaeological findings and ancient native legends from different areas of the continent.

This one is set in the region that became California, some eleven thousand years ago, in a time of glaciers and great change. It pitches into the storyline abruptly with people facing epidemics of illness while the megafauna around them is disappearing, especially the great mammoth herds. The focus is on two characters- a spiritual leader struggling to understand the changes and upheaval his people face, and a young woman fleeing her irate husband when he discovers she's committed adultery. I'm pretty sure their paths intersected, but I didn't get that far. I just couldn't stay interested. I think because the story was told too quickly, it's an easy enough read but it was all about what happened among the people and I wished for a bit more description of the land and the animals... Disappointed I couldn't get into this one after the glowing personal recommendation I received, but the series as a whole has a lot of positive reviews online. Some people mention this one in particular is their least-favorite. I have another on my shelf, I'll give it a try instead.

Abandoned        425 pages, 1993

Through the Eyes of a Young Naturalist

by William S. Sipple

I thought I would love this book. Maybe it was just hard to appreciate, right on the heels of My Family and Other Animals. It's an autobiographical work, the author describing how he explored the woods as a boy, his fishing trips and trapping exploits, his later bird-watching activities and work in local conservation efforts (Maryland wetlands). Unfortunately, it's not very engaging. The writing is very straightforward, descriptive but in a flat style that was frankly rather boring- we saw this bird, we hiking up this hill, we visited this pond, we wondered whose tracks those were oh and now I know they were this animal etc etc. It's the kind of book you might like if you knew the author personally, but otherwise not really. There are a few awkward aspects to it that make me wonder if it's self-published. Although the physical book itself is of good quality paper and materials, the illustrations are unpolished and look copied straight from photographs- then reading the flyleaf I learned (not too surprised) they were done by a student. The flyleaf doesn't tell you what the book is about in an interesting manner, but instead lists the author's credentials. And through the entire book, words which I'd expect to see in italics, are instead all underlined- book and article titles, species names, birdcalls written phonetically. It made the reading a bit jarring. I ended up skimming a lot, to see if the actual incidents described (instead of just mentioning all the animals he saw and places he went) were worth reading, but they weren't enough to keep me going so I didn't finish the book.

Abandoned     204 pages, 1991

My Family and Other Animals

by Gerald Durrell

Durrell describes his childhood on the Greek island of Corfu, with his interesting family. Each of his siblings had their passion. One of his older brothers was into literature and art, the other guns and hunting. The author himself was, of course, fascinated by wildlife and as he was often left to his own devices all day long, he spent his time prowling the island observing myriad insects and small animals, catching them when he could. He brought home a wide variety of small creatures- turtles, birds, fish, lizards and so on- continually upsetting his family when they found scorpions in the matchbox or snakes in the bathtub. Finally they realized he wasn't going to abandon his interests, and gave him a room of his own to dedicate to his nature studies and growing collection. He was also blessed to have a series of personal tutors who recognized and shared, each in their own way, his passion for nature. One was as happy to spend afternoons catching insects and wading through marshes as Durrell himself, another later on had his own attic full of bird cages and a balcony converted into aviaries. Aside from the descriptions of animals and his minor adventures with his dogs finding, watching and catching things, there's also plenty of hilarious stories about incidents in his family. Even in the midst of an argument, trying to rescue a dinner party ruined by a pair of magpies or put out a fire in someone's bedroom, they have the funniest exchanges ever. It's a delightful book, one of the best Durrell I've read so far. I often fail to find other reviews on his animal-collecting books, but this one seems more popular and I can see why.

The opening passage alone cracked me up: It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite friends to share the chapters. It was only with the greatest difficulty, and by exercising considerable cunning, that I managed to retain a few pages here and there which I could devote exclusively to animals. Well yes, but the animals and descriptions of the countryside definitely stand out to me. His observations of male tortoises wrestling during the mating season and of a large preying mantis battling with a gecko on his bedroom ceiling were the best parts of the book.

Rating: 4/5       319 pages, 1956

more opinions:
Read Warbler
A Work in Progress
Rivers I Have Known
BookNAround
Valentina's Room
Shiny New Books

another Dare completed

Yesterday was the end of the TBR Double Dog Dare! hosted yearly by C.B. James.

If I count up how many book posts I've done since the Dare started, I read 22 books and abandoned one. There were a lot more I shuffled onto the discard pile, where I sampled twenty pages or so and then just realized I didn't want to continue, and the book didn't merit a post- I didn't get far enough into it to say much about it. My "unread" tag on LibraryThing now has 174 books remaining (down from 190-something three months ago), I don't have exact numbers because several times lately when going to mark a book off the unread list I realized it wasn't on there to begin with. I usually try to put books into the catalog when they come into my house, but I've missed some.

My TBR shelves are now down to eight and a half- it feels a lot more tidy and manageable. I no longer have stacks of unread books on the floor (except for one of cookbooks) or across the tops of shelves. Feels like I'm getting somewhere!

I only brought a few new books in during the Dare- one about an elephant that I won from Wolfshowl, and a lovely illustrated version of Pinocchio I just found at an antique store yesterday. I had one little lapse early on in the Dare, when I came home after a long day with a bag full of books a friend had given me for the kids. Including a cute little series about a hamster, and I sat down and read the first one on the spot. Then realized I broke the Dare! I've since held off reading the rest of the Freddy books... So I didn't really stick to it 100%. But I feel like I accomplished a lot on the TBR pile, and that's something.

Three Singles to Adventure

by Gerald Durrell

The book starts abruptly, without much introduction or explanation. It was the early 1950's, when Durrell (looks to be in his twenties, from a photo in the book) and a few companions set off for Guiana, on a trip to collect wild animals for zoos. (He seems already experienced at this venture- I wonder as I read more of his books, if I'd find one that describes his initial attempts. I bet that's hilarious). The title comes from a phrase referencing the tickets bought, with end destination a small village called Adventure. Through scenery strikingly reminiscent of the last book I read (but much briefer!) they travel into South America and visit a number of small villages and settlements, seeking a variety of specimens to take home. Sometimes he made short forays into the forest with his companions, but more often than not they simply asked the locals to show them animals- purchasing those the natives kept as pets or animals that hunters caught for them. He mentions quite a few curious creatures. Snakes, monkeys, lizards and caiman were common. More interesting to me was reading about the capybara, agouti, tree porcupine and an anteater they tried to catch by chasing it down on horseback and lassoing it! I was surprised at the final count: he had more than five hundred animals (of a variety of species) collected when it was time to board ship and home. Then describes the difficulties in keeping the animals clean and fed, and the inevitable losses (but doesn't say how many- I wonder how high the toll really was). The author's admiration for wildlife really shines through the pages, in spite of the fact that he was pulling them out of their native habitat to cart home for display and scientific study. It really seems he did the best he could by them. As well as delight in reading about the animals, there are lots of different characters here in the people met on their travels. One in particular that kept me laughing was a man eager to guide them, who continually had to impress and "one-up" with a better story, every time something happened. There are also lots of amusingly awkward incidents when animals nearly get away, and misunderstandings when communication was difficult.

It was sometimes a puzzle to read and try to picture the wildlife- they did not have the same common names I know, as Durrell often referred to them by local names- "pimpla hog" was a tree porcupine, "pipa toad" the surinam toad (I myself only first heard of this animal a year ago!), "sakiwinki" were the squirrel monkeys, and so on. The "crab dog" a type of raccoon- it amused me that this was such a strange animal to Durrell, until I remembered he was from England (raccoons are so familiar to me, but then they're native to the Americas. In his time perhaps he had never seen one before). I kept forgetting that "uwarie" was a possum- despised by the locals because it was a scavenging pest- they were astonished and delighted that Durrell's team eagerly bought these animals- I imagine it would be like someone coming here asking around to buy rats or cockroaches for their curiosity.

Rating: 3/5       191 pages, 1954