On Animals by Susan Orlean: A review

 

The essays that comprise Susan Orlean's latest book were written over a period of more than twenty-five years. They all appeared first in The New Yorker and those who have been readers of that magazine over that time may recognize some of them. My memory in its present state is such that even if I had read them before, I likely would not have recognized them. And some of them are pretty memorable.

For example, there is the one about Keiko, the captive killer whale who starred in the movie "Free Willy." The essay is about efforts to free Keiko and it begins like this: "It was a hell of a time to be in Iceland, where the wind never huffs or puffs but simply blows your house down." How can you not be captivated by such a beginning?

This book isn't only about big and famous animals, however. There are chickens here, and rabbits, pigeons, pandas, tigers, lions, donkeys, mules, and oxen. And that's probably not a complete list. 

One of my personal favorites was the essay about keeping backyard chickens. I was especially delighted to learn that this famous writer for an urban publication did this for I am not unfamiliar with the pleasure of having chickens around. Those who think of them as stupid, ditzy creatures have never spent much time with them. They each have their own unique personalities and they arrange themselves in definitive social structures. The chicken yard is not all that dissimilar to human society.

Another of the essays deals with a backyard in New Jersey where a woman kept twenty-three - twenty-three! - pet tigers. The remarkable thing (in addition to all those tigers) is that her neighbors had no idea they were there until one of them escaped.

There is not a dull essay in this collection. I read straight through rather than skipping around because the clever arrangement of the pieces helped to lead the reader from each essay into the next one. 

Orlean has a knack for pulling the reader in with her first sentence. It's a knack honed over all those years of writing for The New Yorker. She also has a gift for exploring the human connection to all of the animals about which she writes.  She makes clear that it is false to think of these as human-animal relationships; in fact, we are all animals and we are all in this together. One planet for all of us and what we do to that planet affects all.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,February 17, 2022 at 6:12 AM

    I am quite sure I would enjoy this book and I will seek it out. As for chickens, I have spent countless hours watching them, right from my earliest memories, and I have a deep and abiding love and respect for them. Stupid, dirty creatures seems more like some of the humans I have seen on television recently, and they cackle more too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dorothy BordersFebruary 17, 2022 at 8:48 AM

    Thanks for visiting and taking time to comment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. (Diane) Bibliophile By the SeaFebruary 17, 2022 at 8:57 AM

    Glad you enjoyed this. I liked the essays but, did not like that the author narrated her audio version - it grated on my at times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersFebruary 17, 2022 at 9:26 AM

      I had the print version so no problem with the narration. I am very sensitive to voices though and if I had found it unpleasant it would have been hard for me to focus on the information being shared.

      Delete
  4. Sam February 17, 2022 at 11:17 AM

    I love that first sentence you quoted. It's another one of those that I wish I had thought of myself...seems so simple when you see someone come up with something clever as that, but it never is. I have a friend who fell in love with chickens when she decided to provide herself with fresh eggs. She still uses the eggs, but her ever-growing number of chickens has provided her with more "pets" than she ever dreamed she would have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersFebruary 17, 2022 at 11:36 AM

      Growing up on the farm, one of my jobs was taking care of the chickens, making sure they were fed and had clean water and occasionally cleaning out their house. As a result of that early experience, I've had a lifelong affinity for them.

      Delete
  5. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzFebruary 18, 2022 at 11:13 AM

    Susan Orlean is a delightful writer who doesn't seem to write fast enough for me. I liked this collection of essays centering on animals, but I hope she is working on a big project, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersFebruary 18, 2022 at 11:29 AM

      She seems to be quite busy as a writer so I suspect she is on to that "big project."

      Delete
  6. jenclairFebruary 18, 2022 at 12:04 PM

    I have a fondness for essays and this collection sounds delightful! A favorite essay collection about animals from years ago was Diane Ackerman's The Moon by Whale Light, the essay on bats was my favorite. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersFebruary 18, 2022 at 12:39 PM

      Bats are always interesting. I'll have to check out Ackerman's book.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no
Read more

Open Season (Joe Pickett #1) by C.J. Box - A review

I was introduced to the writing of C.J. Box through my local library's Mystery Book Club.  Open Season , the first in Box's Joe Pickett series, was the club's selection for reading in June. Although I didn't get a chance to read it in time for the meeting, the discussion of it made me curious and I put it on my to-be-read list. I'm glad I finally got around to it this week. Box has created an enormously appealing character in Joe Pickett. A Wyoming game warden, Joe is a devoted family man with two young daughters and a pregnant wife when we first meet him. He and his family are able to barely scrape by financially on the meager salary of a state employee  (Been there, done that!) , but Joe is a happy man, because he's living his dream. Being a game warden was what he always wanted to be. Not only Joe but his whole family are lovingly drawn by Box. We get to know them well and to like them and want them not just to endure but to triumph. Seven-year-old Sherid
Read more

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try.
Read more