Gavin Maxwell (1) (1914–1969)

I loved this book when I read it as a child, and in some ways now that I've spent some time in the Hebrides, I appreciate the parts about the croft house on the shore even more. I love the way Maxwell takes the first 75 pages of the book to set the scene and establish himself in the West Highlands before even mentioning otters.

But rereading the book as an adult, in the 20th century when we tend to think more about human impact on wild animals and responsible attitudes towards nature, I show more found it saddening to read about the body count of baby otters that resulted from Gavin Maxwell's impulsive and (sorry but it's true) selfish whim to "keep an otter". If only "keeping" an infant otter was as simple as it was to acquire one after another in 1950s Iraq.

He clearly respected and loved the animals, as manifested in his accounts of the one he was able to rear almost to maturity before a local yob beat it to death, and of the replacement otter who came to him as a near-adult. Edal's presence among humans was not objectionable in the same way as the Iraqi babies: she was a rescue otter and her humans had brought her through a horrific transportation experience and risked quarantine to get her from Africa to Scotland. When the husband's employer wished him to return to Ghana, not wishing to subject her to such torment again, they sought to rehome her. A chance meeting at Lochalsh led to happiness all round. show less

Originally published in 1959, Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell is a delightful memoir about the author’s life at a remote house on the coast of Western Scotland near the Hebrides. His descriptions of the location and the bountiful nature he was surrounded by had this reader longing to visit this idyllic place. When he first arrived he was accompanied by his dog, Jonnie, but after the death of his beloved pet, he acquired an otter named Mijbil while on a trip to Iraq.

The author show more documents Mijbil’s delightful and mischievous behaviour, and many of the hilarious incidents reminded me of trying to contain a toddler. His curiosity was boundless and he had a need to examine everything that came his way. Unfortunately, Mijbil met an untimely death and the author was devastated. Although he tried to replace Mijbil, nothing seemed to pan out for him until quite by accident he met a couple who had a young otter that they needed to find a home for. Once again his highland cottage was sanctuary to an otter, this time a female called Edal.

The author’s love of nature brings a richness to the descriptive writing, and his visual images and observations make Ring of Bright Water a memorable read. Although in today’s world the author would be chided for bring these creatures out of their own environment, he was living in a different time and his love and care for these otter companions is both touching and admirable. show less

Maxwell, a naturalist, is a beautiful, lyrical writer - I loved his descriptions of the land and sea around his home at Sandaig where he lived almost as a recluse. After the death of his beloved dog Jonnie he decided he did not want another dog and instead chose an otter as companion. The second part of the book describes how he found Mijbil when working with Wilfred Thesiger in Iraq, the difficulties in getting him back to Britain, installing him in his London flat, taking him on walks show more through the streets of London, shopping in Harrods, getting him by train to Sandaig... He only had Mij for a year until he met his cruel fate in the shape of a lorry driver called Big Angus (like Maxwell, I would have wanted to bash his skull in ) and eventually found, quite by chance, a domesticated female otter to take his place. Life with the otters is delightful, entertaining and endearing; but you feel that tug of anxiety you have with teenage children when you let them have their freedom but lie awake worrying when they are late coming home. Maxwell the man is hard to grasp; I wish he had not killed the fox family at the beginning of the book (or not written about it, or missed it out), and for all the care - the love - he bestowed upon Mij and Edal, I keep thinking they should have been left in their natural habitat. I gave this four stars instead of five because it has left me feeling very sad. show less

Gavin Maxwell published this true-story about wild animal friendship with humans in 1960, and it has remained influential ever since. Readers claim it made them environmentalists, not unlike the phenomenon of Born Free published the same year with similar themes. The Dutton Animal Book Award was created because of its success, which inspired other books in the same vein, such as Rascal (1963) about a boy and his racoon. But this is no children's book. The writing is remarkably well done, the show more choice of vocabulary, descriptions, economy of words. And it would be even better except Maxwell was something of a weak character in real life ("he was, by literally all accounts, an extremely unpleasant man"). And then the fame of the book destroyed him, the contradictions with his true self too much. Afterwards he drank and smoked heavily and was dead at 55, of lung cancer in 1969. Fittingly for a dark nature book that concerns the deaths of beloved animals. But it shouldn't distract from the power of his work, which is as good as any creative non-fiction published today, better in some ways, if you can look past who was responsible for the deaths. A minor classic. show less