Elena Passarello

Dense, intriguing meditations on humans and the animals they imagine, celebrate, commodify, exploit, defend and destroy. From Mozart composing with his pet starling to Charles Darwin's rejection of his captured tortoise (from the tortoise's point of view), from an ode to Christopher Smart's cat to a sad memorial to "endlings"--the last of their kind--an eccentric and intoxicating tour de force. A real find.

This is excellent writing. The essays in the collection, all examining some aspect of the human voice, sparkle with wit and insight.

If you love animals, you will never see them the same way again after reading Elena Passarello's brilliant, soulful collection of essays based on the stories of fascinating animals and our human interaction with them.

I loved this book. I learned so much and had so much fun learning it.

And a half star. I think everyone will have their favourites. Mine were Arabella, Lancelot and Vogel Staar. I didn't get through them all but it is the sort of book that rewards dipping here and there to enjoy whatever you fancy.... and there's some quite disturbing parts.