Community Reviews
Literally what the heck was this. No stars. DNF’d around 61%.
I am deeply and sorely disappointed in this book. I was excited initially- the prospect of a journey through east Africa following the memories of an old elephant traveling to find his birthplace to spend his last days in was a promising one.
But instead I was met with a repeat of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” - a lack of animal main character narration, replaced by insufferable and lackluster human characters we don’t care to know so much about. And, this was somehow compounded with the personal biases of the author to rival Atmosphere.
Come to find out, this was a self published book. I admire the writer’s gusto to put this one out there. But this story would’ve benefited greatly from a good editor, and some tough love. The writing in this was extremely indicative of his screen play origins, and this read like a poor movie script. Easy enough to read, but lacking in the prose needed to deliver the emotional impact expected of a beloved elephant’s journey to his final resting place.
The dual POV’s and multiple timeline jumps between past and present were poorly executed and confusing to follow. We had way too much time spent getting the backstories and moral explorations of way too many characters; and even those intended to be the “main” people were about as deep as a spilled puddle of water on your counter. We were introduced to a million aspects of said human cast with zero explanation or support to the sentences that were just “there” to subject word count. Why did we need to know about Jean and Russel’s supposed chemistry after 15 years and then have zero interaction or support from the rest of the chapter (let alone the actions of the characters) to back that up? Why did we need to follow their kids’ journeys through adolescence and adulthood when they had nothing to do with Ishi, the elephant? Whom of which I should remind everyone, we were here to see?
It just felt and read like a whole lot of information and yet not a whole lot happening. Combine that with the multiple side character’s (the rich guy who moved Ishi to his preserve, the lab security guard, the game warden, etc) perspectives AND jumps between past and present…it was pretty bad.
The rhetoric here was overwhelmingly bias towards about every personal vendetta the author clearly has towards a variety of topics: sexuality, poaching/anti-hunting, PETA/animal rights, social hierarchy, political status, racism, sexism. Now, the past timeline specifically travels to east Africa in the 60s. The 60s in general was a different time, let alone in a republic newly established from predominantly white ruling and wars going on up the kazoo. It’s a different and arguably dangerous world in that part of Africa now, let alone in the 60s. This is true.
However. The clear line portrayed here was pointing towards: “white man bad. They kill all our animals and take land from our people.” This is a dangerous narrative to speak as an author that does not pose as an unbiased observer of Africa’s actual internal conflicts or regulations regarding wildlife and people. Anyone who has not physically spent time in the midst of the chaos there is fit to speak on it in such a manner; even when writing fiction. Because now, this is painting a picture for readers that further clouds the picture of the world that is Africa. Had I not been there myself multiple times (South even, not so far north or east as the locations in this book) I would think Africa to be at the mercy of the whites and completely barren of wildlife. I’d be inclined to agree that trophy hunting and animal hunting safaris in that area are just the same as poaching, if not worse simply because the “rich white man” isolating to kill the animal versus the black native that is entitled to those animals. This book is entirely politically charged, and though I didn’t expect it to be “pro” in any of these regards, I would’ve liked to have seen a more neutral standing on this. There were ways he could’ve addressed the “white hunter safari guide being married to an orphaned animal rehabilitation expert” marital tension without so blatantly making it out to be murder. There were ways to deliver the tensions between whites and blacks in the country without making it out to be completely black and white, no pun intended.
Plus. Any professional hunting guide IN ANY COUNTRY that is worth their snot in taking anyone out, rich or not but anyone paying this person to take them out, will be making every effort to NOT KILL THE MOTHERS. This is LITERALLY common sense. Unless there were some sort of threat to the community (such as a meaneater or man-killing buffalo or hippo or whatever. Which has happened) or it was integral to the wildlife management of that area (which, mind you, America has no business being in when it’s not even their wildlife) then every PH or guide would not just be killing females. They don’t just go out at target the biggest of either sex. There’s intention and consideration to age and the wellbeing of the numbers as a whole. And in that situation, would you have rather they be trampled by the cow?
Ishi was ok. The portrayal of the elephants was a bit anthropomorphic and Disney, even by elephant terms. It was reminiscent of Thirteen Inch Teeth’s grizzly- whom was not even as emotionally inept as an elephant. But this sort of flavoring to Ishi and the elephants as a whole just added to the inaccurate portrayal of this whole thing. PLUS as soon as I found out that the higher ups were going to film and document his journey home as means to make a buck and public impression…that’s when I DNF’d. It’s so…icky.
The intended emotional impact here was so, so far missed. I can see how this book has performed well in the eyes of those that continue to believe Africa needs America’s help to “improve”, or that the wildlife there is constantly threatened by hunters. When in reality, poaching is still a huge issue and needs the value brought on by hunting safaris to counteract and fund efforts to prevent those heinous acts and actually employ the people driven to poach out of desperation. And, if you like your books to leave room for interpretation to the reader and read like a poor soap opera, then yeah you’d really like this book.
Don’t recommend. I’d suggest everyone here watch Blood Origins’ documentary on elephants called “A Fine Balance” and actually educate yourself on something unbiased from those at the forefront of what standing for African conservation really means. Without the bias and the BS of what tax bracket you fall in and what your hobbies or sexual interests are.
I am deeply and sorely disappointed in this book. I was excited initially- the prospect of a journey through east Africa following the memories of an old elephant traveling to find his birthplace to spend his last days in was a promising one.
But instead I was met with a repeat of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” - a lack of animal main character narration, replaced by insufferable and lackluster human characters we don’t care to know so much about. And, this was somehow compounded with the personal biases of the author to rival Atmosphere.
Come to find out, this was a self published book. I admire the writer’s gusto to put this one out there. But this story would’ve benefited greatly from a good editor, and some tough love. The writing in this was extremely indicative of his screen play origins, and this read like a poor movie script. Easy enough to read, but lacking in the prose needed to deliver the emotional impact expected of a beloved elephant’s journey to his final resting place.
The dual POV’s and multiple timeline jumps between past and present were poorly executed and confusing to follow. We had way too much time spent getting the backstories and moral explorations of way too many characters; and even those intended to be the “main” people were about as deep as a spilled puddle of water on your counter. We were introduced to a million aspects of said human cast with zero explanation or support to the sentences that were just “there” to subject word count. Why did we need to know about Jean and Russel’s supposed chemistry after 15 years and then have zero interaction or support from the rest of the chapter (let alone the actions of the characters) to back that up? Why did we need to follow their kids’ journeys through adolescence and adulthood when they had nothing to do with Ishi, the elephant? Whom of which I should remind everyone, we were here to see?
It just felt and read like a whole lot of information and yet not a whole lot happening. Combine that with the multiple side character’s (the rich guy who moved Ishi to his preserve, the lab security guard, the game warden, etc) perspectives AND jumps between past and present…it was pretty bad.
The rhetoric here was overwhelmingly bias towards about every personal vendetta the author clearly has towards a variety of topics: sexuality, poaching/anti-hunting, PETA/animal rights, social hierarchy, political status, racism, sexism. Now, the past timeline specifically travels to east Africa in the 60s. The 60s in general was a different time, let alone in a republic newly established from predominantly white ruling and wars going on up the kazoo. It’s a different and arguably dangerous world in that part of Africa now, let alone in the 60s. This is true.
However. The clear line portrayed here was pointing towards: “white man bad. They kill all our animals and take land from our people.” This is a dangerous narrative to speak as an author that does not pose as an unbiased observer of Africa’s actual internal conflicts or regulations regarding wildlife and people. Anyone who has not physically spent time in the midst of the chaos there is fit to speak on it in such a manner; even when writing fiction. Because now, this is painting a picture for readers that further clouds the picture of the world that is Africa. Had I not been there myself multiple times (South even, not so far north or east as the locations in this book) I would think Africa to be at the mercy of the whites and completely barren of wildlife. I’d be inclined to agree that trophy hunting and animal hunting safaris in that area are just the same as poaching, if not worse simply because the “rich white man” isolating to kill the animal versus the black native that is entitled to those animals. This book is entirely politically charged, and though I didn’t expect it to be “pro” in any of these regards, I would’ve liked to have seen a more neutral standing on this. There were ways he could’ve addressed the “white hunter safari guide being married to an orphaned animal rehabilitation expert” marital tension without so blatantly making it out to be murder. There were ways to deliver the tensions between whites and blacks in the country without making it out to be completely black and white, no pun intended.
Plus. Any professional hunting guide IN ANY COUNTRY that is worth their snot in taking anyone out, rich or not but anyone paying this person to take them out, will be making every effort to NOT KILL THE MOTHERS. This is LITERALLY common sense. Unless there were some sort of threat to the community (such as a meaneater or man-killing buffalo or hippo or whatever. Which has happened) or it was integral to the wildlife management of that area (which, mind you, America has no business being in when it’s not even their wildlife) then every PH or guide would not just be killing females. They don’t just go out at target the biggest of either sex. There’s intention and consideration to age and the wellbeing of the numbers as a whole. And in that situation, would you have rather they be trampled by the cow?
Ishi was ok. The portrayal of the elephants was a bit anthropomorphic and Disney, even by elephant terms. It was reminiscent of Thirteen Inch Teeth’s grizzly- whom was not even as emotionally inept as an elephant. But this sort of flavoring to Ishi and the elephants as a whole just added to the inaccurate portrayal of this whole thing. PLUS as soon as I found out that the higher ups were going to film and document his journey home as means to make a buck and public impression…that’s when I DNF’d. It’s so…icky.
The intended emotional impact here was so, so far missed. I can see how this book has performed well in the eyes of those that continue to believe Africa needs America’s help to “improve”, or that the wildlife there is constantly threatened by hunters. When in reality, poaching is still a huge issue and needs the value brought on by hunting safaris to counteract and fund efforts to prevent those heinous acts and actually employ the people driven to poach out of desperation. And, if you like your books to leave room for interpretation to the reader and read like a poor soap opera, then yeah you’d really like this book.
Don’t recommend. I’d suggest everyone here watch Blood Origins’ documentary on elephants called “A Fine Balance” and actually educate yourself on something unbiased from those at the forefront of what standing for African conservation really means. Without the bias and the BS of what tax bracket you fall in and what your hobbies or sexual interests are.
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