Present Books During Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1)
| Original Title: | Ring of Bright Water |
| ISBN: | 0140249729 (ISBN13: 9780140249729) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Ring of Bright Water #1 |
| Setting: | Sandaig Bay, Knoydart, Scotland Knoydart, Scotland |
Gavin Maxwell
Paperback | Pages: 240 pages Rating: 4.13 | 2700 Users | 165 Reviews
Particularize About Books Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1)
| Title | : | Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1) |
| Author | : | Gavin Maxwell |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 240 pages |
| Published | : | October 6th 1987 by Penguin Books (first published 1960) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Animals. Environment. Nature. Autobiography. Memoir. Biography. Cultural. Scotland |
Relation As Books Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1)
This is the first edition of the popular wildlife book Ring Of Bright Water from 1959, with groups of accomplished black and white photographs by the author, 69 in all. Most are full page, and others half page. They are both of the otter Mijbil, whom he brought back from the Tigris marshes of Iraq, Edal, a female otter who arrived later, and of the beautiful Camusfeàrna (a pseudonym for the remote corner of Scotland where he lived). There are also line drawings, mostly by Peter Scott, the famous wildlife artist.I remember exactly when I first heard of this book. It was at school preparing for "O" levels, and we were all very excited when the teacher brought in a pile of brand new hardback books. This was unheard of. Usually we would be issued with ancient, rather fusty copies of the classics, which we would have to go through, rubbing out any pencil marks, mending with sellotape, and backing in brown paper. You rarely got a "nice" copy. But these ... Crisp white pages, a smooth solid cover - it even smelled nice! I couldn't wait to read it.
What's more, it was a story about how one man lived in a remote cottage, in the West Highlands of Scotland, with an otter he had tamed:
"Camusfeàrna"
What a dream of a life! I fell in love, and thanked the examination board, who in their wisdom, had been bold enough to select this potential classic, thereby forcing my rather parsimonious and very traditional grammar school to spend some money, and as a result kickstarting my enthusiasm. I bought my own paperback as soon as I was able. This was ten years after the book had first been published, and I have read it several times since.
I now have an excuse to read it again, and will write my review on my Large Print edition of this famous book.
Rating About Books Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1)
Ratings: 4.13 From 2700 Users | 165 ReviewsAssessment About Books Ring of Bright Water (Ring of Bright Water #1)
I'm fairly sure that I enjoyed this book when I read it as a teenager. But it hasn't aged well. For one thing, Maxwell's plotting is all over the place. Eighty pages of rambling before he gets anywhere near an otter. What for? I just started thinking about how he could afford to be titting around on a beach in Scotland when normal people in Britain were trying to rebuild a country on its knees after suffering the ravages of WWII. I resented the fact that he seemed to come from the ranks of theI read this as a young girl and was struck by the beauty of writing and the story itself. I have read many books but not many have stayed with me the way this one has.
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:✱ My Family and Other Animals✱ Menagerie Manor✱ The Dog Who Wouldn't Be✱ Owls in the Family✱ All Creatures Great and Small
At the begining of the book I found it quite hard going. Very descriptive of scenery and for me it dragged. I was desperate to hear about the otter and he didn't appear until after page 40. However once he started getting into Mij and his antics and how he coped with living with an otter it was a fantastic read. For those non animals lovers I don't know how much if at all this book would appeal to you but I enjoyed it and will be reading no.2 soon.
I watched the movie Ring of Bright Water several years ago and was absolutely taken by the story. I am what one may call an extreme animal lover and am drawn to such accounts. Due to my upbringing, I'm also fascinated by individuals who choose to live outside of the hub of society. In Ring of Bright Water, Maxwell recounts the early years at "Camusfearna", an isolated house in a remote part of Scotland and his subsequent adventures and misadventures raising three otters. The way in which Maxwell
I like the writer's use of his landscape, the ecology of his surroundings and the suitable habitat for his otters. He establishes his place as well as theirs within an environment that is both sustainable and abundant, yet never lacks for knowledge or description of new wonders. Reminds me of Solomon's Ring, by Konrad Lorenz, in that it addresses animal behavior, also Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat or possibly Gorillas in the Mist, by Jane Goodall. There is a certain lesson to be learned too,
This series of anecdotes concerning a man and his pet otters is disquieting to me. Reading it, I feel for the animals, I guess. Maxwell seems to really love animals, but his experimental way of handling them seems to bely that at times. Animals in his care are often seriously hurt or even die. I just can't get over feeling from everything he writes that an otter is simply a wild creature that does not make an appropriate pet. He is able to observe this about a pet monkey he procures, but only
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