Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (2022), Edition: Reprint, 256 pages
Description
'How we interact with animals has preoccupied philosophers, poets, and naturalists for ages,' writes Susan Orlean. Since the age of six, when Orlean wrote and illustrated a book called Herbert the Near-Sighted Pigeon, she's been drawn to stories about how we live with animals, and how they abide by us. Now, in On Animals, she examines animal-human relationships through the compelling tales she has written over the course of her celebrated career. These stories consider a range of creatures, the household pets we dote on, the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates, the creatures who could eat us for dinner, the various tamed and untamed animals we share our planet with who are central to human life. In her own backyard, Orlean discovers the delights of keeping chickens. In a different backyard, in New Jersey, she meets a woman who has twenty-three pet tigers--something none of her neighbors knew about until one of the tigers escapes. In Iceland, the world?s most famous whale resists the efforts to set him free; in Morocco, the world's hardest-working donkeys find respite at a special clinic. We meet a show dog and a lost dog and a pigeon who knows exactly how to get home.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member JulieStielstra
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Though I never met her, Susan Orlean and I are exact contemporaries, and co-alums of the University of Michigan, 1976. We are both animal lovers. I settled in to this with some enjoyable anticipation. It didn’t last long.
Within a few pages, I
Then there’s the fact-checking… or lack thereof. There were statements of fact or incident that were questionable at best; wrong or outdated at worst. She mentions buying hay for her chickens' nests; straw would be much more likely, preferred, and cheaper. Biff the show dog “beg[s] for chocolate”; I thought everyone knew chocolate is not a good treat for dogs, and the brand of dog food Biff shills for is lousy quality, mostly corn junk food. She blithely offers that knee-replacement surgery has boosted the market for riding mules because mules have a smoother gait and thus are easier on the knees; no substantiation is given, and most riders with replaced knees are fine in the saddle – it’s the mounting and dismounting that can be dicey. And perhaps this is old fake news, but she suggests there may be a connection between cellphone towers and disoriented homing pigeons – again, with no factual support, and which has been fairly well debunked buy Audubon Society researchers. And really, Susan, lions don’t sweat.
The best essays are the ones in which Orlean herself features the least. The strange and awful Tiger Lady saga (pre-Tiger King!) is a disturbing portrait of the wild-animal-as-pet trade and obsession. The piece on rabbit-keeping in the U.S. is a clear-eyed look at the ambivalence of rabbit fanciers who can’t decide if their charges are much-loved pets or meat stock. Taxidermists come across as a pleasantly loony, obsessed, creative and artistic bunch – but she completely avoids the figurative (and maybe even literal) elephant in the room about where the “trophies” they create come from, how, and at whose hands. However, the piece on the Lion Guy forcefully depicts the tragic state of lions in the modern world, and the unconscionable horrors of canned safari hunts.
The final section outlines a year or so in the life of Orlean’s hobby farm in the Hudson Valley: dogs, cats, poultry, and even a few cattle occupy her (though the cattle are actually a tax-avoidance project, as is a casual and joking reference to raising puppies for profit). Still, there is a weird lack of emotional connection to these, her very own personal menagerie. They take in a stray cat, and she seems to be mystified by why her resident cat hates the newcomer, whose sex she can’t even identify correctly. I will agree whole-heartedly with her assessment of the evils of ticks, though. I’d also like to know how Helen, the Rhode Island Red hen, is the lowest chicken in the pecking order on one page, becomes the top-ranking alpha hen a few pages later.
And then, the family ups sticks and move to Los Angeles for a job opportunity. The animals have to be handed off, arranged for, and away they go. They spend a few more summers in New York, but it turns out to be too much trouble, so they sell up what we’ve been told is a much-loved, long-dreamed-for place, and that’s that.
Animal lovers, if you are looking for dedication, loyalty, intimacy, and a recognition of animals as, in the inimitable words of Henry Beston, “finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth,” don’t look here. To be fair, she is never mawkish or sentimental, she does not anthropomorphize, and her approach seems to be one clinging to objectivity (with some factual issues), an eye for detail, and respect for the attitudes the human subjects may have toward their animal charges. But her own humanity has gaps, and she lacks “another and a wiser…concept of animals,” (Beston again) that respects them as they deserve.
Though I never met her, Susan Orlean and I are exact contemporaries, and co-alums of the University of Michigan, 1976. We are both animal lovers. I settled in to this with some enjoyable anticipation. It didn’t last long.
Within a few pages, I
Show More
was cocking an eyebrow with puzzlement: as a student, she spends an unexpected windfall on an Irish setter puppy, while living in a rented college-town apartment, with crazy hours and unsympathetic landlords (yes, I remember it well…). A few pages and years later, when she moves to Manhattan with her now-elderly setter, she worries because the dog had “never lived in an apartment.” A new boyfriend impresses her by bringing a friend with a fully-grown lion to her apartment. She decides she’d like to have only animals with red hair. And then she falls in love with chickens based on a Martha Stewart television show – whose chickens were always a marketing tool, and who sighs that she’ll “never get another Egyptian Fayoumi again” after the hen froze to death. Orlean seems oblivious to any problem with any of this. Throughout most of these essays, reprinted largely from The New Yorker and Smithsonian magazines, there is an unsettling sense of someone for whom animals are interesting and appealing, and some of whom she comes to be fond of, but who are more accoutrements, charming rural accessories, or colorful topics for an essay than individual, thinking, feeling, “complete” beings in their own right. She is frequently glib, surprisingly callous. There is an otherwise lovely vignette about the role of oxen in the agriculture of Cuba over the decades of pre- and post-Soviet dominion, and the character of these highly-valued animals – but she can’t resist a flippant comment about an ox who broke into a feed bin and “died happy of incurable colic.” Colic is a dreadful, painful way for an animal to die. That ox did not "die happy."Then there’s the fact-checking… or lack thereof. There were statements of fact or incident that were questionable at best; wrong or outdated at worst. She mentions buying hay for her chickens' nests; straw would be much more likely, preferred, and cheaper. Biff the show dog “beg[s] for chocolate”; I thought everyone knew chocolate is not a good treat for dogs, and the brand of dog food Biff shills for is lousy quality, mostly corn junk food. She blithely offers that knee-replacement surgery has boosted the market for riding mules because mules have a smoother gait and thus are easier on the knees; no substantiation is given, and most riders with replaced knees are fine in the saddle – it’s the mounting and dismounting that can be dicey. And perhaps this is old fake news, but she suggests there may be a connection between cellphone towers and disoriented homing pigeons – again, with no factual support, and which has been fairly well debunked buy Audubon Society researchers. And really, Susan, lions don’t sweat.
The best essays are the ones in which Orlean herself features the least. The strange and awful Tiger Lady saga (pre-Tiger King!) is a disturbing portrait of the wild-animal-as-pet trade and obsession. The piece on rabbit-keeping in the U.S. is a clear-eyed look at the ambivalence of rabbit fanciers who can’t decide if their charges are much-loved pets or meat stock. Taxidermists come across as a pleasantly loony, obsessed, creative and artistic bunch – but she completely avoids the figurative (and maybe even literal) elephant in the room about where the “trophies” they create come from, how, and at whose hands. However, the piece on the Lion Guy forcefully depicts the tragic state of lions in the modern world, and the unconscionable horrors of canned safari hunts.
The final section outlines a year or so in the life of Orlean’s hobby farm in the Hudson Valley: dogs, cats, poultry, and even a few cattle occupy her (though the cattle are actually a tax-avoidance project, as is a casual and joking reference to raising puppies for profit). Still, there is a weird lack of emotional connection to these, her very own personal menagerie. They take in a stray cat, and she seems to be mystified by why her resident cat hates the newcomer, whose sex she can’t even identify correctly. I will agree whole-heartedly with her assessment of the evils of ticks, though. I’d also like to know how Helen, the Rhode Island Red hen, is the lowest chicken in the pecking order on one page, becomes the top-ranking alpha hen a few pages later.
And then, the family ups sticks and move to Los Angeles for a job opportunity. The animals have to be handed off, arranged for, and away they go. They spend a few more summers in New York, but it turns out to be too much trouble, so they sell up what we’ve been told is a much-loved, long-dreamed-for place, and that’s that.
Animal lovers, if you are looking for dedication, loyalty, intimacy, and a recognition of animals as, in the inimitable words of Henry Beston, “finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth,” don’t look here. To be fair, she is never mawkish or sentimental, she does not anthropomorphize, and her approach seems to be one clinging to objectivity (with some factual issues), an eye for detail, and respect for the attitudes the human subjects may have toward their animal charges. But her own humanity has gaps, and she lacks “another and a wiser…concept of animals,” (Beston again) that respects them as they deserve.
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LibraryThing member annbury
I love animals, and I love Susan Orleans, and I was really looking forward to reading this book. It was somewhat disappointing, however. In structure, the book is a series of disconnected essays (except that they are all about animals) embedded in Ms. Orleans' telling of her history with animals.
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The essays are good (very New-Yorkerish), but don't have any consistent theme; there's no consideration of animal/human relations overall, though there is lots of interesting information. The personal part starts out interesting, but gets increasingly episodic as the book progresses, until at the end it is more like a series of notes than anything more structured. This is all well written, and is frequently amusing. But it is less than I had hoped for. Show Less
LibraryThing member hardlyhardy
Susan Orlean loves animals, as you may have gathered if you are lucky enough to have read her book “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend.” The celebrated nonfiction author brings her passion for animals front and center in her latest book, “On Animals” (2021).
The book consists of previously
She writes about a New Jersey woman with so many tigers she has lost count. When a loose tiger walks through a residential area and eventually has to be shot, she doesn't know if it was one of hers or not. Orlean says there may be seven times as many pet tigers in the United States as there are registered Irish setters.
Another essay discusses homing pigeons. Another is about the animals used in movies and television programs. (Even worms and insects that appear on film cannot be harmed in any way.) Separate articles deal with mules and donkeys. She writes about a highly infectious disease that threatens all rabbits, both wild and domestic. There's even a piece on taxidermy. Another is about a lion whisperer.
Orlean's prose draws the reader in quickly and leaves one both entertained and educated. You need not share her passion for animals to love her book.
The book consists of previously
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published magazine articles, mostly from The New Yorker, where she is a regular contributor. Some of these go back as far as the 1990s. Some are very personal, as when she writes about the many animals on her family's small farm in rural New York. Others are more objective, as when she writes about a show dog named Biff. All are witty and fascinating.She writes about a New Jersey woman with so many tigers she has lost count. When a loose tiger walks through a residential area and eventually has to be shot, she doesn't know if it was one of hers or not. Orlean says there may be seven times as many pet tigers in the United States as there are registered Irish setters.
Another essay discusses homing pigeons. Another is about the animals used in movies and television programs. (Even worms and insects that appear on film cannot be harmed in any way.) Separate articles deal with mules and donkeys. She writes about a highly infectious disease that threatens all rabbits, both wild and domestic. There's even a piece on taxidermy. Another is about a lion whisperer.
Orlean's prose draws the reader in quickly and leaves one both entertained and educated. You need not share her passion for animals to love her book.
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LibraryThing member wellreadcatlady
Thank you Edelweiss & Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the advance reader copier in exchange for an honest review.
This is a collection of stories about Susan's adventures with animals both on her farm and on her travels. I especially liked the stories that involved non-Amercian cultures and
This is a collection of stories about Susan's adventures with animals both on her farm and on her travels. I especially liked the stories that involved non-Amercian cultures and
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their relationships with animals on an everyday basis. I do wish at times there were more details or research involved, but overall the stories are light and fun to read. Most importantly, most of the stories do not include any death of animals. Show Less
LibraryThing member jetangen4571
I learned a whole lot of fascinating things about many different kinds of animals and their relationships with humans!
Some stuff I sort of knew (like the training of USMC to utilize mules and other pack animals in mountainous terrains like Afghanistan), and pigeons not used in war like they were in
The writing style is easy and characteristic of her New Yorker articles but does, rarely, sanitize a bit.
I requested and received a free review copy from Simon and Schuster Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!
Now I have to get a copy for Zelda with her farm!
Some stuff I sort of knew (like the training of USMC to utilize mules and other pack animals in mountainous terrains like Afghanistan), and pigeons not used in war like they were in
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The War To End All Wars, but where racing pigeons have sold for over $200,000. Then there's the history of chickens in the suburbs, a woman who had acres of tigers in New Jersey, the world of dog shows and proper breeding (as opposed to *puppy Mills*), regulations and stories regarding animals (even locusts and worms!) while filming movies/TV (organization Animal Humane).The writing style is easy and characteristic of her New Yorker articles but does, rarely, sanitize a bit.
I requested and received a free review copy from Simon and Schuster Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!
Now I have to get a copy for Zelda with her farm!
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
"Humankind has ended up mediating almost every aspect of the natural world, muddling the notion of what being truly wild can really mean anymore."
"Every corny thing that's said about living with nature--being in harmony with the earth, feeling the cycle of the seasons--happens to be true."
These
A well researched book, she actually visited these places, met with the people within. It is at times humorous, sometimes despairing but always informative and interesting.
ARC from Edelweiss
"Every corny thing that's said about living with nature--being in harmony with the earth, feeling the cycle of the seasons--happens to be true."
These
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essays are bookmarked by the experience of buying her own farm and the animals she shared this time with. Her love of animals, her curiosity, her enthusiasm is readily apparent, it draws the reader into her various subjects. From racing pigeons, to pandas, mules, a show dog and his life and a missing dog. Never knew there were dog detectives, agencies. I found the chapter on lions both embracing and sad. I always disposed big game hunting, but after reading this I absolutely hate them. The chapter on donkeys in Morocco was so interesting her the donkeys are essential because in the Fez medina the streets are too narrow for other forms of transportation.A well researched book, she actually visited these places, met with the people within. It is at times humorous, sometimes despairing but always informative and interesting.
ARC from Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member mdoris
Animals are the best! So reading about animals is wonderful too and this book proves it. There are 15 stories about them first published in the New Yorker mag, Atlantic or Smithsonian mag. Stories are from soup to nuts about panda bears, chickens, dogs, an orca, donkeys, lions, tigers, rabbits,
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homing pigeons and more. There was lovely writing too to enjoy, very personal and light hearted creating a good break from the human condition! Show Less
LibraryThing member msf59
Susan Orlean loves nature and particularly the animals that reside there, both in the wild and domestically. In these entertaining essays, she shares her thoughts on these various critters, like donkeys, killer whales, chickens, big cats and pigeons. All told in an informative manner, tinged with
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the right amount of humor. Fans of Mary Roach would like this approach. Show Less
LibraryThing member carolfoisset
I always enjoy Orleans books and these essays are wonderful. All on the topic of animals but they encompass so much more. Highly recommend!
LibraryThing member waldhaus1
A lifetime fascination with animals bloomed when the author moved to a farm. She presents a series of anecdotes about a variety of animals: chickens, mules, rabbits, cats, turkeys, and even ticks.
I have enjoyed her work ever since hearing her make a presentation about her wonderful book, The
I have enjoyed her work ever since hearing her make a presentation about her wonderful book, The
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Orchid Thief. Having her as the narrator as well as the author was great. Show Less
LibraryThing member steve02476
I found all the essays in this book delightful. I enjoy Orlean’s writing style, especially her warm but slightly off-kilter humor. And I, like her, love animals and also find them amusing, so I guess this book was perfect for me.
LibraryThing member BridgetteS
On Animals is a collection of fifteen stories/essays about a variety of animals, from dogs to whales to donkeys. Each chapter is a separate story from the next one and each chapter discusses the animal-human relationship between the animal and the human they interact with. Some of the stories are
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very touching while others are so very sad. The book, overall, is an easy read. Animal lovers will love the writing style. Despite some of the sad storylines, which the author does not harp on, the book is well written and enjoyable. Highly recommend. Show Less
Awards
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2022)
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Nonfiction — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021-10-12
Physical description
256 p.; 8.38 inches
ISBN
1982181540 / 9781982181543
Local notes
Signed