Customer Reviews

The Aye-Aye and I: A Rescue Journey to Save One of the World's Most Intriguing Creatures from Extinction

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, being already more than sold on the value proposition presented by lemurs of all shapes and sizes. I'm convinced that the lemur is destined to become the most popular primate of the millenium, and this book should be at the top of the charts for those wishing to catch the rising tide of lemur fanatics. The San Francisco Zoo's new Lipman Family Lemur Forest exhibit presents two of only twelve Aye-ayes in the United States, and having visited it recently I now plan to return next weekend to apply the newfound in-depth Aye-aye background I've gleaned from my reading of this book. Moreover, lemurs are but the tip of the iceberg here! Rife with hilarious descriptions of Giant Jumping rats, tortoises, and grubs of all shapes and sizes, Durrell's personal tone, dry wit, and entertaining presentation kept me amused and reading until the wee hours of the morn. I'll be seeking out more of his works, and would happily recommend this to anyone with an interest in lemurs, obscure regions of the world, travel, conservation, the Aye-aye, and furry or reptilian critters, period.

With a career spanning decades and continents, and with a gift for writing witty and articulate accounts of his animal-catching adventures in so many different times & places, it seems predictable that the originality and enthusiasm which Gerald Durrell offers should vary from story to story or from book to book. And they do; some volumes are ecstatically joyous and quite fast-paced, while a few stories drag a bit or feature rather sarcastic caricatures of certain persons. Overall, however, I find Durrell's writing some of the most amusing and informative stuff that I've encountered in the last year. Therefore I have bought a copy of every Gerald Durrell title that I've located. It's quality stuff that I intend to keep long-term and reccomend to friends. "The AyeAye and I" is no exception, and I am pleased to have a hardcover edition. Thanks, Amazon!

Gerald Durrell has written many books on nature including "The Overloaded Ark", "My Family and Other Animals", and "A Zoo in My Luggage". I've greatly enjoyed reading some of these and have found his writing entertaining, informative and very humorous. This book seemed to be a step down compared to his previous writings, not to say this is a bad book, but it's not quite as funny or engaging as his others.

Most of this book is an account of an expedition to collect some of the rare lemurs of the island of Madagascar including the rare and fabled Aye-Aye a creature with a strangely elongated finger used for hunting its insect prey. Durrell and crew travel across the country and relate both a travel journey and a biological description of the land. The Jersey Wildlife Perservation Trust is the organization behind this effort and Durrell shows us the difficulties and almost insurmountable obstacles that must be overcome to collect these rare animals and bring them back to the facilities in England where they can be breed , studied and kept safe until reintroduction into their home habitat once that is protected. Also included is a short section on the Islands of Mauritius and projects there.

Although this may not be as entertaining as his previous books it is still and important read for those that care about the fate of threatened species and the people that work so hard for their protection.

Like all of Gerald's Durrell's books, The Aye-Aye and I will make you laugh cover to cover at the encounters between Durrell's party and the animal and human inhabitants of Madagascar. Since this book was written when Durrell was bringing back animals for the breeding programs he hoped would save them from extinction (in earlier books, he was bringing animals back for zoos), the book also has interesting comments of the state of the environment and economy in Madagascar and its effect on the animal (and human) populations. The aye-aye sounds like an extraordinary animal. I hope he managed to save it.

Durrell's writing brings the reader behind the scenes in this awesome and mystical country. Travel to unexplored villages and rainforests and expirence life in the cities. Awe inspiring indeed.

This book was absolutely fabulous. As a college student interested in someday studying aye-ayes in the forests of Madagascar, reading this book was sheer pleasure. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested at all in lemurs, Madagascar, or simply in animal anecdotes or conservation.

The aye-aye and I is a quick and easy read and the relatively famous author has one of the best writing styles I've ever seen. It tells of the trials and tribulations of the late Gerald Durrell through his trip through Madagascar , though it is humorous it also has many insights to the people and wildlife of this interesting island.

This book is another interesting as well as entertaining product from Gerald Durrell, drawing on his lifetime as a collector and conservator of endangered and unusual wildlife. Well worth reading - several times!

I have always admired Gerald Durrell as a writer; his zoological/ecological achievements, while very noteworthy, have not been so important to me when reading his books.
From this standpoint, 'Aye-aye and I' was a great disappointment; the sparkling humor of 'Three Tickets to Adventure' and especially 'My Family and Other Animals' has all but disappeared. The author has gotten old and bitter and it really shows throughout the book. He keeps complaining about the degrading ecological state of Madagascar, his own health and other issues, and while his environmental concerns are undoubtedly valid, it makes the book a somewhat depressing read.
Now if you have actual interest in lemurs, Madagascar or Durrell's scientific work, by all means go ahead and by this book. However, if you are looking for something entertaining, skip it and get some of his older works instead.