Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
loquacious lemurs make good, August 24, 2002
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.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Aye-aye!, December 7, 2003
By A Customer
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!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wildlife Rescue for Madagascar, April 12, 2010
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.
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