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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'
The Lost City of Z: a legendary British explorer's deadly quest to uncover the secrets of the Amazon by David Grann
8 reviews
iblamewizards's review against another edition
4.0
The Lost City of Z is perfectly paced, and wonderfully written. Grann editorialises frequently, but uses the historical record to do so, so I never felt like things were unrealistic. It also leant the book an air of an old-school adventure story, rather than being a dry non-fiction tome.
My one criticism is that while Grann does not infantilise or denigrate the indigenous peoples of South America in his own parts of the narrative, this is still, at its heart, a story of colonialism and empire. I would have liked this story, and these histories told with more input from indigenous voices rather than relying on the tales of adventure and daring that led so many men to their deaths. I also felt like Nina, Fawcett's wife was too much of an afterthought for so much of the story. Although, credit where credit is due, Grann does make a very clear point of showing that Fawcett's exploits were only possible because his wife put her own dreams and ambitions to the side, sacrificing everything and living in genteel poverty to make it possible for Fawcett to pursue his.
All in all, this was a wonderful, engrossing read, but do be prepared for a lot of body horror, death, and some confronting tales of animal cruelty.
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Slavery, Colonisation, and Genocide
andreac713's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
clarabooksit's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Colonisation and Racism
Moderate: War, Violence, Death, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Classism, Abandonment, Body horror, and Mental illness
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Ableism, Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, and Grief
grace_b_3's review against another edition
2.0
This was an earlier book by Grann, so part of it may be him figuring out his writing style and such. I didn’t like how present he was in the narrative of this book.
I also found the subject matter of Killers more interesting. There were things in this book that I would like to learn more about (mainly about the various Amazonian tribes and the lost civilization found there), but the focus, Fawcett, is what I found the least interesting. I did like the angle of his family and learning how his and Jack’s disappearance affected them, but the actual narrative of various expeditions to the Amazon was not what kept me reading. Exploring the Amazon seems like a horrible experience and reading about someone repeatedly subjecting themself and others to it just wasn’t for me.
If you find people pushing themselves to the limits of their endurance in harsh environments compelling, this might be the book for you.
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Genocide, Gore, Death, War, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Abandonment and Torture
Insectsezulc's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Slavery, Colonisation, Gun violence, Genocide, Fatphobia, Drug use, Ableism, War, Violence, Racism, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Cannibalism, Child death, Body horror, Blood, and Animal death
oliviaclaire's review against another edition
4.5
Z tells the story of Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett and his obsession with the ruins of ancient civilisations that he believed to be sequestered in the Amazon. A traditional gentleman explorer, Fawcett set off with his son Jack and Jack's best friend Raleigh in 1924 to find 'Z', a sort of mythic El Dorado deep in the heart of the jungle. None of the three were ever seen again.
Grann does an amazing job of telling the story of Fawcett's life and early explorations, building to his final trip. At the same time, Grann himself travels from the USA to the UK and on to Brazil in the present day to retrace Fawcett's steps and speak to his descendants about his life and to other explorers who have since tried to find evidence of what happened to the trio. What he finds is just as exciting as Fawcett's original story.
This was such an interesting read and I'm intrigued to try some of Grann's other books now that I've enjoyed two great stories in a row from his work.
Moderate: Animal death, Colonisation, and Mental illness
bethboo's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
horizonous's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cannibalism, Medical content, and Racism
Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, and Slavery
Minor: Kidnapping