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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
I really like Wilson's nonfiction. Anthill has a nice middle third with a strong nonfiction feel. But the rest of the narrative, I get the sense that he's relying too much on his nonfiction descriptive technique. Although a bit more flowery than his other works, the listing of the flora and fauna of southern Alabama at a point feels like filler. It's setting the scene, but perhaps excessively so, and doesn't really propel the story forward. And then the story itself, has a simple, Carl Hiaasen environmental earnestness about it, but without Hiaasen's absurdity. I can't really recommend Anthill, but I do recommend Consilience or Superorganism.
This is the first full-length work of E.O. Wilson's that I have been able to finish; although the science is right up my alley, something about his style of nonfiction writing irritates me. Even though Anthill is a much easier read than Wilson's denser nonfiction, he is clearly not a novelist.
Anthill can be roughly divided into three sections. In the first, we meet Raff, a boy growing up in the Deep South who becomes fascinated with the natural history of the animals at a local lake. We learn about these animals and their habitat with Raff, as well as learning some particulars of the history and culture in and around Mobile, AL, which is moderately interesting. Under the tutelage of a professor who has befriended him (and is also the narrator), Raff studies the local fauna and eventually makes his way to study biology at a that prof's university. The second section, more of a brief interlude, is ostensibly Raff's senior thesis research and it tells the story of ant colonies over several seasons at his beloved lake. This section is highly interesting and completely engaging but it is, alas, very brief. The third section sees Raff going to law school and coming into his own as a defender of wildlands, eventually to save his own little corner of nature from a confederation of evil developers.
Wilson tries to draw parallels between an anthill, the human family and society at large, but this attempt mostly falls flat. He also expresses the thought processes of humans- especially Raff's mother and uncle- in terms that evoke ideas of natural selection and the economics of ecology. This is a clever idea- and is clearly intentional- but it just doesn't work for me. Raff's thoughts, on the other hand, seem very facile and it is difficult to believe that he is indeed a brilliant student... or that the "narrator" is smart enough to have a PhD himself. Other characters' thoughts and locutions seem alien and sinister (possibly intentional, but again, it doesn't work) and Raff's perceptions of his fellow students seem to come from a man of a much older generation. Finally, the last section of the novel- the only section that has a real (human) plot- feels slapped together and tacked on.
Hopefully Wilson had fun writing this novel- he certainly deserves a change of pace in his literary endeavors and might have become a respectable novelist if he'd started writing fiction at a younger age.
Anthill can be roughly divided into three sections. In the first, we meet Raff, a boy growing up in the Deep South who becomes fascinated with the natural history of the animals at a local lake. We learn about these animals and their habitat with Raff, as well as learning some particulars of the history and culture in and around Mobile, AL, which is moderately interesting. Under the tutelage of a professor who has befriended him (and is also the narrator), Raff studies the local fauna and eventually makes his way to study biology at a that prof's university. The second section, more of a brief interlude, is ostensibly Raff's senior thesis research and it tells the story of ant colonies over several seasons at his beloved lake. This section is highly interesting and completely engaging but it is, alas, very brief. The third section sees Raff going to law school and coming into his own as a defender of wildlands, eventually to save his own little corner of nature from a confederation of evil developers.
Wilson tries to draw parallels between an anthill, the human family and society at large, but this attempt mostly falls flat. He also expresses the thought processes of humans- especially Raff's mother and uncle- in terms that evoke ideas of natural selection and the economics of ecology. This is a clever idea- and is clearly intentional- but it just doesn't work for me. Raff's thoughts, on the other hand, seem very facile and it is difficult to believe that he is indeed a brilliant student... or that the "narrator" is smart enough to have a PhD himself. Other characters' thoughts and locutions seem alien and sinister (possibly intentional, but again, it doesn't work) and Raff's perceptions of his fellow students seem to come from a man of a much older generation. Finally, the last section of the novel- the only section that has a real (human) plot- feels slapped together and tacked on.
Hopefully Wilson had fun writing this novel- he certainly deserves a change of pace in his literary endeavors and might have become a respectable novelist if he'd started writing fiction at a younger age.
Um. Not my kind of book. I'm afraid it's a bit of a vanity novel. E.O Wilson is a big name in a variety of settings, but not as a novelist.
Perhaps I should have read further, to pick up some of the prose others have commented on, but there are too many good books to read in a short life.
Perhaps I should have read further, to pick up some of the prose others have commented on, but there are too many good books to read in a short life.
I loved most of this book, but it was far from cohesive. With that said, even though there were many odd different chunks of story that didn't quite flow together, I liked all the chunks.
The main part of the story follows Raphael "Raff" Semmes Cody as he grows up, becomes an ardent naturalist, goes to college and studies an ant colony that lives in the Nokobee tract of old growth forest near his house, goes to law school, and fights to save the same tract from development. I loved the descriptions of the native Alabama flora and fauna. It's clear an ecologist wrote the book. And, while occasionally clunky, I also liked the character development and dialogue.
Inserted in the middle of Raff's story is a 75 page narrative study of life in the anthills of Nokobee. It's clumsily introduced by Raff's professor who oddly narrates a few chapters (not sure why--it doesn't add much and it only happens like twice). The Anthill Chronicles, as this section is called, is not referenced in the main narrative again, aside from vague allusions to how humans resemble ant colonies. While it doesn't really fit with the narrative, it is very well written and interesting. I think some savvy editing could have integrated this better--maybe an alternating narrative between Raff and the Anthill chronicles, or making it an introduction section rather than placing it in the middle of the book.
Then, the author wants to show off that he went to Harvard, and so describes the campus IN DETAIL at any chance he gets. That wasn't totally out of place, just very unnecessary.
The last gripe I have is the inclusion of a radical evangelical church group that comes up twice in the last fifty pages, but plays a huge role in the climax of the final section. Again, a better editor could have easily noticed this and encouraged the author to incorporate these ideas throughout the book, rather than throw them in at the end.
Overall though, it's really interesting and well-written. It reminds me a little of Where the Crawdads Sing--another Southern naturalist focused novel with a bit of action and legal drama thrown in.
The main part of the story follows Raphael "Raff" Semmes Cody as he grows up, becomes an ardent naturalist, goes to college and studies an ant colony that lives in the Nokobee tract of old growth forest near his house, goes to law school, and fights to save the same tract from development. I loved the descriptions of the native Alabama flora and fauna. It's clear an ecologist wrote the book. And, while occasionally clunky, I also liked the character development and dialogue.
Inserted in the middle of Raff's story is a 75 page narrative study of life in the anthills of Nokobee. It's clumsily introduced by Raff's professor who oddly narrates a few chapters (not sure why--it doesn't add much and it only happens like twice). The Anthill Chronicles, as this section is called, is not referenced in the main narrative again, aside from vague allusions to how humans resemble ant colonies. While it doesn't really fit with the narrative, it is very well written and interesting. I think some savvy editing could have integrated this better--maybe an alternating narrative between Raff and the Anthill chronicles, or making it an introduction section rather than placing it in the middle of the book.
Then, the author wants to show off that he went to Harvard, and so describes the campus IN DETAIL at any chance he gets. That wasn't totally out of place, just very unnecessary.
The last gripe I have is the inclusion of a radical evangelical church group that comes up twice in the last fifty pages, but plays a huge role in the climax of the final section. Again, a better editor could have easily noticed this and encouraged the author to incorporate these ideas throughout the book, rather than throw them in at the end.
Overall though, it's really interesting and well-written. It reminds me a little of Where the Crawdads Sing--another Southern naturalist focused novel with a bit of action and legal drama thrown in.
The parts about the ants were great; the parts about the protagonist, not so much.
This was a wonderful chronicle (albeit fictionalized) of modern-day conservation efforts and struggles on the Gulf Coast. I thought Wilson did a great job of combining a strong narrative with environmental studies, and felt the story was very true-to-life. (And I was surprised to run into my beloved Florida State University quite early on in the book!)
I wanted so much to like this book. That was based mostly on a respect for E.O. Wilson's work as a naturalist and science writer over the years. Also, I heard an interview with him discussing his writing this book and it sounded just like something I'd enjoy. But unfortunately no.
Main plot points didn't fit with the rest of the story and/or weren't explained much at all. Left me saying, huh? Some of the main characters were finely drawn, others not. The overall flow of the novel was interrupted by the inclusion of what is supposed to be a master's thesis on life in an anthill from an ant's point of view. This I found to be more interesting than the rest of the book.
Main plot points didn't fit with the rest of the story and/or weren't explained much at all. Left me saying, huh? Some of the main characters were finely drawn, others not. The overall flow of the novel was interrupted by the inclusion of what is supposed to be a master's thesis on life in an anthill from an ant's point of view. This I found to be more interesting than the rest of the book.
There's so much going on in this book - too much. It's the story of two people from different social classes who fell in love and got married. It's a story about a kid who really really likes nature. It's a naturalist's description of the ecology of an island. It's a textbook life cycle of an ant colony. It's a neat little compromise between Big Corp and Nature. It's told in first person narrative - sometimes. With all this going on, I'm just not sure which direction to look.
Really intriguing story of a boy who grows up in rural Alabama, to go on to study entomology and then law, and his relationship with the land and community. Right in the middle of the book there's a little mini-story of several ant colonies, told from the ants' perspective--fascinating!
This author is 81 years old, and has a lifetime of recognition and awards for his entomological studies, research, and non-fiction work. This is his first fiction novel.
This author is 81 years old, and has a lifetime of recognition and awards for his entomological studies, research, and non-fiction work. This is his first fiction novel.