A review by snukes
Anthill by Edward O. Wilson

3.0

Generally very enjoyable, even though - about halfway through - I thought to myself, "nothing is actually happening." There's a narrative, and lovely characters, but the first part of the book is all about character development (including the character of the Nokobe Tract), but not much else. I loved the bit written from the perspective of the ants. The third part made me uncomfortable, in that the action happening in that part (Raff arranging his life in such a way that he will eventually have the power and position to save the Nokobe Tract) is my absolute nightmare life. Even thinking about functioning on that kind of level in those kinds of circles activates my anxiety. Finally, I'm still struggling to sort out the significance of the ending and how I feel about it.

Overall, this was a beautiful photograph of and love letter to the wilderness areas of the American South, and as such was very enjoyable. I realize the politicking and business side of naturalism and environmental conservation can't be avoided in any realistic recounting, but apparently I don't enjoy reading about those thing so much.