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Ring of Bright Water #2
The Rocks Remain
Ring of Bright Water described the pioneering days at Gavin Maxwell's lonely cottage off the West Highland seaboard with his otters.
The Rocks Remain, the story of the succeeding years, is a further superb evocation of a personality, a place and a way of life - though it is not without its disastrous episodes.
The author records his sojourns in North Africa, throwing into vivid contrast his joyful returns to Camusfearna, where the warmth and friendship of his close contact with the otters is an integral part of the story.
The Rocks Remain, the story of the succeeding years, is a further superb evocation of a personality, a place and a way of life - though it is not without its disastrous episodes.
The author records his sojourns in North Africa, throwing into vivid contrast his joyful returns to Camusfearna, where the warmth and friendship of his close contact with the otters is an integral part of the story.
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
2 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Gavin Maxwell
38 books52 followersGavin Maxwell was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his work with otters. He was born in Scotland in 1914 to Lieutenant-Colonel Aymer Maxwell and Lady Mary Percy, whose father was the seventh Duke of Northumberland. He was raised in the small village of Elrig, near Port William, which he later described in his autobiography The House of Elrig (1965).
After serving in the Second World War as an instructor with the Special Operations Executive, he purchased the Isle of Soay in the Inner Hebrides, where he attempted to establish a shark fishery. In 1956 he travelled to the Tigris Basin in Southern Iraq with the explorer Wilfred Thesiger to explore the area's vast unspoiled marshes; Maxwell's account of their travels was published as A Reed Shaken by the Wind (1959). It was there that he adopted the otter Mijbil. The story of how Maxwell brought Mijbil back to rise in his isolated home in Sandaig (named Camusfeàrna in the book) on the west coast of Scotland, is told in Ring of Bright Water (1960); the book sold more than two million copies and in 1969 was made into a film. It was the first in Maxwell's 'otter trilogy', for which he remains best known: its sequels were The Rocks Remain (1963) and Raven Seek Thy Brother (1968).
The house at Sandaig was destroyed by fire in 1968, and Maxwell moved into a former lighthouse keeper's cottage on the nearby island of Eilean Bàn. He died in 1969. His Eilean Bàn home remains a museum and the island a wildlife sanctuary.
After serving in the Second World War as an instructor with the Special Operations Executive, he purchased the Isle of Soay in the Inner Hebrides, where he attempted to establish a shark fishery. In 1956 he travelled to the Tigris Basin in Southern Iraq with the explorer Wilfred Thesiger to explore the area's vast unspoiled marshes; Maxwell's account of their travels was published as A Reed Shaken by the Wind (1959). It was there that he adopted the otter Mijbil. The story of how Maxwell brought Mijbil back to rise in his isolated home in Sandaig (named Camusfeàrna in the book) on the west coast of Scotland, is told in Ring of Bright Water (1960); the book sold more than two million copies and in 1969 was made into a film. It was the first in Maxwell's 'otter trilogy', for which he remains best known: its sequels were The Rocks Remain (1963) and Raven Seek Thy Brother (1968).
The house at Sandaig was destroyed by fire in 1968, and Maxwell moved into a former lighthouse keeper's cottage on the nearby island of Eilean Bàn. He died in 1969. His Eilean Bàn home remains a museum and the island a wildlife sanctuary.
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March 30, 2025
When my mother used to come for a visit, I’d say not to bother bringing any books, except what she might want to read on the train. They would be too heavy for her to carry, and I was sure I’d have something she would enjoy somewhere in all mine. Many Goodreads members will understand this.
So when she arrived, Mum happily browsed through my shelves and picked this one out. I hesitated, as I do now when reviewing it.
“But isn’t it the sequel to 'Ring of Bright Water?’” she asked. “I enjoyed that one, with all the otters.”
Gavin Maxwell the Scottish naturalist, had written the book “Ring of Bright Water” in 1960, after several other nonfiction books. It was about how he had brought an otter back from Iraq and raised it in Scotland. I answered that yes, it was in a way, but it was very … muddled.
“Ring of Bright Water” is well-deservedly popular. After its success, Gavin Maxwell wrote this next part of his autobiography, The Rocks Remain, which was published in 1963. To be frank, it is a huge disappointment.
It isn’t just that this sequel is much darker in tone. Not all of us want cosy animal stories all the time. Delightful as they can be, we expect authenticity from someone who deals with wildlife as a Naturalist. At this stage of his life, Gavin Maxwell had a huge “otter family”, and so the episodes where Mijbil or Edal - the single otters in his previous book - behaved so endearingly like a pet dog or cat, are a thing of the past. The gloves were off, so to speak, and these otters were wild. The otters Edal, Teko, Mossy and Monday had very different personalities. Their instincts were to the fore, and they could be vicious. There were even instances where they attacked Gavin Maxwell’s staff - and an otter’s bite is usually to the bone.
Rather than repeat Mijbil’s idyllic life, having otters who were allowed to roam free, Gavin Maxwell’s new otters were confined. Perhaps this was for their safety, but it seemed destined to bring out more aggression. The ideal life, and romantic aura of the first novel was a forgotten dream. Gavin Maxwell attempted different ways of trying to keep the otters content in captivity, as well as bringing his cottage into the twentieth century. But wild otters were never going to adapt to living in pens.
All this frenetic activity seemed to do, was to destroy the peace and calm he had so carefully achieved in “Ring of Bright Water”. It was a fragile edifice, and Gavin Maxwell’s simple life was being eroded. With the fame his previous book brought him, (despite the attempt to disguise his whereabouts), he was having to put a lot of effort into meeting the needs of visitors, as well as trying to keep unwanted visitors at bay. A reader may begin to wonder whether the author was trying to achieve the impossible.
At the same time as taking on new otters, such as Teko, Mossy, and Monday, Gavin Maxwell started to modernise Camusfeàrna. This is not to be thought of in the context of new paint or wallpaper. For the author, living in a cottage so remote that no road went to it in “Ring of Bright Water”, this was basic indeed. Electricity had to be installed for start, before extensions to the buildings and additions to the transport facilities. Not content with this much upheaval, Gavin Maxwell also acquired a yacht! It was a motor vessel, which he called “Polar Star”.
Virtually uncontrollable wild animals, plus the ongoing chaos of building and electrical work, meant that Gavin Maxwell’s life was gradually unravelling. The addition of a boat was perhaps the final tipping point. One senses the fragility of the mind of the author. He attempts in his writing to make light of the series of misfortunes and catastrophes: an explosion in the kitchen at Camusfearna, an invasion of rats, and so on, but underneath this, we sense despair.
Yet even this could provide an absorbing read. What makes the book untenable is the complete lack of structure. The unsatisfactory domestic and wildlife episodes come after a sojourn in Africa. The reader is never quite sure which parts of the book are a digression. Perhaps after all Gavin Maxwell had decided to write a kind of travelogue about incidents in Morocco and Majorca. He did happen to be in Morocco when their king, Sultan Muhammad V died, and he had been a charismatic personality, so this was a downbeat part of the book. Then in Majorca Gavin Maxwell’s Mercedes sports car - of which he was inordinately proud - was stolen and wrecked by a young German sailor. It does not need much imagination to envisage his bitter reaction to this. Some enthusiasm and humour is attempted during a description of a shipwreck; to be precise, that of his beloved “Polar Star”, but it seems out of place; the humour is forced with an hysterical edge. Gavin Maxwell all but lost his life in that episode, and this comes across to the reader as if he is losing his grip on things a little more.
There is no real conclusion to the book, and we are left with many questions. Edal just seems to disappear for the latter half of the book, and nothing much is said about Teko either. The book ends on a downbeat note. The author condemns humanity, for killing other species for sport, or simply from blind hatred, or an unthinking dismissal of the idea of any animal’s life being valuable for its own sake. Gavin Maxwell’s final expressed thought, was to hope that Mossy and Monday would not die at the hands of humans, as so many tamed otters before them had done.
One critic’s view of the story of these succeeding years, is that it:
“demonstrates the difficulty Maxwell was having, possibly as a result of his mental state, in remaining focused on one project and the impact that had on his otters, Sandaig and his own life.”
After reading a few chapters, my mother glumly turned to me, and said:
“I see what you mean. It’s not very cheerful, is it? And I don’t understand why he is in Morocco.”
She was a mistress of the understatement. No, it’s not very cheerful, it is embittered and depressing. It feels relentlessly sardonic and ugly; on edge with humour that is forced and uncomfortable. Plus its shifting focus makes the reader feel uneasy and dislocated.
I do have the third part of Gavin Maxwell’s autobiography, “Raven Seek Thy Brother”, of which I have high hopes. It seems extraordinary that after such a magnificent story as “Ring of Bright Water” my rating of this next book should sink to one star, but that is my honest opinion of this mess. Let me stress, it is not the sheer number of difficulties and catastrophes the author faced. However depressing this was, a good book could have been written - but this is not it. Perhaps some of the otter episodes could be extracted, and rewritten as short stories, but the author never seemed to do this. Perhaps with all the disastrous episodes, Gavin Maxwell just wanted to put these dark years behind him.
So when she arrived, Mum happily browsed through my shelves and picked this one out. I hesitated, as I do now when reviewing it.
“But isn’t it the sequel to 'Ring of Bright Water?’” she asked. “I enjoyed that one, with all the otters.”
Gavin Maxwell the Scottish naturalist, had written the book “Ring of Bright Water” in 1960, after several other nonfiction books. It was about how he had brought an otter back from Iraq and raised it in Scotland. I answered that yes, it was in a way, but it was very … muddled.
“Ring of Bright Water” is well-deservedly popular. After its success, Gavin Maxwell wrote this next part of his autobiography, The Rocks Remain, which was published in 1963. To be frank, it is a huge disappointment.
It isn’t just that this sequel is much darker in tone. Not all of us want cosy animal stories all the time. Delightful as they can be, we expect authenticity from someone who deals with wildlife as a Naturalist. At this stage of his life, Gavin Maxwell had a huge “otter family”, and so the episodes where Mijbil or Edal - the single otters in his previous book - behaved so endearingly like a pet dog or cat, are a thing of the past. The gloves were off, so to speak, and these otters were wild. The otters Edal, Teko, Mossy and Monday had very different personalities. Their instincts were to the fore, and they could be vicious. There were even instances where they attacked Gavin Maxwell’s staff - and an otter’s bite is usually to the bone.
Rather than repeat Mijbil’s idyllic life, having otters who were allowed to roam free, Gavin Maxwell’s new otters were confined. Perhaps this was for their safety, but it seemed destined to bring out more aggression. The ideal life, and romantic aura of the first novel was a forgotten dream. Gavin Maxwell attempted different ways of trying to keep the otters content in captivity, as well as bringing his cottage into the twentieth century. But wild otters were never going to adapt to living in pens.
All this frenetic activity seemed to do, was to destroy the peace and calm he had so carefully achieved in “Ring of Bright Water”. It was a fragile edifice, and Gavin Maxwell’s simple life was being eroded. With the fame his previous book brought him, (despite the attempt to disguise his whereabouts), he was having to put a lot of effort into meeting the needs of visitors, as well as trying to keep unwanted visitors at bay. A reader may begin to wonder whether the author was trying to achieve the impossible.
At the same time as taking on new otters, such as Teko, Mossy, and Monday, Gavin Maxwell started to modernise Camusfeàrna. This is not to be thought of in the context of new paint or wallpaper. For the author, living in a cottage so remote that no road went to it in “Ring of Bright Water”, this was basic indeed. Electricity had to be installed for start, before extensions to the buildings and additions to the transport facilities. Not content with this much upheaval, Gavin Maxwell also acquired a yacht! It was a motor vessel, which he called “Polar Star”.
Virtually uncontrollable wild animals, plus the ongoing chaos of building and electrical work, meant that Gavin Maxwell’s life was gradually unravelling. The addition of a boat was perhaps the final tipping point. One senses the fragility of the mind of the author. He attempts in his writing to make light of the series of misfortunes and catastrophes: an explosion in the kitchen at Camusfearna, an invasion of rats, and so on, but underneath this, we sense despair.
Yet even this could provide an absorbing read. What makes the book untenable is the complete lack of structure. The unsatisfactory domestic and wildlife episodes come after a sojourn in Africa. The reader is never quite sure which parts of the book are a digression. Perhaps after all Gavin Maxwell had decided to write a kind of travelogue about incidents in Morocco and Majorca. He did happen to be in Morocco when their king, Sultan Muhammad V died, and he had been a charismatic personality, so this was a downbeat part of the book. Then in Majorca Gavin Maxwell’s Mercedes sports car - of which he was inordinately proud - was stolen and wrecked by a young German sailor. It does not need much imagination to envisage his bitter reaction to this. Some enthusiasm and humour is attempted during a description of a shipwreck; to be precise, that of his beloved “Polar Star”, but it seems out of place; the humour is forced with an hysterical edge. Gavin Maxwell all but lost his life in that episode, and this comes across to the reader as if he is losing his grip on things a little more.
There is no real conclusion to the book, and we are left with many questions. Edal just seems to disappear for the latter half of the book, and nothing much is said about Teko either. The book ends on a downbeat note. The author condemns humanity, for killing other species for sport, or simply from blind hatred, or an unthinking dismissal of the idea of any animal’s life being valuable for its own sake. Gavin Maxwell’s final expressed thought, was to hope that Mossy and Monday would not die at the hands of humans, as so many tamed otters before them had done.
One critic’s view of the story of these succeeding years, is that it:
“demonstrates the difficulty Maxwell was having, possibly as a result of his mental state, in remaining focused on one project and the impact that had on his otters, Sandaig and his own life.”
After reading a few chapters, my mother glumly turned to me, and said:
“I see what you mean. It’s not very cheerful, is it? And I don’t understand why he is in Morocco.”
She was a mistress of the understatement. No, it’s not very cheerful, it is embittered and depressing. It feels relentlessly sardonic and ugly; on edge with humour that is forced and uncomfortable. Plus its shifting focus makes the reader feel uneasy and dislocated.
I do have the third part of Gavin Maxwell’s autobiography, “Raven Seek Thy Brother”, of which I have high hopes. It seems extraordinary that after such a magnificent story as “Ring of Bright Water” my rating of this next book should sink to one star, but that is my honest opinion of this mess. Let me stress, it is not the sheer number of difficulties and catastrophes the author faced. However depressing this was, a good book could have been written - but this is not it. Perhaps some of the otter episodes could be extracted, and rewritten as short stories, but the author never seemed to do this. Perhaps with all the disastrous episodes, Gavin Maxwell just wanted to put these dark years behind him.
April 22, 2020
This is the second of Maxwells autobiographic works, which follows the success of Ring of Bright Water (my review in the link). The author states in the first chapter that it is 'a very different book', and indeed it is. While Ring of Bright Water celebrates his otters and their lives, and explains Maxwells lifestyle a little, it shares less of this life.
This book is somewhat more fragmented and complex. It covers, of course, the continued story of Edal, and the introduction of further otter companions Teko, Mossy and Monday, as well as some short-lived (literally) otter visitors, but is also shares some of Maxwell's time away from Camusfearna (the alias he uses for his property in Scotland).
I think also the book says a bit about Maxwells mental state, and in parts he shares his periods of darkness and admits he can't explain why he didn't snap out of it. His non-otter related stories are somewhat strange selections from his life - time in Morocco, where he explains the aftermath of the devastating 1960 earthquake in Agadir; more time in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria where he appears to suffer from depression (where we are given a long and strange sideline story about a letter/book an uninvolved man wrote about UFOs and god!); a strange rant about traffic and traffic signs; and a time in Majorca, when a German sailor steals his Mercedes from the port and writes it off in a confusing accident. Maxwell spends weeks trying to reconstruct the events of the accident (the sailor was too drunk to recall much of it), which really says more about Maxwell needing to control the situation than any real benefit.
But, irrespective of the above chapter of strangeness, the Camusfearna chapters (which outnumber the others 2 to 1) have similarities to the earlier book, and for those interested in otters (even vaguely), will provide some entertainment. However there are changes to life here too. Firstly there are some unsavoury otter attacks on people where jealousy in involved, which lead to a more secured environment for the otters and much more caution taken with visitors. At the same time the house itself was undergoing improvement - power, running water, road access (albeit only for the landrover). Maxwell also bought a boat, which gave rise more experiences (exciting, near-death and foolhardy in equal parts). Then there are the events of the chapter titled 'accident, fire and flood' which also covers all bases by including pestilence.
Probably the strangest happening in the book is Maxwell getting married. There is absolutely no buildup to this, nothing which gives away any prior connection to his wife (and step children!), and it received a mention in passing along the lines of "I needed to be in London to be married on the weekend..." and then suddenly there is lots of we and us instead of me and I! His wife, Lavinia Renton, writes a short passage in the book on her involvement with Maxwell's most recent otters, Mossy and Monday. Their marriage lasts less than a year, unsurprisingly given Maxwell was homosexual, and his undiagnosed, but apparent bi-polar condition, but their separation occurs after the end of this book.
So perhaps my review is as fragmented as the book, and I struggle now to rate this book. For those wanting more of the same otter stories that Ring of Bright Water offered, there is enough here. For those interested in Maxwell, perhaps less, but a view into his mind, however brief. I am a bit of a completist, so I will read the third book in the series, and his House of Elrig, which covers his early life.
A strange and confused 3.5 stars, rounded down.
This book is somewhat more fragmented and complex. It covers, of course, the continued story of Edal, and the introduction of further otter companions Teko, Mossy and Monday, as well as some short-lived (literally) otter visitors, but is also shares some of Maxwell's time away from Camusfearna (the alias he uses for his property in Scotland).
I think also the book says a bit about Maxwells mental state, and in parts he shares his periods of darkness and admits he can't explain why he didn't snap out of it. His non-otter related stories are somewhat strange selections from his life - time in Morocco, where he explains the aftermath of the devastating 1960 earthquake in Agadir; more time in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria where he appears to suffer from depression (where we are given a long and strange sideline story about a letter/book an uninvolved man wrote about UFOs and god!); a strange rant about traffic and traffic signs; and a time in Majorca, when a German sailor steals his Mercedes from the port and writes it off in a confusing accident. Maxwell spends weeks trying to reconstruct the events of the accident (the sailor was too drunk to recall much of it), which really says more about Maxwell needing to control the situation than any real benefit.
But, irrespective of the above chapter of strangeness, the Camusfearna chapters (which outnumber the others 2 to 1) have similarities to the earlier book, and for those interested in otters (even vaguely), will provide some entertainment. However there are changes to life here too. Firstly there are some unsavoury otter attacks on people where jealousy in involved, which lead to a more secured environment for the otters and much more caution taken with visitors. At the same time the house itself was undergoing improvement - power, running water, road access (albeit only for the landrover). Maxwell also bought a boat, which gave rise more experiences (exciting, near-death and foolhardy in equal parts). Then there are the events of the chapter titled 'accident, fire and flood' which also covers all bases by including pestilence.
Probably the strangest happening in the book is Maxwell getting married. There is absolutely no buildup to this, nothing which gives away any prior connection to his wife (and step children!), and it received a mention in passing along the lines of "I needed to be in London to be married on the weekend..." and then suddenly there is lots of we and us instead of me and I! His wife, Lavinia Renton, writes a short passage in the book on her involvement with Maxwell's most recent otters, Mossy and Monday. Their marriage lasts less than a year, unsurprisingly given Maxwell was homosexual, and his undiagnosed, but apparent bi-polar condition, but their separation occurs after the end of this book.
So perhaps my review is as fragmented as the book, and I struggle now to rate this book. For those wanting more of the same otter stories that Ring of Bright Water offered, there is enough here. For those interested in Maxwell, perhaps less, but a view into his mind, however brief. I am a bit of a completist, so I will read the third book in the series, and his House of Elrig, which covers his early life.
A strange and confused 3.5 stars, rounded down.
December 27, 2015
Those who read and enjoyed Gavin Maxwell's otter classic RING OF BRIGHT WATER will inevitably check out this follow up, and second of his trilogy. However, THE ROCKS REMAIN is a very different beast altogether. The same quality of the writing is there, but if RING OF BRIGHT WATER was the dream, then THE ROCKS REMAIN is the ensuing nightmare.
Maxwell makes it clear from the outset that RING OF BRIGHT WATER was a stand-alone book that explored a wonderful relationship between man and otter. It was the depiction of a long and idyllic summer before real life got in the way. The novel contained tragedy but was overall a warming and uplifting experience. This sequel is much darker in tone and sees Maxwell's life gradually unravelling with a series of misfortunes, catastrophes, and general malcontent. The otter family has been hugely expanded here, and the chapters dealing with their fortunes are inevitably thoroughly engrossing. It's as if the blinkers have been removed, leaving a warts-and-all portrayal of the truth - or perhaps the rocks - beneath.
THE ROCKS REMAIN isn't quite the perfect book because a couple of chapters digress somewhat and offer some travelogue-style incidents in Morocco and Majorca. They're interesting in themselves, but they don't really fit with the rest of the story. However, the story of Maxwell's yacht and what takes place during a stormy night is truly gripping, and actually turned out to be my favourite chapter. As I want to know the conclusion of the story, I'm going straight into the third and final volume of the trilogy, RAVEN SEEK THY BROTHER.
Maxwell makes it clear from the outset that RING OF BRIGHT WATER was a stand-alone book that explored a wonderful relationship between man and otter. It was the depiction of a long and idyllic summer before real life got in the way. The novel contained tragedy but was overall a warming and uplifting experience. This sequel is much darker in tone and sees Maxwell's life gradually unravelling with a series of misfortunes, catastrophes, and general malcontent. The otter family has been hugely expanded here, and the chapters dealing with their fortunes are inevitably thoroughly engrossing. It's as if the blinkers have been removed, leaving a warts-and-all portrayal of the truth - or perhaps the rocks - beneath.
THE ROCKS REMAIN isn't quite the perfect book because a couple of chapters digress somewhat and offer some travelogue-style incidents in Morocco and Majorca. They're interesting in themselves, but they don't really fit with the rest of the story. However, the story of Maxwell's yacht and what takes place during a stormy night is truly gripping, and actually turned out to be my favourite chapter. As I want to know the conclusion of the story, I'm going straight into the third and final volume of the trilogy, RAVEN SEEK THY BROTHER.
July 30, 2020
In contrast with Ring of Bright Water, this felt confused and broken up. No continuous storyline and a clear feeling that the author was hiding things as he tried to tell the rest of the story. Some nice moments but they did not combine well to make a novel. However much of this can be explained and explored by reading the sequel Raven Seek Thy Brother
Read
June 23, 2017Noted in 1965 diary. No rating but I indicated that Maxwell rambled a lot and came across as rather bitter. I had really liked his earlier Ring of Bright Water.
November 9, 2013
I'm surprised how few people read this follow-up to Ring of Bright Water. Although The Rocks Remain does not have the same fresh zest or superb charm of Ring of Bright Water, largely because he deviates from the world of Camusfearna in several chapters, it is still a really good book. I didn't overly enjoy the chapters set in Morocco and Majorca. However, the chapters that take place at Camusfearna illustrate the complex nature of the man/animal relationship quite effectively and Maxwell does not shy away from tackling the uglier side of this relationship. While some writers may have brushed over or ignored the negative aspects of man-animal relationships or ignored them completely in order to present a Disney-like relationship, Maxwell confronts darker subjects, like the attacks made by his otters on his staff, with candor and honesty. The book ends beautifully, yet depressingly, with a forthright analysis of man's confusing and upsetting tendency to kill other species for sport or simply out of blind hatred or dismissal of an animal's inherit value and Maxwell's hope that Mossey and Monday will not die at the hands of man like so many tamed otters before them. Like Ring of Bright Water, the Rocks Remain also brings up a lot of questions surrounding the ethics of taming wild animals, the answers to which do not lie between the covers of this particular piece of writing.
March 21, 2018
"The Rocks Remain is a superbly written revelation of a personality, a place and a way of life that have captured the imagination of readers the world over."
Having stoically worked my way through this second book in the trilogy, I began the third book, only to run into quotes from readers:
"Your book The Rocks Remain shook me,. Not because I thought it good -- I didn't ..."
"If you want to know, I think you're a lousy writer who sends one to the dictionary all the time. I'd rather read almost anyone else."
I was surprised to find that other readers shared my opinion of the author. For me, this book was stilted -- I never could get "into" this book (nor The Ring of Bright Water), never really bonded with either the author, the other people at Camusfearna, nor even the otters. I always read the next chapter as a chore, not as a story I couldn't put down. Most of the reviews were so glowing -- I was constantly surprised by its colorlessness and lack of connection. But of course, when you think about it, what book is going to quote less than enthusiastic reviews?
Having stoically worked my way through this second book in the trilogy, I began the third book, only to run into quotes from readers:
"Your book The Rocks Remain shook me,. Not because I thought it good -- I didn't ..."
"If you want to know, I think you're a lousy writer who sends one to the dictionary all the time. I'd rather read almost anyone else."
I was surprised to find that other readers shared my opinion of the author. For me, this book was stilted -- I never could get "into" this book (nor The Ring of Bright Water), never really bonded with either the author, the other people at Camusfearna, nor even the otters. I always read the next chapter as a chore, not as a story I couldn't put down. Most of the reviews were so glowing -- I was constantly surprised by its colorlessness and lack of connection. But of course, when you think about it, what book is going to quote less than enthusiastic reviews?
March 19, 2014
Sequel to Gavin Maxwell's 'Ring of Bright Water'; not as sunny a tale; beautiful. Found an old 1963 hardback copy ($5 at the hidden bookstore by the roundabout, near Flying Star downtown) which was worth hunting down just for the black-and-white photos midway through. There are some of Teko the otter playing tag with a soaking-wet wolfhound named Dirk, and period photos of folks from the West Highland coast near Skye, that are beyond words. Great stuff.
January 4, 2017
Possibly not quite as good as the first volume in the trilogy.
January 4, 2023
Many many years ago (in a different century, before mobile phones and the internet) I read Gavin Maxwell's Ring of Bright Water. It was not a book I would have chosen to read, but I am very glad that my school put it on the curriculum, as Maxwell's tale of adopting and looking after otters in the wilds of Western Scotland is a wonderful book, which has sold in the millions since its publication in 1960.
The Rocks Remain, a sequel to Ring of Bright Water, does not quite live up to the charm of the first book, partly because it is not a connected narrative (chapters move from Morocco to Majorca, London to Camusfearna), and because the book is clouded over with disasters both major and minor. The book starts with Maxwell's description of the Agadir earthquake, of which he witnessed the aftermath at first-hand.
The parts of the book that deal with Scotland introduce us to three new otters - Teko, Mossy and Monday, and the descriptions of their introduction to Camusfearna, and all the trouble and joy they gave Maxwell, his wife and his helpers Jimmy and Terry, are enjoyable to read. We are re-introduced to Edal, and the terrible injuries she inflicted on Terry, which meant that she was no longer handled by humans as much. The otter star of this book is Monday, an incredibly intelligent animal who continually out-witted Maxwell's attempts to keep her in an enclosure.
Other stories centre around the Polar Star, a motor launch that caused Maxwell many problems and was nearly sunk during a dark and windy night. There is a chapter describing a fire at Camusfearna that could have been catastrophic if it wasn't for Maxwell's quick reaction. There are several chapters that revolve around Maxwell's trips to Morocco, and an incident in Majorca when someone stole his Mercedes 300SL and destroyed it in an accident.
One gets the impression that Maxwell was not perhaps the nicest of people - as this book was written after Ring of Bright Water was released, Camusfearna becomes a bit of a tourist attraction, which Maxwell loathes, and his descriptions of his interactions with curious trekkers are a bit of a low point of the book.
And maybe that's why The Rocks Remain is not as satisfying as that first book. Maxwell writes as one who is a little jaded, as one who has more responsibilities and as such cannot spend as much time at Camusfearna with the otters, and who in some ways as one who has lost his way a little. During the book he gets married, and it is sad to know that his marriage only lasted a year, and that he was dead (of lung cancer) before the end of the decade.
If you loved Ring of Bright Water, and you track this book down, it's worth reading. If you have not read the first book, I strongly suggest reading that first, before reading The Rocks Remain.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
The Rocks Remain, a sequel to Ring of Bright Water, does not quite live up to the charm of the first book, partly because it is not a connected narrative (chapters move from Morocco to Majorca, London to Camusfearna), and because the book is clouded over with disasters both major and minor. The book starts with Maxwell's description of the Agadir earthquake, of which he witnessed the aftermath at first-hand.
The parts of the book that deal with Scotland introduce us to three new otters - Teko, Mossy and Monday, and the descriptions of their introduction to Camusfearna, and all the trouble and joy they gave Maxwell, his wife and his helpers Jimmy and Terry, are enjoyable to read. We are re-introduced to Edal, and the terrible injuries she inflicted on Terry, which meant that she was no longer handled by humans as much. The otter star of this book is Monday, an incredibly intelligent animal who continually out-witted Maxwell's attempts to keep her in an enclosure.
Other stories centre around the Polar Star, a motor launch that caused Maxwell many problems and was nearly sunk during a dark and windy night. There is a chapter describing a fire at Camusfearna that could have been catastrophic if it wasn't for Maxwell's quick reaction. There are several chapters that revolve around Maxwell's trips to Morocco, and an incident in Majorca when someone stole his Mercedes 300SL and destroyed it in an accident.
One gets the impression that Maxwell was not perhaps the nicest of people - as this book was written after Ring of Bright Water was released, Camusfearna becomes a bit of a tourist attraction, which Maxwell loathes, and his descriptions of his interactions with curious trekkers are a bit of a low point of the book.
And maybe that's why The Rocks Remain is not as satisfying as that first book. Maxwell writes as one who is a little jaded, as one who has more responsibilities and as such cannot spend as much time at Camusfearna with the otters, and who in some ways as one who has lost his way a little. During the book he gets married, and it is sad to know that his marriage only lasted a year, and that he was dead (of lung cancer) before the end of the decade.
If you loved Ring of Bright Water, and you track this book down, it's worth reading. If you have not read the first book, I strongly suggest reading that first, before reading The Rocks Remain.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2018
This is the sequel to Gavin Maxwell's Ring of Bright Water and his continuing journey in raising otters on the remote coast of Scotland. While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, you begin to feel that he is obsessing a bit too much about tending to the creatures over human relationships in this second book. Some of Maxwell's odd ticks and quirks come into play a little more readily and I began growing weary of his exaltation of the animal. I think if you like animals, nature, Scotland, and/or memoirs this is going to be an interesting series. But the second book left me feeling as if Maxwell's priorities were all out of whack.
April 25, 2022
A real surprise, I have had this book for many years and have recently felt that it would probably be too young a book for me having read Ring of Bright Water, and enjoyed it about fifty years ago.
This is not just a tale of Scotland and otters, Gavin has other things on the go, and other people in his life, and his storytelling is comedic without being inane.
I will probably read the third volume before too long, and may even re-read Ring of Bright Water you never know.
This is not just a tale of Scotland and otters, Gavin has other things on the go, and other people in his life, and his storytelling is comedic without being inane.
I will probably read the third volume before too long, and may even re-read Ring of Bright Water you never know.
February 10, 2025
Disappointing after reading his previous book on this subject, Ring of Bright Water. This story was full of struggles and difficulties. Very little positive comments about the interactions with the otters.
January 22, 2021
Perhaps all these dead animals would have been better off it he had not decided to keep them as pets?
January 24, 2016
To me it feels to be on a par with Ring of Bright Water. Some seem to think it a defect that the whole book isn't set in Camusfearna, and regard chapters on Morocco and Majorca as a digression. But personally I found the chapters on Morocco some of the most interesting in the book, not because I have any interest in Morocco, but just because of Maxwell's depiction of the king, who seemed to be a remarkable man. If the otters seemed almost incidental to this book, so they did in Ring of Bright Water too, where we still had digressions to the Middle-East and Africa.
If I had any worries that the first book might have set up a craze for pet otters, then this book should do much to dispel the idea of otters making suitable pets. After the initial otter, Mijbil, who was allowed to roam free, Maxwell seemed determined to try to keep all the rest of the otters confined, which totally destroys all the romance of the situation. He seemed to be always splashing out money on new things for Camusfearna in order to keep the otters contentedly captive, and to add modern conveniences to the house, but to me it sounded like the simplicity of the earlier life was being destroyed, and he was his own worst enemy. He wrote his books and drew attention to himself, and that attention only seemed to bring trouble to Camusfearna, with much effort having to be ploughed into meeting the needs of visitors, or trying to keep unwanted visitors at bay.
As in the first book, there is no real plot to it. You just get to see part of the otters' lives, and then in this book you get to see a bit more. But it doesn't feel complete and doesn't tell you all you want to know. There is no satisfactory conclusion to the book, and Edal just vanishes from sight for the latter half of the book, and Teko drops into the background. It felt like Maxwell had just created a little zoo for himself, with lots of pens full of otters around his house, and you wonder what the point of it all was.
I've given it four stars, as it was interesting and enjoyable enough while I was reading it, but I wouldn't want to read it again, and I wouldn't want to read Ring of Bright Water again either really, and I wouldn't recommend either of them. They while away a few hours, but there are more satisfying and worthwhile things to read.
If I had any worries that the first book might have set up a craze for pet otters, then this book should do much to dispel the idea of otters making suitable pets. After the initial otter, Mijbil, who was allowed to roam free, Maxwell seemed determined to try to keep all the rest of the otters confined, which totally destroys all the romance of the situation. He seemed to be always splashing out money on new things for Camusfearna in order to keep the otters contentedly captive, and to add modern conveniences to the house, but to me it sounded like the simplicity of the earlier life was being destroyed, and he was his own worst enemy. He wrote his books and drew attention to himself, and that attention only seemed to bring trouble to Camusfearna, with much effort having to be ploughed into meeting the needs of visitors, or trying to keep unwanted visitors at bay.
As in the first book, there is no real plot to it. You just get to see part of the otters' lives, and then in this book you get to see a bit more. But it doesn't feel complete and doesn't tell you all you want to know. There is no satisfactory conclusion to the book, and Edal just vanishes from sight for the latter half of the book, and Teko drops into the background. It felt like Maxwell had just created a little zoo for himself, with lots of pens full of otters around his house, and you wonder what the point of it all was.
I've given it four stars, as it was interesting and enjoyable enough while I was reading it, but I wouldn't want to read it again, and I wouldn't want to read Ring of Bright Water again either really, and I wouldn't recommend either of them. They while away a few hours, but there are more satisfying and worthwhile things to read.
September 30, 2016
A continuation of the trials, travails and joys of raising otters on the west coast of Scotland that brought the author to national attention with "Ring of Bright Water" and subsequently brought unwanted visitors to his highland home to see the otters for themselves - all part of the price of fame, but it is amazing how inconsiderate so many people are in thinking they have a right to invade another's privacy. The author also recounts some of his travels to Morocco (where he happened to be when their king died which led to some tense moments) and also when his pride and joy (his Mercedes sports car) was stolen and wrecked by a young German sailor in Majorca.
December 27, 2013
#2 in Maxwell's otter series. I actually liked this more than the first book. It's much darker, but somehow feels more honest.
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