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We Bought a Zoo
Chuck it all in and buy a zoo? Why not? thought Benjamin Mee, unaware of the grim living conditions, creditors and escaped big cat that lay in wait…
A few years ago, Ben and his wife, Katherine, sold their small flat in Primrose Hill and moved to France to pursue their dream of restoring an old barn near Nimes.
That dream then became much, much bigger for, last October, they moved with their two young children, Ben’s 76 year-old mother and his brother, into a run-down zoo on the edge of Dartmoor which they had bought, and found themselves responsible for 200 animals including four huge tigers, lions, pumas, three massive bears, a tapir and a wolf pack.
Ben's new extended family now Solomon, an African lion and scourge of the local golf course; Zak, the rickety Alpha wolf, a broadly benevolent dictator clinging to power; Ronnie, a Brazilian tapir, easily capable of killing a man, but hopelessly soppy; and Sovereign, a jaguar who is also a would-be ninja, and has devised a long term escape plan and implemented it.
But tragedy was to strike for, in the midst of dealing with escaping wolves and jaguars, and troublesome adolescent vervet monkeys, Katherine, who had developed, and had removed, a brain tumour while in France, began to experience symptoms again. The prognosis was poor, and so Ben found himself juggling the complexities of managing the zoo and getting it ready for re-opening, and at the same time having to care for his rapidly deteriorating wife, their two young children, and their ever growing menagerie of animals.
Ben's story will both move and entertain – charting, simultaneously, the family's attempts to improve the animals’ lives, the build-up to the Zoo’s official reopening, as well as Katherine’s decline, her final days, and how the family went on.
A few years ago, Ben and his wife, Katherine, sold their small flat in Primrose Hill and moved to France to pursue their dream of restoring an old barn near Nimes.
That dream then became much, much bigger for, last October, they moved with their two young children, Ben’s 76 year-old mother and his brother, into a run-down zoo on the edge of Dartmoor which they had bought, and found themselves responsible for 200 animals including four huge tigers, lions, pumas, three massive bears, a tapir and a wolf pack.
Ben's new extended family now Solomon, an African lion and scourge of the local golf course; Zak, the rickety Alpha wolf, a broadly benevolent dictator clinging to power; Ronnie, a Brazilian tapir, easily capable of killing a man, but hopelessly soppy; and Sovereign, a jaguar who is also a would-be ninja, and has devised a long term escape plan and implemented it.
But tragedy was to strike for, in the midst of dealing with escaping wolves and jaguars, and troublesome adolescent vervet monkeys, Katherine, who had developed, and had removed, a brain tumour while in France, began to experience symptoms again. The prognosis was poor, and so Ben found himself juggling the complexities of managing the zoo and getting it ready for re-opening, and at the same time having to care for his rapidly deteriorating wife, their two young children, and their ever growing menagerie of animals.
Ben's story will both move and entertain – charting, simultaneously, the family's attempts to improve the animals’ lives, the build-up to the Zoo’s official reopening, as well as Katherine’s decline, her final days, and how the family went on.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
271 people are currently reading
6044 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Mee
9 books34 followersBenjamin Mee, a former bricklayer and decorator, returned to education in his early twenties in order to investigate animal intelligence. Ben studied psychology at UCL and wrote his dissertation on dolphin intelligence, after which his first article appeared in the Independent, while he was a student on the MSc in Science Journalism at Imperial College.
As the world preferred articles on health and DIY, Ben subsequently made his living as a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine on the former subject, and as a Guardian columnist on the latter, until commissioned by Penguin to write a book on the Evolution of Humour in Man and Animals. It was whilst living in France and writing this book that the Dartmoor Zoological Park came up for sale…
Ben currently divides his time between running the busy zoo and raising his two children, Ella and Milo.
As the world preferred articles on health and DIY, Ben subsequently made his living as a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine on the former subject, and as a Guardian columnist on the latter, until commissioned by Penguin to write a book on the Evolution of Humour in Man and Animals. It was whilst living in France and writing this book that the Dartmoor Zoological Park came up for sale…
Ben currently divides his time between running the busy zoo and raising his two children, Ella and Milo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,103 reviews
November 14, 2025
Benjamin Mee and his family...bought a zoo.
You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.
They literally up and bought a zoo.
And that zoo? Whew. It needed a LOT of work.
To put it mildly, it was barely holding on - financially and to its animals.
But, where there's a will, there's a way. And there was no way the Mee family was giving up!
So, I'm seeing a surprisingly large amount of lower ratings for this book, and I kind of get why.
If you saw the movie first, you would expect a heartwarming story all about love and loss, with a strong central story pulling it all together.
However...this book is not the movie. The author has previously written DIY guides and this book somewhat reads like one of those.
It's certainly interesting to read about all the steps and hoops they jumped through in order to get a zoo back on its feet but it does feel...hmm...a bit dry.
There's a bit too much emphasis on the process and not enough on the emotion and character development.
To be honest, I still enjoyed it but this is one of the those books where the movies made changes that I feel improved the overall experience of it.
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October 28, 2022
This is the story of one man's dream, and how he achieved it. But it is no fairy story, although there is a happy ending of sorts.
Benjamin Mee is a journalist, with a talent for making what must have been a traumatic and nerve-racking experience sound both entertaining and poignant. This is his true account of how he bought a failing ramshackle zoo, with the aim of rescuing and re-opening it to the public. There are about two hundred animals now in his care, in the revamped Dartmoor Zoological Park. His favourites are perhaps a couple of Brazilian tapirs, but there's also Vlad, a Siberian tiger who loves trying to lick the author's hand through the fence, a bear called Fudge, with five inch claws which need regular trimming, not to mention a schizophrenic ostrich on Prozac.
These are some of the animals the reader will meet in the book but it has to be said that it takes a long time to meet them. Also, there are very few chapters in the book, with only a very few breaks within these chapters. The overall structure of the book could be improved for a more accessible read. It has a few black and white photos, but again, this could be improved. Why so few? Or why include any at all? It seems as though the publishers could not really decide whether or not it was a good idea to include them.
Benjamin Mee does not pull any punches in his narrative. It is an honest account, and at times he clearly kept going through sheer willpower, against overwhelming odds, and some might say against all common sense too. He comes across as a true individual, someone who is equally at home with a pick-axe, knocking down an old concrete structure (especially if he could visualise the bank manager's face whilst he was doing it) planning a new enclosure for his animals, or reading the latest scientific journals to ascertain the likelihood of whether the latest clinical trials to combat his wife's brain tumour would have any chance of success. He has certainly had a chequered past with diverse experiences, and although this has clearly stood him in good stead in one sense, it has sometimes been a disadvantage in earning the respect of professionals - of one type or another. He is, however, disarming and modest, coming across as a bit of a "bodger", with a talent for writing episodes with wry humour, often making them very entertaining.
Benjamin Mee started adult life as a bricklayer and decorator, whilst being interested in learning and writing about animal intelligence. He went on to study psychology at University College, London and then later an MSc in Science Journalism. He followed this path for a while, as an editor of a Health magazine and a Guardian columnist, but his overriding interest in animals surfaced, and at the start of the book we find him living with his wife and children in the South of France. He was 46 when he decided to go freelance. His wife, Katherine, had given up her job as an art director on a magazine and they had sold their flat in Primrose Hill, North London. Mee juggled writing with renovating and converting their two barns there, and writing a book on the Evolution of Humour in Man and Animals. His life seemed to have been relaxed and almost idyllic. But ...
In June 2004 Katherine was diagnosed with a grade-four glioblastoma brain tumour. She completed a course of chemotherapy but her doctors warned her and Benjamin that the tumour would return. She did in fact have to undergo treatment for it more than once. In the earlier part of the book the narrative veers off into diagnosis, possible treatments and trials, as Benjamin Mee uses his experience and knowledge to investigate every possible avenue of treatment for his wife. Although it's a moving and absorbing narrative, if you were expecting an anecdotal romp featuring zoo animals, you might be rather taken aback by this part.
As we read on, we realise that not only is the author quite unusual in his experience, but must be a very persuasive man. For he was not only to plod on doggedly with fighting various doctors to find treatment for his wife, and to advise his mother, who was newly widowed, but also to incorporate and fight for what might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Benjamin Mee's sister Melissa, had come across an estate agent's brochure for Dartmoor Wildlife Park, which was for sale at the same asking price – £1.2 million – as their mother Amelia’s home. Knowing of Benjamin's lifelong fascination with animals, Melissa posted the brochure to him in France with a note, "Your dream scenario".
Instantly all his priorities changed. Benjamin Mee set about persuading his 76-year-old mother that it would be a good idea to downsize and sell the Surrey home in which he and his three brothers and sister had grown up. It turned out to be quite easy. For her 73rd birthday Amelia had spent a day as a big cat keeper, and she loved the idea of owning a zoo. Benjamin Mee also persuaded his brother Duncan and their other siblings to come in with the plan. They all agreed that the zoo would be a wonderful project for Amelia to be part of, and each put their £50,000 inheritance into the pot, agreeing to decide later who would move into the 12-bedroom house with Amelia. It was slightly more difficult, however, to convince his wife Katherine.
Initially Katherine was resistant, as she had already given up a high-profile magazine job in London, and agreed to sell their London flat to move to France so that Benjamin Mee could write a book. They had been happily settled for two years, he was still writing the book and converting their two barns - and now he had another mad idea to buy a zoo. Eventually though, after he had stayed in England and pursued the sale for a few months, she agreed to leave their home in France, and move their young family back to England to live with his extended family.
It was not plain sailing, however and the first half of the book does get rather bogged down in all the minutiae of difficulties of raising available funds to purchase the zoo, and be allowed a permit to develop it again. Even the seller of the zoo had to be persuaded to part with his "baby" even though he had fallen foul of the authorities throughout the zoo's existence on several occasions. He had followed his own eccentric ideas, which did not always conform to regulations. For instance, even to this day, the zoo is not allowed to breed from the tiger, because the previous owner did not properly monitor the mating between his animals, and as a result most of the big cats are genetically related.
In addition, the zoo had fallen into such disrepair in later years that it was hazardous and dangerous for all concerned, not least the animals themselves. Everyone concerned was beginning to lose heart. There were six members of staff working at the zoo when Benjamim Mee took on the project. All were unpaid and had been doing out of their own pockets.
If the reader is expecting an anecdotal book on animals, with information about different species and animal behaviour to be gained along the way, then all the background information, and details about the family's life in France, and about how Benjamin Mee's family raised the money to finally buy the zoo, all seem a bit off the point. There are dramas and stresses throughout, not only financial when bank after bank seemed to let them down, but also family rifts. Incredibly, his brother Henry, who was the executor of his father's will, switched sides and mounted a legal challenge to stop the purchase. An agreement was finally reached, but Henry withdrew his £50,000 investment, which the project could ill afford.
Even when all these problems were finally overcome, they needed money to keep all the animals fed and all the staff - many of whom were new - paid. And before the zoo could be opened to the public, they had to going to the council office to make sure they had passed all the tests councils require. The zoo's attempt to gain a licence was another hard battle to be fought. The council had said that the zoo's rotten fence posts and faulty electric fences were not safe and the pathways had become unwalkable. There was all the knowledge of the zoo's earlier reputation to contend with too, especially locally. For a long time they had hard work, severe stresses and overheads without any income. And at every new stage of development, a whole set of new problems would emerge.
For instance, one afternoon in October 2006, four days after opening, Benjamin Mee was sitting in the kitchen, when his brother ran in shouting, "A big cat has escaped. This is not a drill." A 150lb jaguar was on the loose. An inexperienced keeper had not bolted the enclosure correctly and Sovereign, the leopard, had jumped into the neighbouring enclosure, intent on fighting Tammy, the Siberian tiger. It looked as if one of Benjamin Mee's first tasks as a zoo director would have to be to decide which animal to shoot dead. Fortunately Tammy's keeper managed to coax her back into her house and lock her inside. Benjamin Mee and a couple of keepers stayed outside waiting for an anaesthetic dart gun to arrive from another zoo, and the next day Sovereign was sedated and returned to his enclosure. (The keeper was fired.)
At this stage Benjamin Mee needed 60,000 visitors a year to break even. But tasks such as dealing with a rat infestation at £9,000, finding £3,000 a week for utility bills, animal feed and staff wages, £500,000 to make urgent repairs before he would be allowed to let the paying public back in and so on, were clearly not the only kind of problems he was to face. The jaguar's escape was the first time he realised there were always going to be lives at stake. On another occasion before the zoo opened Parker, one of the wolves, escaped. There was a frantic hunt involving armed police, and eventually Parker was caught in a quarry two miles away.
As well as this catalogue of disasters, there is a lot of medical information, disappointments and sadness. We have known from the start that there is a tragic element to the story, and that Benjamin Mee's wife Katherine would be discovered to have a brain tumour. She is present in the book in a background role well into the second half, when with great irony, after the massive project was finally completed, Katherine died. Benjamin Mee was then not only a single father to two young children, Milo and Ella, but also responsible for a whole "family" of animals, plus the staff at the zoo. The old-handers and newly trained incoming keepers did not get on.
When they eventually opened in July, it was the wettest for 100 years, and the following three summers were hardly any better. Benjamin Mee needed 1,000 visitors a day, yet it was not unusual to get a mere four people. For a long time he was still in financial straits. His monthly bills were £47,000 for wages, amenities and food. He was constantly worrying that the zoo simply wouldn't survive long enough for the projected film to come out.
There was a T.V. series about the zoo called "Ben's Zoo", and this provided much-needed funds. In 2007 cameras showed an increasingly desperate Mee begging a bank manager for money, saying, "The wolves are at the door…" and, with his trademark humour, pausing to add, "… literally." This book, We Bought a Zoo, was published in 2008. A year later 20th Century Fox bought the rights, and brought Cameron Crowe on board to direct a film starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.
The film is very different. It is relocated to California, America, and Benjamin's wife does not feature. The story starts after she has died, when the character of Benjamin Mee is coming to terms with his new life as a widower and single father. The film focusses initially on the spiky relationship between him and his brother. In the film, the main character Benjamin has a job as a journalist, which in the turmoil of his grief he walks out of. Other differences entail some of the keepers who are different characters, and there is a romantic element which is not present in the book. Some of the animal episodes are there however, and the film is true to the "heart" of the book.
Throughout the book, despite its faults of construction and focus, the writer's talent shines through. He is engaging, has both charm and determined optimism. It make for quite an uplifting read, very honest, poignant and moving, quirkily humorous, yet revealing a genuine concern for both the individual animals, and the good of the species. The authors's heroes are Gerald Durrell and David Attenborough, and the reader can see that he tries to put all their principles into practice, and also develop new knowledge and good practice in the field on his own account.
Dartmoor Zoological Park itself is still in its infancy. It has homemade laminated signs, and the Mee house is right in the centre of the park, with no ropes or fences segregating it from the public. Recently, however, the zoo has been given a pair of endangered white-naped cranes, and also accepted onto a breeding programme, monitored by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Conservation is Benjamin Mee's passion. Dartmoor Zoological Park has three Siberian tigers and in the wild there are now fewer than 40. Benjamin Mee has said,
"I don't particularly like looking at animals behind wire. But, as a zoo director, I understand that it is absolutely essential that we keep them there. We can build up a broad genetic population in zoos and then if we can work out a way to regain an area the size of Siberia, just for tigers, then we can re-release them."
In addition to looking after Dilys, "an alpaca with the brains of a rocking horse", the African lion "lazybones" Solomon, and Gilly the dainty, elderly serval, Benjamin Mee clearly still has a dream to fulfil.
Benjamin Mee is a journalist, with a talent for making what must have been a traumatic and nerve-racking experience sound both entertaining and poignant. This is his true account of how he bought a failing ramshackle zoo, with the aim of rescuing and re-opening it to the public. There are about two hundred animals now in his care, in the revamped Dartmoor Zoological Park. His favourites are perhaps a couple of Brazilian tapirs, but there's also Vlad, a Siberian tiger who loves trying to lick the author's hand through the fence, a bear called Fudge, with five inch claws which need regular trimming, not to mention a schizophrenic ostrich on Prozac.
These are some of the animals the reader will meet in the book but it has to be said that it takes a long time to meet them. Also, there are very few chapters in the book, with only a very few breaks within these chapters. The overall structure of the book could be improved for a more accessible read. It has a few black and white photos, but again, this could be improved. Why so few? Or why include any at all? It seems as though the publishers could not really decide whether or not it was a good idea to include them.
Benjamin Mee does not pull any punches in his narrative. It is an honest account, and at times he clearly kept going through sheer willpower, against overwhelming odds, and some might say against all common sense too. He comes across as a true individual, someone who is equally at home with a pick-axe, knocking down an old concrete structure (especially if he could visualise the bank manager's face whilst he was doing it) planning a new enclosure for his animals, or reading the latest scientific journals to ascertain the likelihood of whether the latest clinical trials to combat his wife's brain tumour would have any chance of success. He has certainly had a chequered past with diverse experiences, and although this has clearly stood him in good stead in one sense, it has sometimes been a disadvantage in earning the respect of professionals - of one type or another. He is, however, disarming and modest, coming across as a bit of a "bodger", with a talent for writing episodes with wry humour, often making them very entertaining.
Benjamin Mee started adult life as a bricklayer and decorator, whilst being interested in learning and writing about animal intelligence. He went on to study psychology at University College, London and then later an MSc in Science Journalism. He followed this path for a while, as an editor of a Health magazine and a Guardian columnist, but his overriding interest in animals surfaced, and at the start of the book we find him living with his wife and children in the South of France. He was 46 when he decided to go freelance. His wife, Katherine, had given up her job as an art director on a magazine and they had sold their flat in Primrose Hill, North London. Mee juggled writing with renovating and converting their two barns there, and writing a book on the Evolution of Humour in Man and Animals. His life seemed to have been relaxed and almost idyllic. But ...
In June 2004 Katherine was diagnosed with a grade-four glioblastoma brain tumour. She completed a course of chemotherapy but her doctors warned her and Benjamin that the tumour would return. She did in fact have to undergo treatment for it more than once. In the earlier part of the book the narrative veers off into diagnosis, possible treatments and trials, as Benjamin Mee uses his experience and knowledge to investigate every possible avenue of treatment for his wife. Although it's a moving and absorbing narrative, if you were expecting an anecdotal romp featuring zoo animals, you might be rather taken aback by this part.
As we read on, we realise that not only is the author quite unusual in his experience, but must be a very persuasive man. For he was not only to plod on doggedly with fighting various doctors to find treatment for his wife, and to advise his mother, who was newly widowed, but also to incorporate and fight for what might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Benjamin Mee's sister Melissa, had come across an estate agent's brochure for Dartmoor Wildlife Park, which was for sale at the same asking price – £1.2 million – as their mother Amelia’s home. Knowing of Benjamin's lifelong fascination with animals, Melissa posted the brochure to him in France with a note, "Your dream scenario".
Instantly all his priorities changed. Benjamin Mee set about persuading his 76-year-old mother that it would be a good idea to downsize and sell the Surrey home in which he and his three brothers and sister had grown up. It turned out to be quite easy. For her 73rd birthday Amelia had spent a day as a big cat keeper, and she loved the idea of owning a zoo. Benjamin Mee also persuaded his brother Duncan and their other siblings to come in with the plan. They all agreed that the zoo would be a wonderful project for Amelia to be part of, and each put their £50,000 inheritance into the pot, agreeing to decide later who would move into the 12-bedroom house with Amelia. It was slightly more difficult, however, to convince his wife Katherine.
Initially Katherine was resistant, as she had already given up a high-profile magazine job in London, and agreed to sell their London flat to move to France so that Benjamin Mee could write a book. They had been happily settled for two years, he was still writing the book and converting their two barns - and now he had another mad idea to buy a zoo. Eventually though, after he had stayed in England and pursued the sale for a few months, she agreed to leave their home in France, and move their young family back to England to live with his extended family.
It was not plain sailing, however and the first half of the book does get rather bogged down in all the minutiae of difficulties of raising available funds to purchase the zoo, and be allowed a permit to develop it again. Even the seller of the zoo had to be persuaded to part with his "baby" even though he had fallen foul of the authorities throughout the zoo's existence on several occasions. He had followed his own eccentric ideas, which did not always conform to regulations. For instance, even to this day, the zoo is not allowed to breed from the tiger, because the previous owner did not properly monitor the mating between his animals, and as a result most of the big cats are genetically related.
In addition, the zoo had fallen into such disrepair in later years that it was hazardous and dangerous for all concerned, not least the animals themselves. Everyone concerned was beginning to lose heart. There were six members of staff working at the zoo when Benjamim Mee took on the project. All were unpaid and had been doing out of their own pockets.
If the reader is expecting an anecdotal book on animals, with information about different species and animal behaviour to be gained along the way, then all the background information, and details about the family's life in France, and about how Benjamin Mee's family raised the money to finally buy the zoo, all seem a bit off the point. There are dramas and stresses throughout, not only financial when bank after bank seemed to let them down, but also family rifts. Incredibly, his brother Henry, who was the executor of his father's will, switched sides and mounted a legal challenge to stop the purchase. An agreement was finally reached, but Henry withdrew his £50,000 investment, which the project could ill afford.
Even when all these problems were finally overcome, they needed money to keep all the animals fed and all the staff - many of whom were new - paid. And before the zoo could be opened to the public, they had to going to the council office to make sure they had passed all the tests councils require. The zoo's attempt to gain a licence was another hard battle to be fought. The council had said that the zoo's rotten fence posts and faulty electric fences were not safe and the pathways had become unwalkable. There was all the knowledge of the zoo's earlier reputation to contend with too, especially locally. For a long time they had hard work, severe stresses and overheads without any income. And at every new stage of development, a whole set of new problems would emerge.
For instance, one afternoon in October 2006, four days after opening, Benjamin Mee was sitting in the kitchen, when his brother ran in shouting, "A big cat has escaped. This is not a drill." A 150lb jaguar was on the loose. An inexperienced keeper had not bolted the enclosure correctly and Sovereign, the leopard, had jumped into the neighbouring enclosure, intent on fighting Tammy, the Siberian tiger. It looked as if one of Benjamin Mee's first tasks as a zoo director would have to be to decide which animal to shoot dead. Fortunately Tammy's keeper managed to coax her back into her house and lock her inside. Benjamin Mee and a couple of keepers stayed outside waiting for an anaesthetic dart gun to arrive from another zoo, and the next day Sovereign was sedated and returned to his enclosure. (The keeper was fired.)
At this stage Benjamin Mee needed 60,000 visitors a year to break even. But tasks such as dealing with a rat infestation at £9,000, finding £3,000 a week for utility bills, animal feed and staff wages, £500,000 to make urgent repairs before he would be allowed to let the paying public back in and so on, were clearly not the only kind of problems he was to face. The jaguar's escape was the first time he realised there were always going to be lives at stake. On another occasion before the zoo opened Parker, one of the wolves, escaped. There was a frantic hunt involving armed police, and eventually Parker was caught in a quarry two miles away.
As well as this catalogue of disasters, there is a lot of medical information, disappointments and sadness. We have known from the start that there is a tragic element to the story, and that Benjamin Mee's wife Katherine would be discovered to have a brain tumour. She is present in the book in a background role well into the second half, when with great irony, after the massive project was finally completed, Katherine died. Benjamin Mee was then not only a single father to two young children, Milo and Ella, but also responsible for a whole "family" of animals, plus the staff at the zoo. The old-handers and newly trained incoming keepers did not get on.
When they eventually opened in July, it was the wettest for 100 years, and the following three summers were hardly any better. Benjamin Mee needed 1,000 visitors a day, yet it was not unusual to get a mere four people. For a long time he was still in financial straits. His monthly bills were £47,000 for wages, amenities and food. He was constantly worrying that the zoo simply wouldn't survive long enough for the projected film to come out.
There was a T.V. series about the zoo called "Ben's Zoo", and this provided much-needed funds. In 2007 cameras showed an increasingly desperate Mee begging a bank manager for money, saying, "The wolves are at the door…" and, with his trademark humour, pausing to add, "… literally." This book, We Bought a Zoo, was published in 2008. A year later 20th Century Fox bought the rights, and brought Cameron Crowe on board to direct a film starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.
The film is very different. It is relocated to California, America, and Benjamin's wife does not feature. The story starts after she has died, when the character of Benjamin Mee is coming to terms with his new life as a widower and single father. The film focusses initially on the spiky relationship between him and his brother. In the film, the main character Benjamin has a job as a journalist, which in the turmoil of his grief he walks out of. Other differences entail some of the keepers who are different characters, and there is a romantic element which is not present in the book. Some of the animal episodes are there however, and the film is true to the "heart" of the book.
Throughout the book, despite its faults of construction and focus, the writer's talent shines through. He is engaging, has both charm and determined optimism. It make for quite an uplifting read, very honest, poignant and moving, quirkily humorous, yet revealing a genuine concern for both the individual animals, and the good of the species. The authors's heroes are Gerald Durrell and David Attenborough, and the reader can see that he tries to put all their principles into practice, and also develop new knowledge and good practice in the field on his own account.
Dartmoor Zoological Park itself is still in its infancy. It has homemade laminated signs, and the Mee house is right in the centre of the park, with no ropes or fences segregating it from the public. Recently, however, the zoo has been given a pair of endangered white-naped cranes, and also accepted onto a breeding programme, monitored by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Conservation is Benjamin Mee's passion. Dartmoor Zoological Park has three Siberian tigers and in the wild there are now fewer than 40. Benjamin Mee has said,
"I don't particularly like looking at animals behind wire. But, as a zoo director, I understand that it is absolutely essential that we keep them there. We can build up a broad genetic population in zoos and then if we can work out a way to regain an area the size of Siberia, just for tigers, then we can re-release them."
In addition to looking after Dilys, "an alpaca with the brains of a rocking horse", the African lion "lazybones" Solomon, and Gilly the dainty, elderly serval, Benjamin Mee clearly still has a dream to fulfil.
December 22, 2020
3.5 to 4 Stars
Sometimes the whole book is right there in the title. This is a book about a family who bought a zoo, and it is just about what you would expect! They don’t have a zoo, they decide to buy one, and they do.
Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but generally it is pretty much that straightforward. So, if you want to read the story of an Average Joe deciding to buy a zoo and everything that could potentially be involved in the care of animals, maintenance of the grounds, business models, etc. then this is the book for you. I think the most intriguing overarching theme is how many nuances of running a zoo a guest may not realize from the outside looking in. Every step of the way, Mee is finding out all the roadblocks to running a zoo and shares with the reader his problem-solving techniques. We get to see him grow from interested zoo hobbyist to full-fledged king of the zoo.
Note on my comment that he is an “Average Joe”: While he may not have had a background in zoo ownership and management, he does have some parts of his background that made him more likely to try and buy a zoo than others. So maybe “Above Average Joe” would be a better descriptor!
The main deviation from the story of the zoo involves the health of Mee’s wife. I will avoid saying too much so as not to spoil, but the book does start off right away mentioning she is sick, and her struggles are a major part of the story. Mee’s reflection on her and her struggles may require a box of tissues to be on hand.
Many times, I really get into Non-fiction audiobooks because the author will take a subject I may not know much about or that I have not previously interested in and make it totally enthralling. With We Bought a Zoo, it was very good, and very interesting, but I cannot say that I found myself enthralled at any time. So, it is worth reading, but I cannot give you the expectation that you will be wildly entertained . . . more like mildly entertained.
Sometimes the whole book is right there in the title. This is a book about a family who bought a zoo, and it is just about what you would expect! They don’t have a zoo, they decide to buy one, and they do.
Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but generally it is pretty much that straightforward. So, if you want to read the story of an Average Joe deciding to buy a zoo and everything that could potentially be involved in the care of animals, maintenance of the grounds, business models, etc. then this is the book for you. I think the most intriguing overarching theme is how many nuances of running a zoo a guest may not realize from the outside looking in. Every step of the way, Mee is finding out all the roadblocks to running a zoo and shares with the reader his problem-solving techniques. We get to see him grow from interested zoo hobbyist to full-fledged king of the zoo.
Note on my comment that he is an “Average Joe”: While he may not have had a background in zoo ownership and management, he does have some parts of his background that made him more likely to try and buy a zoo than others. So maybe “Above Average Joe” would be a better descriptor!
The main deviation from the story of the zoo involves the health of Mee’s wife. I will avoid saying too much so as not to spoil, but the book does start off right away mentioning she is sick, and her struggles are a major part of the story. Mee’s reflection on her and her struggles may require a box of tissues to be on hand.
Many times, I really get into Non-fiction audiobooks because the author will take a subject I may not know much about or that I have not previously interested in and make it totally enthralling. With We Bought a Zoo, it was very good, and very interesting, but I cannot say that I found myself enthralled at any time. So, it is worth reading, but I cannot give you the expectation that you will be wildly entertained . . . more like mildly entertained.
January 20, 2012
My work in the office is to be in front of the computer for almost the whole day. I’m an information technology-systems analyst guy assigned on North American projects so I rarely talk to anybody except during lunch time. Due to this, I can don a headset and listen to a radio station. 8 hours a day.
Since early this January, my favorite afternoon station, RJ 100.30 has been airing the teaser for the movie adaptation of this memoir We Bought a Zoo with one line that goes something like: ”You don’t need a lot of knowledge to run a zoo. What you need is a lot of heart.” The voice sounds sincere and the irony (who would thought of buying a zoo and declare it as if what you bought was just a new set of plasma TV?) is just intriguing. Then one evening, I saw a poster on top of a waiting shed along EDSA and when I saw Scarlett Johansson (my well-kept secret crush) and Matt Damon (who to my disappointment lost the lead role in the latest The Bourne movie that is currently shooting here in Manila), I said whoa this seems to be a fun movie. Then the following day, I saw a copy of this book at NBS with exactly the same people on the poster along EDSA, so I bought it right away forgetting my new year’s resolution of not buying books, especially brand new books because they are expensive and they derail my monthly budget. But anyway, I resolved that I would not see the movie anyway so the cost of the book approximates the savings from not seeing the movie with my family.
I liked the book particularly that fact that this was based on a true story. It was hard for me to bring my own experiences that would have made this a memorable read. My childhood experiences in zoos were not that really beautiful. The Manila Zoo was the first zoo I visited, once when I was a small boy and I was so young I could not remember anything about it. All I remember now was the stinking smell and the big scary elephant. I also remember that I wanted to eat another ice cream but my mother would not allow me to have another cone. My wife had a somewhat strange memory about her visit: she fell on the pavement and all she remembered when I asked her was that she was crying endlessly because of the pain. When my daughter was young, we bought her to the same zoo, Malabon Zoo and the ones in Tagaytay. She also had the chance to visit Ocean Park (in Hongkong), Singapore Zoo and Zoobic (in Olongapo City) and I know she enjoyed those. It’s always nice to give somethings to your children especially those that you were not able to have when you were young, right?
There is nothing really wrong about the writing. Mee tried to capture everything that happened in an organized manner. Not sure if he exerted effort to make the telling interesting but I just did not feel anything while reading. Okay, he bought the zoo for his mother as he would like her to have something to excite her now becoming boring twilight years. Okay, he was losing his wife, Katherine, to cancer and he probably thought that this would be a diversion of his grief. Okay, his two kids were all excited to own the 200 animals in the zoo and their father seemed like a God-sent hero to save those animals. Sure Mee has all the heart, and I salute him. It’s just that the writing is a bit boring because it is so plain and predictable. There are heartwarming scenes but from page 1, despite all the hurdles thrown by Mee in the air for me to believe otherwise, I knew that the ending would be happy: that they would succeed in running the zoo.
If you are interested on animals, however, I still recommend this book especially if you are planning to buy your own zoo. Quite informative, I would say.
That radio teaser is still being played. I just heard it while typing this review. After reading this book though, I don’t have any interest to see the movie.
Since early this January, my favorite afternoon station, RJ 100.30 has been airing the teaser for the movie adaptation of this memoir We Bought a Zoo with one line that goes something like: ”You don’t need a lot of knowledge to run a zoo. What you need is a lot of heart.” The voice sounds sincere and the irony (who would thought of buying a zoo and declare it as if what you bought was just a new set of plasma TV?) is just intriguing. Then one evening, I saw a poster on top of a waiting shed along EDSA and when I saw Scarlett Johansson (my well-kept secret crush) and Matt Damon (who to my disappointment lost the lead role in the latest The Bourne movie that is currently shooting here in Manila), I said whoa this seems to be a fun movie. Then the following day, I saw a copy of this book at NBS with exactly the same people on the poster along EDSA, so I bought it right away forgetting my new year’s resolution of not buying books, especially brand new books because they are expensive and they derail my monthly budget. But anyway, I resolved that I would not see the movie anyway so the cost of the book approximates the savings from not seeing the movie with my family.
I liked the book particularly that fact that this was based on a true story. It was hard for me to bring my own experiences that would have made this a memorable read. My childhood experiences in zoos were not that really beautiful. The Manila Zoo was the first zoo I visited, once when I was a small boy and I was so young I could not remember anything about it. All I remember now was the stinking smell and the big scary elephant. I also remember that I wanted to eat another ice cream but my mother would not allow me to have another cone. My wife had a somewhat strange memory about her visit: she fell on the pavement and all she remembered when I asked her was that she was crying endlessly because of the pain. When my daughter was young, we bought her to the same zoo, Malabon Zoo and the ones in Tagaytay. She also had the chance to visit Ocean Park (in Hongkong), Singapore Zoo and Zoobic (in Olongapo City) and I know she enjoyed those. It’s always nice to give somethings to your children especially those that you were not able to have when you were young, right?
There is nothing really wrong about the writing. Mee tried to capture everything that happened in an organized manner. Not sure if he exerted effort to make the telling interesting but I just did not feel anything while reading. Okay, he bought the zoo for his mother as he would like her to have something to excite her now becoming boring twilight years. Okay, he was losing his wife, Katherine, to cancer and he probably thought that this would be a diversion of his grief. Okay, his two kids were all excited to own the 200 animals in the zoo and their father seemed like a God-sent hero to save those animals. Sure Mee has all the heart, and I salute him. It’s just that the writing is a bit boring because it is so plain and predictable. There are heartwarming scenes but from page 1, despite all the hurdles thrown by Mee in the air for me to believe otherwise, I knew that the ending would be happy: that they would succeed in running the zoo.
If you are interested on animals, however, I still recommend this book especially if you are planning to buy your own zoo. Quite informative, I would say.
That radio teaser is still being played. I just heard it while typing this review. After reading this book though, I don’t have any interest to see the movie.
February 23, 2024
I was exited to read this book because I loved the movie.
Unfortunately however, this was one of those cases where the actual book fell short of the movie.
I loved the story but the writing style, perhaps too plain and direct, made me feel like I'm reading a newspaper article instead of a book. It didn't allow feelings to be properly shown. And it didn't allow me to really bond with any of the characters either. The humour also fell flat and felt like sarcasm most of the time.
I may be the odd one out here but I cannot get myself to care a lot about a story, even if it is true and heartbreaking, if it's told in a plain style of the type: "We went there and we did this, then I tought of this and tried that, or they said this and then done that." This would work very well for a short story, making the impact that much stronger, but it becomes tedious very fast in a book.
And yet, the tale itself was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time! It took a hell lot of guts and a ton of hard work for Mee and his family to succeed! For this, I cannot but admire them and cheer for them from the stands. Because, that was simply fabulous!
If you love animals, a man with a strong will and solid determination, and don't mind a forward and direct writing style, this book may be exactly what you're looking for.
Happy reading! :)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
Unfortunately however, this was one of those cases where the actual book fell short of the movie.
I loved the story but the writing style, perhaps too plain and direct, made me feel like I'm reading a newspaper article instead of a book. It didn't allow feelings to be properly shown. And it didn't allow me to really bond with any of the characters either. The humour also fell flat and felt like sarcasm most of the time.
I may be the odd one out here but I cannot get myself to care a lot about a story, even if it is true and heartbreaking, if it's told in a plain style of the type: "We went there and we did this, then I tought of this and tried that, or they said this and then done that." This would work very well for a short story, making the impact that much stronger, but it becomes tedious very fast in a book.
And yet, the tale itself was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time! It took a hell lot of guts and a ton of hard work for Mee and his family to succeed! For this, I cannot but admire them and cheer for them from the stands. Because, that was simply fabulous!
If you love animals, a man with a strong will and solid determination, and don't mind a forward and direct writing style, this book may be exactly what you're looking for.
Happy reading! :)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
April 13, 2012
Recently saw this family friendly movie and enjoyed it. If you have read Benjamin Mee's book WE BOUGHT A ZOO you may be disappointed at the "hollywood spin". Any similarity between the book and the movie basically ends with the title.
In the book Mee's father died and HIS MOTHER bought the Dartmoor Zoo (located in the UK not California) using funds received from the sale of her home in Surrey. Mee's wife Katherine was alive at the time of the purchase and moved to the zoo with their two children Milo age six (hardly the trouble teen, Dylan, as portrayed in the movie) and Ella age four (a seven year old named Rosie in the movie). His brother, portrayed in the movie by Thomas Hayden Church is not Mee's only sibling nor was he an unwilling participant in the venture, but a willing accomplice. Also, the Benjamin Mee in the book does not come across as the devoted, loving husband and father but as a rather selfish "I want what I want" personality who willingly uproots his family again and again to pursue his dreams.
Those are just a few of the more glaring differences between book and "true story" movie. These discrepancies do not detract from the movies overall appeal (particularly if you have not read the book). As I mentioned, the movie is as warm and gooey as a hot fudge sundae and provides a great viewing experience for the entire family. Particularly enchanting is Maggie Elizabeth Jones who plays little Rosie. She is truly a delight to watch as she attempts to assume the roll of woman of the house. Another performance that tickled my funny bone was that of MacCready the volatile zoo carpenter as played by Angus Macfadyen a very talented and, in my opinion, underrated actor who has portrayed everyone from Robert the Bruce in Braveheart to Richard Burton and even did a turn as Sandra Bullocks fiancé in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
While the book provides the reader with a more in depth look at Mee, the man, and the intricate problems involved the running of a zoo, he comes across as not very likable. The movie, on the other hand, give us a kinder, gentler Mee as we watch a heartbroken Matt Damon cope with the loss of his wife and attempts to raise two children while mastering a domain consisting of over 200 exotic animals. For once, the movie outshines the book........or perhaps I was just in the mood for less reality and more fantasy in my day.
In the book Mee's father died and HIS MOTHER bought the Dartmoor Zoo (located in the UK not California) using funds received from the sale of her home in Surrey. Mee's wife Katherine was alive at the time of the purchase and moved to the zoo with their two children Milo age six (hardly the trouble teen, Dylan, as portrayed in the movie) and Ella age four (a seven year old named Rosie in the movie). His brother, portrayed in the movie by Thomas Hayden Church is not Mee's only sibling nor was he an unwilling participant in the venture, but a willing accomplice. Also, the Benjamin Mee in the book does not come across as the devoted, loving husband and father but as a rather selfish "I want what I want" personality who willingly uproots his family again and again to pursue his dreams.
Those are just a few of the more glaring differences between book and "true story" movie. These discrepancies do not detract from the movies overall appeal (particularly if you have not read the book). As I mentioned, the movie is as warm and gooey as a hot fudge sundae and provides a great viewing experience for the entire family. Particularly enchanting is Maggie Elizabeth Jones who plays little Rosie. She is truly a delight to watch as she attempts to assume the roll of woman of the house. Another performance that tickled my funny bone was that of MacCready the volatile zoo carpenter as played by Angus Macfadyen a very talented and, in my opinion, underrated actor who has portrayed everyone from Robert the Bruce in Braveheart to Richard Burton and even did a turn as Sandra Bullocks fiancé in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
While the book provides the reader with a more in depth look at Mee, the man, and the intricate problems involved the running of a zoo, he comes across as not very likable. The movie, on the other hand, give us a kinder, gentler Mee as we watch a heartbroken Matt Damon cope with the loss of his wife and attempts to raise two children while mastering a domain consisting of over 200 exotic animals. For once, the movie outshines the book........or perhaps I was just in the mood for less reality and more fantasy in my day.
October 31, 2012
While I basically liked this book, I did have several problems with it. The author would (frequently) say something like "but more on that later" but then Mr. Mee never returned to the subject. This happened frequently towards the end of the book. I hated this aspect of the book. Another issue, I had problems with Mr. Mee going on about money complaints and dealings with back room boys and others. He was beating a dead horse with some of his story. It was like he was trying to think of what to write and just didn't have enough to make a complete book. I would have enjoyed hearing more about the animals and the daily life of what it is like to own a Zoo. Come on, who wouldn't have loved to own a Zoo? Mr. Mee made it extremely boring.
March 5, 2012
Part of what I'm writing is a review of the book, and part of it is a review of the reviews of the book. First of all, a disclaimer: I am primarily, by personal choice, a fiction reader, but I do know that one must bring different reading skills and expectations to a non-fiction account than to a novel. This book is exactly what it says, the story of a young British family living in France (think of some of those House Hunters International episodes from HGTV). The father is a writer of DIY articles who has a long-standing project going of writing about animal behavior; the mother has a rather varied background in commercial art and design. The mother is diagnosed with a brain cancer which will be recurring. In spite of this setback, they continue with their plans for a life in France on a remodeled country property. After his father's death, the opportunity pops up for his family to buy a run down wildlife park in Devon on Dartmoor. (Terribly romantic setting, if you think about stories rather than the prison.) Difficulties ensue--legal, financial, etc. Finally get the property. Trials and stories, some sad, some funny, some just factual, of gradually restoring the park and turning it into a conservation-minded, financially stable business.
What the book is not-- It is not the movie, which has departed rather far from the original story in many instances. It is not a "how-to" book on financing a business or animal care. Admittedly, one does pick up little tidbits here and there, such as if one needs to anesthetize a tiger, do not use a sedative designed for a horse. It is also not a book in which you get the feeling that real-life events have been altered to make them more exciting. This is a story about an extended family taking a risk and overcoming obstacles and a fairly frank evaluation of what tangible and intangible benefits they have gained from the experience. The reader gets a good idea of what the author/narrator really detests and what he finds quite satisfactory about the experience.
What the book is not-- It is not the movie, which has departed rather far from the original story in many instances. It is not a "how-to" book on financing a business or animal care. Admittedly, one does pick up little tidbits here and there, such as if one needs to anesthetize a tiger, do not use a sedative designed for a horse. It is also not a book in which you get the feeling that real-life events have been altered to make them more exciting. This is a story about an extended family taking a risk and overcoming obstacles and a fairly frank evaluation of what tangible and intangible benefits they have gained from the experience. The reader gets a good idea of what the author/narrator really detests and what he finds quite satisfactory about the experience.
March 21, 2010
An interesting story spoiled by a literal take, inadequate writing quality and a superficial treatment.
Ok for a memoir maybe there is no requirement for flights of lyrical prose but I expect better from a professional writer.
The superficiality bothered me - we get no real idea of the numbers involved and I'd like to have seen it treated as more of a business case study.
The park itself, the background history and personality of the animals are never detailed except as involved in a couple of anecdotes. Despite a nod towards conservation I didn't get any great sense of a burning vocation to the ecological struggle.
I didn't find myself moved by the loss of the author's wife - she is a cypher as we are never given much to identify with emotionally leading up to this point, ditto for the other memmbers of the family.
I was left with the impression of a middle-England urban dilletente -admiring the French quality of life while mocking the supposed 3 hour lunches - as if the Anglo-Saxon work ethic wasn't a myth - working in 'media' who selfishly followed his own dreams - first moving to France and then buying a zoo - instead of prioritising his family. Surely if he'd cared so much for his wife he would have stayed in France with its outstanding health service rather than risking the NHS.
And finally, the book was published too close to the opening of the park - I'd like to have read about the situation 2 years or so down the line.
At least it was a relatively quick read.
Ok for a memoir maybe there is no requirement for flights of lyrical prose but I expect better from a professional writer.
The superficiality bothered me - we get no real idea of the numbers involved and I'd like to have seen it treated as more of a business case study.
The park itself, the background history and personality of the animals are never detailed except as involved in a couple of anecdotes. Despite a nod towards conservation I didn't get any great sense of a burning vocation to the ecological struggle.
I didn't find myself moved by the loss of the author's wife - she is a cypher as we are never given much to identify with emotionally leading up to this point, ditto for the other memmbers of the family.
I was left with the impression of a middle-England urban dilletente -admiring the French quality of life while mocking the supposed 3 hour lunches - as if the Anglo-Saxon work ethic wasn't a myth - working in 'media' who selfishly followed his own dreams - first moving to France and then buying a zoo - instead of prioritising his family. Surely if he'd cared so much for his wife he would have stayed in France with its outstanding health service rather than risking the NHS.
And finally, the book was published too close to the opening of the park - I'd like to have read about the situation 2 years or so down the line.
At least it was a relatively quick read.
September 26, 2008
It's written rather breathlessly and the photo gallery is completely unsatisfying (more shots of the house and zoo rather than their animal inhabitants would have been nice, not to mention more photos of the family) but the tale itself is pretty darn touching.
January 27, 2012
After loving the movie so much, it is difficult for me to give this book 3 stars. I thought and hoped I would be able to proudly give it 5 shining stars.
The book is not entirely bad. Benjamin Mee wrote as a journalist would -- the style was flowing, easy-to-read, a bit witty, and has a pretty good play of words. It was perhaps the focus of the book and the diversion from the movie (or rather, vice-versa -- the movie diverted from the book) that made it a little disappointing. I was expecting to read and know more about the characters, the dynamic relationships, and the drama they had to go through to save the zoo. But the book focused more on the animals, the specific care for them, the idiosyncrasies of each specie -- and I do not have a particular fondness for lions, flamingos, otters, and snakes (just to name a few) -- that is why it was a bit difficult to get to the end.
This book was my bed companion -- having bedtime as the only time for leisure reading -- and it surely did a good job of lulling me to sleep.
It sounds that bad, huh. ... Yet, i would still give it 3 stars to give credit to the extraordinary experience the family went through and the journalistic style of Mr. Mee.
The book is not entirely bad. Benjamin Mee wrote as a journalist would -- the style was flowing, easy-to-read, a bit witty, and has a pretty good play of words. It was perhaps the focus of the book and the diversion from the movie (or rather, vice-versa -- the movie diverted from the book) that made it a little disappointing. I was expecting to read and know more about the characters, the dynamic relationships, and the drama they had to go through to save the zoo. But the book focused more on the animals, the specific care for them, the idiosyncrasies of each specie -- and I do not have a particular fondness for lions, flamingos, otters, and snakes (just to name a few) -- that is why it was a bit difficult to get to the end.
This book was my bed companion -- having bedtime as the only time for leisure reading -- and it surely did a good job of lulling me to sleep.
It sounds that bad, huh. ... Yet, i would still give it 3 stars to give credit to the extraordinary experience the family went through and the journalistic style of Mr. Mee.
January 1, 2009
Apparently in England you can buy a zoo if you have a million pounds or so...
The best parts were the references to Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, and the part where when they are testing the zoo restaurant before the zoo opens they drink most of the keg of Stella Artois before the zoo opens...
I felt slightly used when it became apparent that one of the author's motivations for buying the zoo was so that he could write a book about it.
Overall the writing is average, but it was a quick entertaining read.
The best parts were the references to Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, and the part where when they are testing the zoo restaurant before the zoo opens they drink most of the keg of Stella Artois before the zoo opens...
I felt slightly used when it became apparent that one of the author's motivations for buying the zoo was so that he could write a book about it.
Overall the writing is average, but it was a quick entertaining read.
January 16, 2012
Once the family bought the zoo, I enjoyed this book a great deal. However, it was very slow starting. The opening chapter deals with life in France, as the author's wife is diagnosed with a brain tumor. I'm sure it was very important to the author to include this, but it would have served the book better if it had been covered later in the book as a look back. It dragged the book down and made me reluctant to continue.
I run a movie club and we are going to see the movie. I like to read the book in advance whenever possible, so I forged ahead. The pace picked up considerably at Chapter 3. The anecdotes about getting the zoo ready to reopen were entertaining. There were a couple of instances where the author said something like "but more on that later" but then never returned to the subject, so far as I could tell. I sometimes felt like I was reading an abridged copy of the book. I don't know if editors took something out without realizing there were earlier references, or if the author did get back to the topics but not in an obvious way that I picked up on, but these occurrences niggled at me.
If you are interested in learning more about the Dartmoor Zoological Park, We Bought a Zoo is worth reading.
I run a movie club and we are going to see the movie. I like to read the book in advance whenever possible, so I forged ahead. The pace picked up considerably at Chapter 3. The anecdotes about getting the zoo ready to reopen were entertaining. There were a couple of instances where the author said something like "but more on that later" but then never returned to the subject, so far as I could tell. I sometimes felt like I was reading an abridged copy of the book. I don't know if editors took something out without realizing there were earlier references, or if the author did get back to the topics but not in an obvious way that I picked up on, but these occurrences niggled at me.
If you are interested in learning more about the Dartmoor Zoological Park, We Bought a Zoo is worth reading.
April 16, 2012
I did enjoy this book. To be specific, I enjoyed the storyline--a family in England buys a small rundown zoo and works to get it licensed and started up again in the midst of a family tragedy. Now that being said, this book was in serious need of a good editor with lots of red ink. At times it did not flow logically and suffered from a severe overuse of parentheses. Rarely was there a simple sentence containing one uninterrupted thought. And it was downright aggravating that the author would comment ("more on that later)" and then never get to the more part. In reading this book, I often felt like this was just the first draft with notes to the author and editor inserted randomly within the text. Even more aggravating to an anal reader was the lack of consistency in names (for example, is the elderly serval's name Gilly or Jilly? Pick one and stick with it). I give this book two stars solely because it is a heart-warming story, but I do hope that Mr. Mee employs a good editor before another such undertaking.
December 28, 2021
Second time reading it and loved it again. Now I'm actually working in a zoo it makes it even more special and I relate so much to all the emotions he feels for all the animals. It was interesting to see how different the actual story is from the film, and I'm now trying to watch the old BBC series.
March 30, 2025
I always feel a little bad giving someone’s true life story a low rating- but this was honestly so boring 🥲 I just adore the movie and I don’t think anything can beat it
January 22, 2012
Alright, so normally I don't pick up a book and read it all the way trough in one (or one and a little) sitting unless it's captivating and usually fiction. Yet, this non fiction book on one man's experience in buying a zoo I read from 1 am to 6 am and then the last 15% after I woke up at noon. Finished the whole thing before 1 pm.
And I don't know why.
Certainly I've been reading some crazy shit lately: John Dies at the End (fucked up fiction which is screwing with my sense of insanity), The Erotic Adventures of Ambrose Horne (an extremely odd revitalization of Sherlock Holmes with a very erotic twist), Annabel (fiction work about a hermaphrodite Innuit child), The Rose Garden (historical-romance-scifi-time travel-adventure fiction which makes me question both time travel and love), Slave Species of God (non fiction trying to explain our origins) as well as countless of crazy website blogs and posts mostly focusing on reddit and crack.com such as the crazy interview questions google doesn't ask anymore, glitch in the matrix stories, ACTA things, illuminati, the music industry and this list is probably boring you to tears right now if you're even still reading.
My point was that all these crazy things have gotten my mind spinning and yet I stay up an entire night to read an (albeit rather humerus) account of a man acquiring a run down zoo against all odds and all the crazy things that happen when you decide to do something so majorly insane.
All I know is that one day, I'd given the chance, I too will buy a zoo. Hopefully I too will have amazing encounters with wolves escaping, jaguars tearing through containers and ballistic monkeys. But if I can't have that, I definitely will continue to visit zoo's and animal parks and happily endorse them with plenty of cash spent. Why? Because not only did this book show me how incredibly ballsy and clinically insane you have to be to buy a zoo, but also that it's one of the best things you could do for animals at this time.
I'd always been one I'd those people who'd happily debate on keeping animals locked up in fake environments vs. freeing them to be hunted and poached and driven to extinction. I think I've finally found my footing on this issue, and it's on the sides of the animals.
I plan to watch this movie / tv show. And if I'm ever in England I am definitely stopping by to invisibly help continue this amazing endeavor. That said, I still like fiction works more, but this book gripped my heart.
And I don't know why.
Certainly I've been reading some crazy shit lately: John Dies at the End (fucked up fiction which is screwing with my sense of insanity), The Erotic Adventures of Ambrose Horne (an extremely odd revitalization of Sherlock Holmes with a very erotic twist), Annabel (fiction work about a hermaphrodite Innuit child), The Rose Garden (historical-romance-scifi-time travel-adventure fiction which makes me question both time travel and love), Slave Species of God (non fiction trying to explain our origins) as well as countless of crazy website blogs and posts mostly focusing on reddit and crack.com such as the crazy interview questions google doesn't ask anymore, glitch in the matrix stories, ACTA things, illuminati, the music industry and this list is probably boring you to tears right now if you're even still reading.
My point was that all these crazy things have gotten my mind spinning and yet I stay up an entire night to read an (albeit rather humerus) account of a man acquiring a run down zoo against all odds and all the crazy things that happen when you decide to do something so majorly insane.
All I know is that one day, I'd given the chance, I too will buy a zoo. Hopefully I too will have amazing encounters with wolves escaping, jaguars tearing through containers and ballistic monkeys. But if I can't have that, I definitely will continue to visit zoo's and animal parks and happily endorse them with plenty of cash spent. Why? Because not only did this book show me how incredibly ballsy and clinically insane you have to be to buy a zoo, but also that it's one of the best things you could do for animals at this time.
I'd always been one I'd those people who'd happily debate on keeping animals locked up in fake environments vs. freeing them to be hunted and poached and driven to extinction. I think I've finally found my footing on this issue, and it's on the sides of the animals.
I plan to watch this movie / tv show. And if I'm ever in England I am definitely stopping by to invisibly help continue this amazing endeavor. That said, I still like fiction works more, but this book gripped my heart.
June 12, 2020
Benjamin Mee is a British journalist, writing to known papers like The Guardian. In 2006, together with his family, he bought a zoo and that is what the book "We bought a Zoo" is about. Mee talks in it about the initial period of running it, or rather its preparation for the official opening, because the facility required renovation and re-obtaining a license to run.
For me, the author wasted the potential for a really cool book. It is both about the choice of content and the style in which it was written. In "We bought a Zoo" a lot of space is occupied by the description of financial and administrative problems, including problems with obtaining credit and renewing licenses, problems with banks and officials. Mee writes with real pleasure about all renovation and construction works at the zoo - no wonder, since he professionally writes articles about DIY. You can learn from these stories what you need to pay attention to when designing a zoo, although Mee also writes about renovations at home, workshop or restaurant. Detailed descriptions of how and where someone hit the nail and with what tool drove me crazy as well as other detailed descriptions of uninteresting activities or events, such as garbage disposal.
In "We bought a zoo" we can also read about various theories about biophilia, ecosystem, biodiversity and the role of zoos. Only the animals in this book are scarce - a few stories, somewhere in the background, mostly about escapes of predators and chasing them.
The book is also full of meaningless phrases: business plan, facing a huge challenge, identity and ethos (when it comes to the name for the zoo), profit optimization, risk minimization, comprehensive analysis of the situation. And throughout the book you get a rigid, official language, as if reading a report or a management manual. This bothered me the most; somehow it was difficult for me to find the humor or excess of emotions mentioned in the official description of the book.
Mee saved the Dartmoor Zoo, and I praise him for his love of animals. However, he definitely does not have a writing talent or gift of storytelling. His style is heavy, he was able to change an life interesting story into a boring report - which is surprising, since he's a professional journalist.
For me, the author wasted the potential for a really cool book. It is both about the choice of content and the style in which it was written. In "We bought a Zoo" a lot of space is occupied by the description of financial and administrative problems, including problems with obtaining credit and renewing licenses, problems with banks and officials. Mee writes with real pleasure about all renovation and construction works at the zoo - no wonder, since he professionally writes articles about DIY. You can learn from these stories what you need to pay attention to when designing a zoo, although Mee also writes about renovations at home, workshop or restaurant. Detailed descriptions of how and where someone hit the nail and with what tool drove me crazy as well as other detailed descriptions of uninteresting activities or events, such as garbage disposal.
In "We bought a zoo" we can also read about various theories about biophilia, ecosystem, biodiversity and the role of zoos. Only the animals in this book are scarce - a few stories, somewhere in the background, mostly about escapes of predators and chasing them.
The book is also full of meaningless phrases: business plan, facing a huge challenge, identity and ethos (when it comes to the name for the zoo), profit optimization, risk minimization, comprehensive analysis of the situation. And throughout the book you get a rigid, official language, as if reading a report or a management manual. This bothered me the most; somehow it was difficult for me to find the humor or excess of emotions mentioned in the official description of the book.
Mee saved the Dartmoor Zoo, and I praise him for his love of animals. However, he definitely does not have a writing talent or gift of storytelling. His style is heavy, he was able to change an life interesting story into a boring report - which is surprising, since he's a professional journalist.
March 30, 2011
My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Benjamin Mee and his family decide an extremely run down zoo (so run down that the animals are going to be quickly euthanized if a buyer isn't found). The zoo provides an extreme amount of both enjoyment and difficulty. During this time, Mee runs in to personal tragedy when his beloved wife gets diagnosed with brain cancer. This book deals with a lot of the nitty gritty business details of the buying and opening of a zoo.
Rating: 8
What worked:I really liked the book. The subject was interesting, Benjamin Mee has a great voice, and there was a surprising amount of conflict in the book (Will they get the money to buy the zoo? Will the zoo open on time--or at all? Will Mee's wife recover from her illness?). I liked Mee's family and his employees. Most importantly, I liked Mee himself, which is vital in a memoir.
What didn't: I would have liked more pictures of the farm and family in the picture insert. I also would have liked to hear more about the other animals at the zoo--Mee mostly talks about the big cats. Also, be prepared Mee's wife's brain cancer--it's extremely, extremely sad.
Would I recommend the book to someone who hates non-fiction? I would recommend this book to anyone interested in zoos. It's an interesting and easy read. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie and loaning this book out to the Significant Other and my mom. A lot of other reviewers on Goodreads seem to think that it was told in a very amateur style and was jumbled but I think that's pretty par for the course with first time memoirs, so it didn't bother me.
Notalwaysthebutler.blogspot.com
Rating: 8
What worked:I really liked the book. The subject was interesting, Benjamin Mee has a great voice, and there was a surprising amount of conflict in the book (Will they get the money to buy the zoo? Will the zoo open on time--or at all? Will Mee's wife recover from her illness?). I liked Mee's family and his employees. Most importantly, I liked Mee himself, which is vital in a memoir.
What didn't: I would have liked more pictures of the farm and family in the picture insert. I also would have liked to hear more about the other animals at the zoo--Mee mostly talks about the big cats. Also, be prepared Mee's wife's brain cancer--it's extremely, extremely sad.
Would I recommend the book to someone who hates non-fiction? I would recommend this book to anyone interested in zoos. It's an interesting and easy read. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie and loaning this book out to the Significant Other and my mom. A lot of other reviewers on Goodreads seem to think that it was told in a very amateur style and was jumbled but I think that's pretty par for the course with first time memoirs, so it didn't bother me.
Notalwaysthebutler.blogspot.com
March 22, 2012
★★★½✩ (This is a review of the audiobook.) This was narrated by Gildart Jackson, who does a decent job of reading this memoir. However, he pretty much sounds like he is talking from a lectern, if somewhat informally. In his defense, this is in large part due to the way the author wrote the story.
I can see why this book would make a good movie. Nevertheless, the book spends a lot of time on Mr. Mee’s troubles with wills, bank loans, finances, and his wife's illness and death, when - sorry to say - I wanted to hear more about the animals and the human interaction between them. I also couldn’t help feeling that the author was a “want-to-be-famous-writer” and was just using this adventure as a vehicle for that agenda. Maybe I’m being too harsh. *sigh**
December 8, 2017
This was an excellent book and I enjoyed it much more than Gerald Durell's "My family and other animals". Would love to see the movie some time.
October 26, 2018
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I’ve had We Bought a Zoo on my TBR list for some time now. Generally being a sticker for reading the book before watching the movie, I finally decided to pick it up for a book-to-movie reading challenge I’m working on. It ended up being a good read. It’s the story of a British man and his family who decided to buy an old, broken-down zoo and revitalize it. I can’t quite decide if Benjamin Mee is very brave, a little crazy (in a good way), or both. I think it probably requires some of both to take on a project of this magnitude. It would be daunting enough to purchase a zoo that was in good working order and didn’t have any major problems. Taking on one that’s been going downhill for years and has already lost its zoo license because of its decline is a monumental task even for an experienced zoo director, let alone one who’s never done anything like this before. I have to commend Mr. Mee and his family for taking such a risk, and then pouring so much love and energy into it. Not to mention, the bulk of the work was undertaken both during his wife’s unsuccessful battle with brain cancer and immediately after her death, which made it all the more impressive. At least he had his mother, brother, and children there supporting him (although his kids were quite young at the time), along with moral support and some financial support from two other siblings, so it was really a group effort. But still, it had to have taken some serious nerve, along with boundless fortitude and energy to succeed in their endeavor. And succeed they have. It’s been ten years since this book was written, but I looked up the website and found that the Dartmoor Zoo is still going strong and looks great, so kudos to the Mee family for making their dream a reality.
As for the book itself, it mainly chronicles the time from when they first got wind of a zoo being for sale and started thinking about possibly buying it, all the way up to the opening day of the new, revamped park. It was quite the journey to getting there with lots of bumps and hiccups along the way, not to mention the major tragedy of Mr. Mee losing his wife, but it seems to have been an immensely rewarding one. For me, the most interesting parts, and what I thought were the strongest parts, were the individual stories of the various animals, as well as some of the more personal details of his wife’s illness, more so than the business woes. However, I admit that was also part of the overall story of how the zoo came to be. It’s just that IMHO, sometimes the narrative was a bit meandering, and didn’t always seem to follow a linear path. This meant there were some sections that held my attention better than others. Overall, though, as a huge animal lover, I enjoyed the book, and I think others like myself probably will, too. However, as much as I love animals, it has also proven to me that I definitely don’t have what it takes to be a zoo director.:-) I’ll leave that to the Mees and others like them, and simply visit whenever I get a chance. In fact, if I ever make it across the pond, I just might have to put the Dartmoor Zoo on my itinerary.
I’ve had We Bought a Zoo on my TBR list for some time now. Generally being a sticker for reading the book before watching the movie, I finally decided to pick it up for a book-to-movie reading challenge I’m working on. It ended up being a good read. It’s the story of a British man and his family who decided to buy an old, broken-down zoo and revitalize it. I can’t quite decide if Benjamin Mee is very brave, a little crazy (in a good way), or both. I think it probably requires some of both to take on a project of this magnitude. It would be daunting enough to purchase a zoo that was in good working order and didn’t have any major problems. Taking on one that’s been going downhill for years and has already lost its zoo license because of its decline is a monumental task even for an experienced zoo director, let alone one who’s never done anything like this before. I have to commend Mr. Mee and his family for taking such a risk, and then pouring so much love and energy into it. Not to mention, the bulk of the work was undertaken both during his wife’s unsuccessful battle with brain cancer and immediately after her death, which made it all the more impressive. At least he had his mother, brother, and children there supporting him (although his kids were quite young at the time), along with moral support and some financial support from two other siblings, so it was really a group effort. But still, it had to have taken some serious nerve, along with boundless fortitude and energy to succeed in their endeavor. And succeed they have. It’s been ten years since this book was written, but I looked up the website and found that the Dartmoor Zoo is still going strong and looks great, so kudos to the Mee family for making their dream a reality.
As for the book itself, it mainly chronicles the time from when they first got wind of a zoo being for sale and started thinking about possibly buying it, all the way up to the opening day of the new, revamped park. It was quite the journey to getting there with lots of bumps and hiccups along the way, not to mention the major tragedy of Mr. Mee losing his wife, but it seems to have been an immensely rewarding one. For me, the most interesting parts, and what I thought were the strongest parts, were the individual stories of the various animals, as well as some of the more personal details of his wife’s illness, more so than the business woes. However, I admit that was also part of the overall story of how the zoo came to be. It’s just that IMHO, sometimes the narrative was a bit meandering, and didn’t always seem to follow a linear path. This meant there were some sections that held my attention better than others. Overall, though, as a huge animal lover, I enjoyed the book, and I think others like myself probably will, too. However, as much as I love animals, it has also proven to me that I definitely don’t have what it takes to be a zoo director.:-) I’ll leave that to the Mees and others like them, and simply visit whenever I get a chance. In fact, if I ever make it across the pond, I just might have to put the Dartmoor Zoo on my itinerary.
August 3, 2024
Normally I would have finished a book this size in about 2 days. I had a lot going on this year and reading had to be set aside for a while.
That said, I’m glad I finally finished. It was not what I expected having watched the movie first. It was informative and kind of interesting. There was a lot of cursing 🤬. I skipped an entire paragraph with the “f-word” almost literally every other word. That is part of the reason for the lower rating. It seemed like the author was trying at times to write a novel and other times a technical manual. It did cause me to want to research a few terms but I haven’t actually put in the effort. I am glad everything turned out well for him and his family. Had this been more of a novel I am sure there would have been more information about his brothers and sister. As it was they are rarely mentioned even though they appear to be huge financial contributors. I really didn’t understand all the details about who in the family was supposed to do what. Or why Ben was chosen to be the main caretaker with his mother. I didn’t care enough to try to chart out all the random facts regarding that decision. I am curious what happened with the sister that was supposed to live with them but kind of disappears from the story.
It was difficult keeping up with all the people and their roles. They were side characters and while some names are repeated it is Ben and Katherine that take priority in the story.
I don’t recommend this book unless you are just really curious about this particular zoo getting started.
That said, I’m glad I finally finished. It was not what I expected having watched the movie first. It was informative and kind of interesting. There was a lot of cursing 🤬. I skipped an entire paragraph with the “f-word” almost literally every other word. That is part of the reason for the lower rating. It seemed like the author was trying at times to write a novel and other times a technical manual. It did cause me to want to research a few terms but I haven’t actually put in the effort. I am glad everything turned out well for him and his family. Had this been more of a novel I am sure there would have been more information about his brothers and sister. As it was they are rarely mentioned even though they appear to be huge financial contributors. I really didn’t understand all the details about who in the family was supposed to do what. Or why Ben was chosen to be the main caretaker with his mother. I didn’t care enough to try to chart out all the random facts regarding that decision. I am curious what happened with the sister that was supposed to live with them but kind of disappears from the story.
It was difficult keeping up with all the people and their roles. They were side characters and while some names are repeated it is Ben and Katherine that take priority in the story.
I don’t recommend this book unless you are just really curious about this particular zoo getting started.
February 2, 2019
Benjamin Mee and his family decide to buy a run down zoo in Dartmoor, England. In the midst learning about the zoo and preparing for opening day, Ben's wife Katherine suffers a recurrence of a brain tumor and passes away. It was fun reading about the different animals and experiences around the zoo, but it seemed to be disjointed at times. I still enjoyed the book though and reading about their future plans for the zoo and animal conservation.
May 25, 2012
What a wonderful book! So many laugh out loud moments even in the midst of sadness and trial. I saw and enjoyed the movie, but the book really expands the story. However, without the movie I would never have known of the book so can't deride the movie for changing so much.
He is an excellent writer, witty and observant. As a fan of Gerard Durrell (another writer with a zoo), I also really enjoyed his discussions of the different animals, habits that they have, bits and pieces of scientific information which were very interesting but not so deep as to go over the average person's head or interest level.
Minimal swearing, mostly confined to two pages, when he describes his employee, Tourettes Tony. Prior to that I had actually been quite impressed at the lack of swearing, as it's pretty bad in the US and even worse in England where this book is primarily set, but he does explain at one point that he cut the actual conversations down to a PG level when putting them in the book. I'm paraphrasing that - not his own words.
The little moments of relating with animals - leaving a python in the living room to warm up in front of the fire and then describing the joy of bringing unsuspecting family and friends into the living room - the near panic attach when a plastic bag suddenly rears up out of the underbrush to attack him - he is truly funny in his descriptions, and they often come at completely unexpected moments - making the humor all the greater.
I truly enjoyed and laughed my way through this book and have now added another Zoo to my list of places to visit should I ever make it across the giant puddle.
He is an excellent writer, witty and observant. As a fan of Gerard Durrell (another writer with a zoo), I also really enjoyed his discussions of the different animals, habits that they have, bits and pieces of scientific information which were very interesting but not so deep as to go over the average person's head or interest level.
Minimal swearing, mostly confined to two pages, when he describes his employee, Tourettes Tony. Prior to that I had actually been quite impressed at the lack of swearing, as it's pretty bad in the US and even worse in England where this book is primarily set, but he does explain at one point that he cut the actual conversations down to a PG level when putting them in the book. I'm paraphrasing that - not his own words.
The little moments of relating with animals - leaving a python in the living room to warm up in front of the fire and then describing the joy of bringing unsuspecting family and friends into the living room - the near panic attach when a plastic bag suddenly rears up out of the underbrush to attack him - he is truly funny in his descriptions, and they often come at completely unexpected moments - making the humor all the greater.
I truly enjoyed and laughed my way through this book and have now added another Zoo to my list of places to visit should I ever make it across the giant puddle.
April 26, 2012
I'm so excited! I am receiving 'We Bought a Zoo' by Benjamin Mee, as a gift through Goodreads Giveaways and Mandy. Today my husband and I just purchased the movie and I'm more than thrilled and cannot wait to receive, read and review the book. Thank you so much. I feel like a lottery winner!!
I liked this book! There were laugh out loud moments and well-deserved triumphs.
I read a previous review where it was stated that the reader felt that Mee was not very likable in the book. I thought ( and I haven't seen the movie yet ) that Mee was very personable. I felt that he was appropriately bereaved over the loss of his wife. I loved that he was an honorable and compassionate advocate on behalf of the zoo's exotic inhabitants.
I learned much about the intricacies of owning a business open to the public, in particular. I learned a lot in general.
If I had one criticism it would be that at times I felt a little overwhelmed by the business plan details and would have preferred more about the animals.
Benjamin Mee is a gifted writer.
And on a final note, 'Who knew a meat pie was also known as a pasty?' I was under the impression that pasties were something entirely different! 'The Great Pasty Debate!' Too funny!!!
Thank you, Goodreads and Mandy for the gracious gifts, both the book and the movie.
I liked this book! There were laugh out loud moments and well-deserved triumphs.
I read a previous review where it was stated that the reader felt that Mee was not very likable in the book. I thought ( and I haven't seen the movie yet ) that Mee was very personable. I felt that he was appropriately bereaved over the loss of his wife. I loved that he was an honorable and compassionate advocate on behalf of the zoo's exotic inhabitants.
I learned much about the intricacies of owning a business open to the public, in particular. I learned a lot in general.
If I had one criticism it would be that at times I felt a little overwhelmed by the business plan details and would have preferred more about the animals.
Benjamin Mee is a gifted writer.
And on a final note, 'Who knew a meat pie was also known as a pasty?' I was under the impression that pasties were something entirely different! 'The Great Pasty Debate!' Too funny!!!
Thank you, Goodreads and Mandy for the gracious gifts, both the book and the movie.
May 21, 2012
This is a fun and interesting read, though it has a sad story at the heart of it. Benjamin Mee and his family decide to buy a rundown zoo in England, but in the middle of the adventure, his wife dies after a lengthy battle with a brain tumor. (In the overly precious movie version of this book, the wife's death is what causes Benjamin to buy the zoo, in addition to other Hollywood script doctoring.)
I like stories about fixer-uppers and when a group pulls together to accomplish a goal, which is what Mee and his crew did to renovate the zoo. There are several amusing incidents with the animals, including a nighttime squabble with a porcupine. I've also decided I will never volunteer to carry a drugged jaguar, because those animals might suddenly wake up. Yikes.
My complaint is that Mee wastes too much time getting the story going, and he gets bogged down in details about the bureaucratic paperwork, the finances, and in his wife's cancer treatment. I think the book would have been a better read had 50 pages been edited out. The story is best when Mee focuses on the animals and the renovations in the zoo.
Mee also discusses the importance of zoos for conserving rare species, and his vision is inspiring. It made me want to visit my local zoo and check out the lions, hoping to hear them roar.
I like stories about fixer-uppers and when a group pulls together to accomplish a goal, which is what Mee and his crew did to renovate the zoo. There are several amusing incidents with the animals, including a nighttime squabble with a porcupine. I've also decided I will never volunteer to carry a drugged jaguar, because those animals might suddenly wake up. Yikes.
My complaint is that Mee wastes too much time getting the story going, and he gets bogged down in details about the bureaucratic paperwork, the finances, and in his wife's cancer treatment. I think the book would have been a better read had 50 pages been edited out. The story is best when Mee focuses on the animals and the renovations in the zoo.
Mee also discusses the importance of zoos for conserving rare species, and his vision is inspiring. It made me want to visit my local zoo and check out the lions, hoping to hear them roar.
April 13, 2013
Having picked this book up, on a whim, at a car boot sale, I read it in a morning. The style is easy to read and voice is particularly clear, I really got the impression that I was sitting having a chat with Benjamin Mee. The voice is very strong. He's a journalist and it's an easy read journalistic style which I enjoyed. Because it's written by him, it has an immediacy that some of the more obviously ghost written celebrity biographies lack.
The book is funny enough to have me laughing out loud in parts and in others, sad, indeed, I nearly cried at one point. I liked the way the guy clearly took his commitment seriously but at the same time was able to see the humour in some of the situations he found himself in, albeit afterwards, in the case of the horse-tranquilised tiger.
In a nutshell, if you like people, you are likely to enjoy this book. Not because it's about zoos or animals but because it's about life and how one man deals with it. There's no great moral to this story just as, in most people's lives there is not. This is simply an account of someone who has done something rather interesting. I see from the reviews that a lot of people don't like that, but, to me that's why it's good.
Cheers
MTM
The book is funny enough to have me laughing out loud in parts and in others, sad, indeed, I nearly cried at one point. I liked the way the guy clearly took his commitment seriously but at the same time was able to see the humour in some of the situations he found himself in, albeit afterwards, in the case of the horse-tranquilised tiger.
In a nutshell, if you like people, you are likely to enjoy this book. Not because it's about zoos or animals but because it's about life and how one man deals with it. There's no great moral to this story just as, in most people's lives there is not. This is simply an account of someone who has done something rather interesting. I see from the reviews that a lot of people don't like that, but, to me that's why it's good.
Cheers
MTM
February 1, 2009
My own love of animals may have made this book more interesting to me than to the average person. The idea of owning a zoo seems like heaven, so I was happy to follow along as the author and his family traveled the very difficult and expensive road to zoo ownership. The book is not just about the zoo, however... it's also about the author's wife, who develops (and dies from) brain cancer (that's not a spoiler, as her death is revealed on the book jacket). Her death was particularly sad because she seemed so intelligent and full of life, and because she had two young children. I really admire how well the author managed to "hold it together", rebuilding the zoo so it could open to the public, and raising his kids in a very unconventional environment.
I've noticed that some other readers have complained that the book needed better editing, and that the author did too much rambling. At times, he did have a tendency to turn a single statement into a huge, flowerly discussion, but I otherwise found him quite amusing and likable. If nothing else, he seems to be able to keep his sense of humour in the face of every possible disaster.
I've noticed that some other readers have complained that the book needed better editing, and that the author did too much rambling. At times, he did have a tendency to turn a single statement into a huge, flowerly discussion, but I otherwise found him quite amusing and likable. If nothing else, he seems to be able to keep his sense of humour in the face of every possible disaster.
March 17, 2012
About the Book:
Knowing it was the basis for what looked like a romantic comedy starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, I really wanted to LOVE this book. It was not at all what I expected and I tried to enjoy it for its own merits. If you've seen the movie, believe me, this is nothing like the film. BUT if you are an animal lover and find topics like extracting a tooth from a bear or how to get a decrepit animal park in shape for the inspectors, then this book may be for you. It was occasionally funny and heartwarming but Mee's tendency to go on an on about the beaurocratic process really diluted the pleasure of the good bits!
What's sad is that there is a very central human element that should be at the heart of this 'memoir' which has to do with Mee's ill wife. Unfortunately, Mee had no idea how to deal with this in real life, and even less on paper. The emotional ground was never mined. I really have no idea how a producer read this, saw the heart at the core and decided IF they changed this and that, it would make a really lovely movie. Which it did! It has made just shy of $94 million worldwide and is still playing in theatres near you so I suggest you see it.
Knowing it was the basis for what looked like a romantic comedy starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, I really wanted to LOVE this book. It was not at all what I expected and I tried to enjoy it for its own merits. If you've seen the movie, believe me, this is nothing like the film. BUT if you are an animal lover and find topics like extracting a tooth from a bear or how to get a decrepit animal park in shape for the inspectors, then this book may be for you. It was occasionally funny and heartwarming but Mee's tendency to go on an on about the beaurocratic process really diluted the pleasure of the good bits!
What's sad is that there is a very central human element that should be at the heart of this 'memoir' which has to do with Mee's ill wife. Unfortunately, Mee had no idea how to deal with this in real life, and even less on paper. The emotional ground was never mined. I really have no idea how a producer read this, saw the heart at the core and decided IF they changed this and that, it would make a really lovely movie. Which it did! It has made just shy of $94 million worldwide and is still playing in theatres near you so I suggest you see it.
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