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Warum die Giraffe nicht in Ohnmacht fällt: und andere Kuriositäten aus dem Tierreich
Unsere Welt ist einzigartig und verblüffend. Es gibt Haie, die schon zu Shakespeares Zeiten gelebt haben, Giraffen, die durch Paris flanierten, verliebte Spinnen und Einsiedlerkrebse, die ihre Häuser renovieren. Mit einem bemerkenswerten Gespür für fesselnde Geschichten und kuriose Anekdoten eröffnet uns die preisgekrönte Autorin Katherine Rundell in diesen 22 eindrücklich recherchierten Porträts bedrohter Tierarten einen neuen Blick auf die hinreißend seltsame Schönheit unserer Erde.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2022
205 people are currently reading
4215 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Rundell
41 books2,013 followersKatherine Rundell was born in 1987 and grew up in Africa and Europe. In 2008 she was elected a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Her first book, The Girl Savage, was born of her love of Zimbabwe and her own childhood there; her second, Rooftoppers, was inspired by summers working in Paris and by night-time trespassing on the rooftops of All Souls. She is currently working on her doctorate alongside an adult novel.
Source: Katherine Rundell
Source: Katherine Rundell
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
January 5, 2023
Well now, this little gem of a non-fiction is pretty much perfect if you want a short, prettily written rundown of a number of once-common, often talked about, species. It is more poignant because they are almost all, unfortunately, disappearing.
With many references to historical anecdotes, literature, and even poetry, we get a sweet look at everything from elephants to seahorses, wolves to hedgehogs, to so much more.
If I could, I would recommend everyone read this, if only to have a clear-eyed look at the nature we're all losing.
With many references to historical anecdotes, literature, and even poetry, we get a sweet look at everything from elephants to seahorses, wolves to hedgehogs, to so much more.
If I could, I would recommend everyone read this, if only to have a clear-eyed look at the nature we're all losing.
January 5, 2023
This book was an accidental find some time ago. It’s about some truly amazing animals on this planet. Now, let me be clear: all animals are amazing in my mind and I have the arguments to back that opinion up from now until infinity. Not that it does the natural world any good.
Whether we kill them to use body parts as aphrodisiacs or make jewelry out of other body parts, we’re killing off the wonders of this world.
The author, with this book, is trying to woo the reader to be amazed enough to do whatever is necessary to protect the natural world. The problem (in my opinion)? The ones reading books such as this one already know and love the natural world and can do little to change the current status quo. *sighs*
Nevertheless, I very much appreciate what the author did with this book. Not least because even I, animal lover that I am, learned a thing or two that I hadn‘t known before.
The book is divided into the following 22 „chapters“:
1) The wombat
It can run at speeds of more than 40km/h for up to 90s which means it can easily outrun us humans and it can crush skulls with its bum.
2) The Greenland shark
It takes 150 years for a female to be ready to mate and one animal the scientists know about that is still alive today was around in 1606!
3) The giraffe
They are fast and their necks are a biological marvel.
4) The swift
This little superhero not only flies for months, it sleeps on the wing, shutting off one half of the brain to achieve this.
5) The lemur
They are „stink-fighting“ - battling with rivals duing which they stand two feet apart and wipe their hands on their tails, then shake the tail at their opponent, all the while maintaining an aggressive stare until one or other animal retreats.
6) The hermit crab
This is the largest land crab, capable of cracking coconuts. They are rumoured to have devoured what was left of Emilia Erhardt.
7) The seal
Not only are they adorably playful, they have a surprising language-learning capacity - one was taught „Twinkle, twinkle, little star“!
8) The bear
So many fantastic sub-species, all equally impressive albeit for the most diverse reasons.
9) The Narwhal
See also: unicorn of the sea. ;)
10) The crow
One of the smartest animals on the planet; so clever, they hold grudges!
11) The hare
It can get pregnant while already pregnant. Not sure I should applaud or feel pity for the females.
12) The wolf
I had not known of the belief about wolves and their connection with cancer in humans but it was fascinating to learn about it.
13) The hedgehog
About 6000 spines per animal, all hollow, none of which are used like toothpicks, no matter what Pliny the Elder said. *lol*
14) The elephant
The trunks are a mix of the upper lip and nose that contains 40k muscles - human bodies in their entirety only have about 650.
15) The seahorse
The only species - that we know of - where the males give birth.
16) The pangolin
The only mammal entirely covered in scales. Their tongues are also longer than their bodies.
17) The stork
Have you ever heard of the Storbein-Propaganda? I have and it is an equally shocking and hilarious story of the Nazis wanting to use animals in WW2; a macabre version of the old myth that storks are carriers (of babies, for example).
18) The spider
„A jumping spider the size of my little fingernail can jump upon and kill a large grasshopper, which is roughly equivalent to my leaping upon and devouring a Volvo estate.“ - Yep, they are amazing.
19) The bat
You do NOT want to know what „scientists“ have done to bats in the past to test if they navigate by sight, sound or something else. But it‘s not just echolocation - they are also, by nature, unbelievably great mathematicians.
20) The tuna
Did you know that a tuna is usually the size of a grizzly bear? The average is 1.8m but the bluefin usually is twice that and weighs around 600kg.
21) The golden mole
„Iridescence turns up in many insects, some birds, the odd squid: but in only one mammal, the golden mole. […] The golden mole is not, in fact, a mole. It’s more closely related to the elephant.“ The anatomical facts of this little guy are ASTONISHING and I had no idea it even existed.
22) The human
I could have done without this chapter because while we are quite remarkable on a biological level, what we choose to do is so abominable that I‘m not a fan of the species per se.
However, I loved that the author incorporated the story of the nine Sibylline books.
Every chapter has a quite adorable drawing of the respective animal (except for the last one, thank goodness).
Make no mistake, my comments above in no way summon up the quirky and wonderful details the author offers about the animals she presented here. My comments are in no way a summary or breakdown but just … well, commentary. *lol*
A wonderful little book. By no means as unremarkable as one might think at first. Plus, the royalties of every copy sold go to two conservation groups (one for conservation efforts on land, one sea). What‘s not to love?
Whether we kill them to use body parts as aphrodisiacs or make jewelry out of other body parts, we’re killing off the wonders of this world.
The author, with this book, is trying to woo the reader to be amazed enough to do whatever is necessary to protect the natural world. The problem (in my opinion)? The ones reading books such as this one already know and love the natural world and can do little to change the current status quo. *sighs*
Nevertheless, I very much appreciate what the author did with this book. Not least because even I, animal lover that I am, learned a thing or two that I hadn‘t known before.
The book is divided into the following 22 „chapters“:
1) The wombat
It can run at speeds of more than 40km/h for up to 90s which means it can easily outrun us humans and it can crush skulls with its bum.
2) The Greenland shark
It takes 150 years for a female to be ready to mate and one animal the scientists know about that is still alive today was around in 1606!
3) The giraffe
They are fast and their necks are a biological marvel.
4) The swift
This little superhero not only flies for months, it sleeps on the wing, shutting off one half of the brain to achieve this.
5) The lemur
They are „stink-fighting“ - battling with rivals duing which they stand two feet apart and wipe their hands on their tails, then shake the tail at their opponent, all the while maintaining an aggressive stare until one or other animal retreats.
6) The hermit crab
This is the largest land crab, capable of cracking coconuts. They are rumoured to have devoured what was left of Emilia Erhardt.
7) The seal
Not only are they adorably playful, they have a surprising language-learning capacity - one was taught „Twinkle, twinkle, little star“!
8) The bear
So many fantastic sub-species, all equally impressive albeit for the most diverse reasons.
9) The Narwhal
See also: unicorn of the sea. ;)
10) The crow
One of the smartest animals on the planet; so clever, they hold grudges!
11) The hare
It can get pregnant while already pregnant. Not sure I should applaud or feel pity for the females.
12) The wolf
I had not known of the belief about wolves and their connection with cancer in humans but it was fascinating to learn about it.
13) The hedgehog
About 6000 spines per animal, all hollow, none of which are used like toothpicks, no matter what Pliny the Elder said. *lol*
14) The elephant
The trunks are a mix of the upper lip and nose that contains 40k muscles - human bodies in their entirety only have about 650.
15) The seahorse
The only species - that we know of - where the males give birth.
16) The pangolin
The only mammal entirely covered in scales. Their tongues are also longer than their bodies.
17) The stork
Have you ever heard of the Storbein-Propaganda? I have and it is an equally shocking and hilarious story of the Nazis wanting to use animals in WW2; a macabre version of the old myth that storks are carriers (of babies, for example).
18) The spider
„A jumping spider the size of my little fingernail can jump upon and kill a large grasshopper, which is roughly equivalent to my leaping upon and devouring a Volvo estate.“ - Yep, they are amazing.
19) The bat
You do NOT want to know what „scientists“ have done to bats in the past to test if they navigate by sight, sound or something else. But it‘s not just echolocation - they are also, by nature, unbelievably great mathematicians.
20) The tuna
Did you know that a tuna is usually the size of a grizzly bear? The average is 1.8m but the bluefin usually is twice that and weighs around 600kg.
21) The golden mole
„Iridescence turns up in many insects, some birds, the odd squid: but in only one mammal, the golden mole. […] The golden mole is not, in fact, a mole. It’s more closely related to the elephant.“ The anatomical facts of this little guy are ASTONISHING and I had no idea it even existed.
22) The human
I could have done without this chapter because while we are quite remarkable on a biological level, what we choose to do is so abominable that I‘m not a fan of the species per se.
However, I loved that the author incorporated the story of the nine Sibylline books.
Every chapter has a quite adorable drawing of the respective animal (except for the last one, thank goodness).
Make no mistake, my comments above in no way summon up the quirky and wonderful details the author offers about the animals she presented here. My comments are in no way a summary or breakdown but just … well, commentary. *lol*
A wonderful little book. By no means as unremarkable as one might think at first. Plus, the royalties of every copy sold go to two conservation groups (one for conservation efforts on land, one sea). What‘s not to love?
November 21, 2022
The Golden Mole is a book of wonder. Katherine Rundell takes a few of our species and writes an impassioned essay on what we should appreciate about them, and why we should make sure we don't lose them. She looks into folk takes surrounding them, their appearances in literature, and the astonishing facts that we do now know about them, many of which are stranger than fiction. She also tells us about the problems that they are facing.
Each time I read a new chapter, I felt that this was going to be my favourite. Some of the animals we know full well are in trouble such as the pangolin, the hedgehog and the elephant, but others can be surprising; the spider and the crow. Here she is not talking about them as a whole, but specific species. The alala, a member of the crow family, has been declared extinct in the wild, though efforts are being made to reintroduce them.
I couldn't pick out a favourite after all, but I did love the chapter on swifts; I keep an eye out for their return every year, and love to watch and hear them screaming around the town. I live in the Cotswolds, and they used to thrive here because of all the older buildings which they need to best in; last year Isaw hardly any, and none of the big groups which would hurtle up and down the streets and over the buildings; mainly due to the crash in insect numbers because of all the pesticides being used. Also the crossing from Africa seems to have become more perilous lately.
At the end is an essay on humans, with a plea to try to save these creatures before it's too late. The author has decided to donate half the profits from this book to charities and organisations that are trying to combat climate change.
I received a digital copy from the publishers and it doesn't have the illustrations, but I have checked out the physical edition at my local bookshop, and it is a thing of beauty. Each chapter is stunningly illustrated by Talya Baldwin, and I'll definitely be picking a copy up for myself.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
Each time I read a new chapter, I felt that this was going to be my favourite. Some of the animals we know full well are in trouble such as the pangolin, the hedgehog and the elephant, but others can be surprising; the spider and the crow. Here she is not talking about them as a whole, but specific species. The alala, a member of the crow family, has been declared extinct in the wild, though efforts are being made to reintroduce them.
I couldn't pick out a favourite after all, but I did love the chapter on swifts; I keep an eye out for their return every year, and love to watch and hear them screaming around the town. I live in the Cotswolds, and they used to thrive here because of all the older buildings which they need to best in; last year Isaw hardly any, and none of the big groups which would hurtle up and down the streets and over the buildings; mainly due to the crash in insect numbers because of all the pesticides being used. Also the crossing from Africa seems to have become more perilous lately.
At the end is an essay on humans, with a plea to try to save these creatures before it's too late. The author has decided to donate half the profits from this book to charities and organisations that are trying to combat climate change.
I received a digital copy from the publishers and it doesn't have the illustrations, but I have checked out the physical edition at my local bookshop, and it is a thing of beauty. Each chapter is stunningly illustrated by Talya Baldwin, and I'll definitely be picking a copy up for myself.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
September 23, 2025
Het grootste mirakel in het universum is het universum zelf. Dit boek is zowel wetenschappelijk en prozaisch van een zeer hoog niveau geschreven om ons door natuurwonderen te laten informeren en fascineren.
4,5
4,5
April 4, 2023
This book began as a series of columns written for the London Review of Books, which were called "Consider the Greenland Shark", or "Consider the Hare", or "Consider the Golden Mole." It was a beautiful and poetic series, and was always the first thing I read when I happened on a copy of the LRB. These columns have been expanded slightly for publication in this aesthetically pleasing edition: with a golden cover, and gorgeous two-tone illustrations, The Golden Mole is a lovely object to have and to hold. Katherine Rundell studies numbers of different animals, some familiar though exotic, such as the giraffe, some mysterious, like the narwhal, and some unfamiliar, like the titular golden mole, and tells the reader extraordinary facts of their biology, habits, and ecology. Her writing is clear, unsentimental, but frequently lyrical and atmospheric. Each chapter is fascinating to read on its own, and this book is best when it's considered slowly: reading too fast mean I stopped appreciating each animal on its own terms, and so I spread out my reading over a course of months. Sometimes the structures of the chapters can feel too similar: we begin by learning the fascinating history and biology of the animal, before learning about how endangered it is by human activities, but overall the book is dynamic and engaging, and full of genuine emotion about the creature and their right to a place in the world. It is well worth reading, both as a source of information, and as a series of essays that are beautiful and compelling in their own right.
October 25, 2022
The Golden Mole is another astonishing achievement from Katherine Rundell who is emerging as one of the great writers and storytellers of our age. Having already demonstrated her prowess as a children's novelist and as a literary biographer, she turns her attention to nature writing in this stunning bestiary of twenty-two endangered species, with a short essay on each accompanied by gorgeous illustrations from Talya Baldwin.
One of the striking things about this book is that many of the species chosen by Rundell do not immediately appear to be endangered - alongside wolves, pangolins and narwhals, we learn about spiders, hares and swifts which many readers might assume to be safe from the risk of extinction. However, Rundell shows how all the species in this book are threatened by environmental changes caused by human activity over recent decades and centuries. Rundell's ecological message emerges very strongly from the pages of this book as we understand how much has already been lost and how much more we stand to lose if we don't change course. This makes for powerful if hard-hitting reading at times.
Above all though, what I loved about this book was the sheer beauty of the writing. This is a tremendously erudite book, brimming with scientific and historical research, but all of this is subsumed in Rundell's unceasing sense of wonder at the magnificence of the world around us (wonder and curiosity are perhaps the over-arching theme of all of her books). There are so many phenomenal sentences but here are a couple to give a flavour of her writing:
"The earth is so glorious and so unlikely: the giraffe, stranger than the griffin, taller than a great high house, offers us the incomparable gift of being proof of it."
"I have seen many things that I've loved, but I don't think I'll live to see anything as fine as a raft of lemurs, sailing across the sea towards what looked, until the arrival of humans, like safety."
I finished this book inspired and challenged by Rundell's devoted illumination of the world around us. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
One of the striking things about this book is that many of the species chosen by Rundell do not immediately appear to be endangered - alongside wolves, pangolins and narwhals, we learn about spiders, hares and swifts which many readers might assume to be safe from the risk of extinction. However, Rundell shows how all the species in this book are threatened by environmental changes caused by human activity over recent decades and centuries. Rundell's ecological message emerges very strongly from the pages of this book as we understand how much has already been lost and how much more we stand to lose if we don't change course. This makes for powerful if hard-hitting reading at times.
Above all though, what I loved about this book was the sheer beauty of the writing. This is a tremendously erudite book, brimming with scientific and historical research, but all of this is subsumed in Rundell's unceasing sense of wonder at the magnificence of the world around us (wonder and curiosity are perhaps the over-arching theme of all of her books). There are so many phenomenal sentences but here are a couple to give a flavour of her writing:
"The earth is so glorious and so unlikely: the giraffe, stranger than the griffin, taller than a great high house, offers us the incomparable gift of being proof of it."
"I have seen many things that I've loved, but I don't think I'll live to see anything as fine as a raft of lemurs, sailing across the sea towards what looked, until the arrival of humans, like safety."
I finished this book inspired and challenged by Rundell's devoted illumination of the world around us. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
August 17, 2024
There is no denying the literary talent of Katherine Rundell; she is an alchemist with language weaving together vocabulary and sentences to create fictional works of joy, fascination, comedy , drama but in this instance her magical use of prose is directed to more a serious “earthly “ focus - the decline and hopefully survival of a selection of different creatures from around the planet - our living treasures . Yes, this is a call to arms to recognise what is happening to the planet but this is not a book of doom and gloom but a beautiful celebration of the various species that are explored. A topiary of literary references - mythical tales, legends , historical facts that tell the fascinating stories of the chosen birds, insects and animals - mixing fact and folklore each is brought to life beyond a single description .Katherine Rundell’s magical pen lures us into the world of each creature and highlights man’s role in the decline of the species but most importantly shines a light upon the glory and magic of each one.- that could vanish forever. Talya Baldwin’s illustrations are jaw- droppingly beautiful and deserve an exhibition at the Natural History Museum - they add further depth and magic to the book. This is a book to savour, to slowly unwrap, to share with friends and family but most essentially to read and recognise that if we don’t soon recognise what we have and what is happening then it will be too late - the living treasures could become the buried treasure we never wish to find
January 1, 2023
This was such a fantastic book to start 2023 off reading! It’s set the bar very high for the rest of the books I might read this year. Informative, fascinating and such an important message this will be one I’ll pick up to reread again.
The Golden Mole is like many books in that it tackles the subject of nature, the Earth and how we are destroying it. Unlike many other books though it addresses this subject from a different angle. Rundell encourages us to become curious about the natural world and the creatures we share our planet with. Providing insights into their lives and all sorts of facts you can’t help but read this and wonder as well as become more curious about various animals. In doing so you want to protect them and also realise just what could (and already is) being lost. From sea creatures to insects, large land mammals to those that are hardly seen (and in the case of the Golden Mole no human has yet to see one alive) a surprising amount is covered in a fairly short book. The conclusion especially provided a powerful punch to make the reader go away and think.
I really loved reading this. It’s left me feeling sad and frustrated about humans and the changes that are happening fast yet it’s left me hopeful too. Hopeful that if we learn more about the world around us we will realise just how incredible, wonderful and complex it is and then fight all the more to protect it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Golden Mole is like many books in that it tackles the subject of nature, the Earth and how we are destroying it. Unlike many other books though it addresses this subject from a different angle. Rundell encourages us to become curious about the natural world and the creatures we share our planet with. Providing insights into their lives and all sorts of facts you can’t help but read this and wonder as well as become more curious about various animals. In doing so you want to protect them and also realise just what could (and already is) being lost. From sea creatures to insects, large land mammals to those that are hardly seen (and in the case of the Golden Mole no human has yet to see one alive) a surprising amount is covered in a fairly short book. The conclusion especially provided a powerful punch to make the reader go away and think.
I really loved reading this. It’s left me feeling sad and frustrated about humans and the changes that are happening fast yet it’s left me hopeful too. Hopeful that if we learn more about the world around us we will realise just how incredible, wonderful and complex it is and then fight all the more to protect it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
October 5, 2024This is a beautiful, short book which I read carefully, a couple of chapters at a time, because it was so rich. Fantasy author Katherine Rundell invites us along on a trip to marvel briefly at wonderful creatures from bats and spiders to narwhals and pangolins. Had my "science" textbooks as a child included half the wonder, humour, erudition, and beautiful writing of this book, I might actually remember something from them.
The book is not just full of wonder; it's also incredibly depressing as Rundell highlights the ways that humans have endangered so many of the animals she features. Irreplaceable creatures are endangered by our appetites for food, money, rarity, and even by our loving attention. It might have been nice to hear about reasons to hope, as well.
The book is not just full of wonder; it's also incredibly depressing as Rundell highlights the ways that humans have endangered so many of the animals she features. Irreplaceable creatures are endangered by our appetites for food, money, rarity, and even by our loving attention. It might have been nice to hear about reasons to hope, as well.
October 27, 2022
First of all, I have to say what a stunning book this is. What looks like black lines on the dust cover are in fact in gold foil as is the wee mole in the middle. The pages edges are shimmery gold too. It’s got a sturdy hardback cover and the pages inside are excellent quality. Talya Baldwin’s illustrations which accompany each chapter are intricate and beautiful. The Golden Mole would make a great present for any nature lover, if you are already looking at your Christmas reading list.
The writing inside is compelling, poetic and imaginative. The author includes what might be considered fairly ordinary animals as her subjects such as the seal, the spider, the bat, the hare and the crow. Also included are more unusual creatures such as the narwhal, the pangolin and the Greenland shark as well as the eponymous golden mole. Even that rather clever yet destructive creature, the human, gets a chapter!
Ordinary or not, what we read about is quite extraordinary. To mention just a few facts, did you know that hedgehogs have existed for more than fifteen million years and that they were once believed to carry fruit on their prickles to hoard for winter? Did you know that an elephant’s trunk has around 40,000 muscles compared with humans’ mere 650 in our whole bodies? Did you know that bats have been included in invisibility potions for hundreds of years in every continents?
The Golden Mole is engaging, enlightening and important. It reminds us of the incredible living treasures we risk losing as a result of climate change. Every creature included in the book is endangered, frequently because of damage done to the world’s eco-system by humankind. It is in some ways rather a sobering read and yet at the same time is witty and wise.
The writing inside is compelling, poetic and imaginative. The author includes what might be considered fairly ordinary animals as her subjects such as the seal, the spider, the bat, the hare and the crow. Also included are more unusual creatures such as the narwhal, the pangolin and the Greenland shark as well as the eponymous golden mole. Even that rather clever yet destructive creature, the human, gets a chapter!
Ordinary or not, what we read about is quite extraordinary. To mention just a few facts, did you know that hedgehogs have existed for more than fifteen million years and that they were once believed to carry fruit on their prickles to hoard for winter? Did you know that an elephant’s trunk has around 40,000 muscles compared with humans’ mere 650 in our whole bodies? Did you know that bats have been included in invisibility potions for hundreds of years in every continents?
The Golden Mole is engaging, enlightening and important. It reminds us of the incredible living treasures we risk losing as a result of climate change. Every creature included in the book is endangered, frequently because of damage done to the world’s eco-system by humankind. It is in some ways rather a sobering read and yet at the same time is witty and wise.
January 7, 2023
The first thing I noticed about this book when my daughter and her wife gave it to me at Christmas was how beautiful it is; physically beautiful from its dust jacket to its gilt-edged pages, its quality paper and the generous line spacing that make it so easy to read.
If one were to judge it by this beauty, it might be dismissed as a small, gemlike ‘coffee table book’ with such beautiful illustrations too and a turn of phrase - no, an elegant prose style that draws you in until you can’t escape. Nor should you, since this beauty of form and writing and illustration is a velvet cloth covering many of the greatest challenges I have ever faced in a work about the creatures we have lost, are losing, and will lose shortly.
Each creature, or treasure, is first described to us in full and then Rundell hits you with its current status over against its earlier, larger populations and tells you what dreadful things humans have done to them over so very many years.
One problem of course is animal tourism. I personally never want to see the mountain gorillas close up - I want them to live their lives in peace. But still people must go on safari and can’t see the harm in getting close to wild animals just to take a nice picture and make ‘Ooooo’ noises. But as Rundell says in the chapter on bats ‘in many thousand ways we whittle away at their numbers for our delight.’
So as not to rewrite the whole book in my review, I will end with the thing that has shocked me the most, with the plea that you don’t let it put you off reading this important book. That thing is called ‘extinction speculation’ and is rightly described as ‘this uniquely vile game.’ (See pages 169-170) READ EVERY PAGE - we all need waking up. Yesterday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
I haven't written a review for a long time but this one I think deserves a little explanation for where I'm coming from.
This is a lovely book and I think most people with some interest in nature will enjoy it. I learnt some interesting things from it. I have nothing bad to say about its composition. Honestly, I feel a bit mean rating it so low.
Despite that, though, I felt it was lacking a certain something. It was pretty and kind and full of love, but somehow lacked passion, or maybe the right word would be obsession. It was the literary equivalent of lovely, warming porridge with no honey to sweeten it - pleasant in its own right, but bland.
This is a lovely book and I think most people with some interest in nature will enjoy it. I learnt some interesting things from it. I have nothing bad to say about its composition. Honestly, I feel a bit mean rating it so low.
Despite that, though, I felt it was lacking a certain something. It was pretty and kind and full of love, but somehow lacked passion, or maybe the right word would be obsession. It was the literary equivalent of lovely, warming porridge with no honey to sweeten it - pleasant in its own right, but bland.
July 3, 2023
I absolutely adore Katherine Rundell’s way of writing. There is something so poetic that, lent to non-fiction topics, can make even wooden spoons interesting. The way she makes the case here for conservation and global warming is really galvanising; but most importantly, the way she imbues all her subjects with wonder and awe — it transforms the way you see the world.
Genuinely want to read her children’s books, now!
Genuinely want to read her children’s books, now!
December 28, 2024
An enjoyable read with nice little chapters. Went away googling each animal after every chapter. Yet to decide whether that’s a good or a bad sign
December 4, 2022
New favourite book!
June 24, 2023
My main quarrel with this book is all the FILLER. I was expecting facts, anecdotes, and climate change forecasting about the featured animals, but most of the sections were historical misinformation (all the wrong things people used to think about animals), painful over-explaining of where the animals are mentioned in fiction, and incredibly dry, tangential human history.
The writing is dry, clinical and surprisingly inaccessible. It’s written like a textbook and isn’t particularly engaging. I buddy read this with my husband and neither of us looked forward to picking this up (it took us MONTHS to get through!) and we both found the focus of the sections bizarre.
I did like the focus on how human activity and climate change were affecting each of the animals but the importance of this was bogged down in so much tedium and waffling about fiction/human history that it lost its impact. It’s a shame because I’d like to read *a* book about this collection of animals, just not *this* book.
The titular Golden Mole section was the shortest one but seemed to focus on the moles rather than loads of forays into fictional asides. The sections did get less filler-y towards the end, but that wasn’t enough to save it for me.
The illustrations and title pages were very well done.
I’m baffled by the reviews this books gets and my lack of enjoyment might be a result of what I went into this expecting. I’m clearly the outlier which suggests I’m simply not the target audience for this book.
The writing is dry, clinical and surprisingly inaccessible. It’s written like a textbook and isn’t particularly engaging. I buddy read this with my husband and neither of us looked forward to picking this up (it took us MONTHS to get through!) and we both found the focus of the sections bizarre.
I did like the focus on how human activity and climate change were affecting each of the animals but the importance of this was bogged down in so much tedium and waffling about fiction/human history that it lost its impact. It’s a shame because I’d like to read *a* book about this collection of animals, just not *this* book.
The titular Golden Mole section was the shortest one but seemed to focus on the moles rather than loads of forays into fictional asides. The sections did get less filler-y towards the end, but that wasn’t enough to save it for me.
The illustrations and title pages were very well done.
I’m baffled by the reviews this books gets and my lack of enjoyment might be a result of what I went into this expecting. I’m clearly the outlier which suggests I’m simply not the target audience for this book.
October 8, 2025
"It's a thing worth knowing: that so rarely do we discover that any living creature is simpler than we thought."
An exercise in wonder. Katherine Rundell walks us through 22 animals to show us their unexpected magnificence, their precise cleverness, the folkloric hold they've had on us. I gasped most when I realised that the Golden Mole, of title fame, has never seen its own iridescent, glowing fur - because moles, of course, are blind.
I'd have enjoyed this more as a series of literary essays (some were in fact published in the London Review of Books). Taken together they become same-y, because every chapter ends with a stern warning about climate change and endangered spexies. It's genuine but teeters on browbeating, and is probably preaching to the choir.
An exercise in wonder. Katherine Rundell walks us through 22 animals to show us their unexpected magnificence, their precise cleverness, the folkloric hold they've had on us. I gasped most when I realised that the Golden Mole, of title fame, has never seen its own iridescent, glowing fur - because moles, of course, are blind.
I'd have enjoyed this more as a series of literary essays (some were in fact published in the London Review of Books). Taken together they become same-y, because every chapter ends with a stern warning about climate change and endangered spexies. It's genuine but teeters on browbeating, and is probably preaching to the choir.
June 9, 2024
This book was fantastic. Gifted by Alimah a couple years ago for Christmas, I’m only now reading it. I think this just became my most treasured item. I want my kids to read this. Rundell beautifully weaves the morphology of a single animal, their history in relation to humans and biggest environmental threat all in a mere 4-5 pages per animal. A beautiful balance of fact, speculation, and humor. The book ends with attempting to “woo” humanity. Consider me woo’ed.
August 5, 2023
Heel interessant, heb weer veel bijgeleerd over enkele van de mooiste wezens op Aarde, die er helaas bijna niet meer zijn. Tip: lees het boek in de oorspronkelijke taal.
October 2, 2025
Everyone should read this short book so we don’t forget how beautiful and amazing animals are. Unfortunately we are losing too many of them for a variety of reasons. The Golden Mole made me smile but broke my heart at the same time.
April 14, 2024
I LOVED THIS. SO much, it was such a fun wee book, I learnt SO MUCH and was tabbing all the facts I found the most interesting to share with my boyfriend when he came home from work. Honestly so well written and kept me entertained and interested throughout!
July 21, 2024
A book I would highly recommend reading for anyone!!
A really eye opening book about how humans have done what we have always done, but not full of doom and gloom instead giving an insight into the wonder of these animals who are close to becoming extinct!!
This really makes you think about how you view the world and the animals that inhabit it!!!
A really eye opening book about how humans have done what we have always done, but not full of doom and gloom instead giving an insight into the wonder of these animals who are close to becoming extinct!!
This really makes you think about how you view the world and the animals that inhabit it!!!
December 6, 2023
every time I read something from Katherine Rundell I am immediately gifted a new appreciation for life and I will always be grateful for that.
stunning writing, full of wit, grace, and beauty. but no less powerful for it.
stunning writing, full of wit, grace, and beauty. but no less powerful for it.
June 21, 2024
Katherine Rundell’s Book of Beasts (for that is really what this is) is simultaneously joyous and grim. I relished every bit of the wonder and joyfulness, and I love how Rundell ranges over folklore, literature, and natural history to modern-day encounters with the extraordinary creatures that share our world. She quotes from such usual suspects as Shakespeare to delightful allusions to Chesterton and even Elizabeth Goudge, and always with sympathy and understanding.
Be aware, in addition to the joy there is a background drumbeat of ecological doom in this book. My children came to dread the end of each chapter. I would have loved for her to mention some of the amazing rehabilitations going on around the world—the Thames now hosting freshwater seahorses is a recent example that comes off the top of my head. It’s not that I doubt the facts she presents, but I do feel that we are apt to adopt apathy or anxiety if we don’t also hear about success stories of environmental stewardship.
It is still a lovely, lovely book, one that made my children and I laugh repeatedly and exclaim over the miraculousness of life. A wonderful read to reawaken you to the wild, deeply mythical qualities of animal life, especially if you like to view things through the rich and strange lens of history.
Be aware, in addition to the joy there is a background drumbeat of ecological doom in this book. My children came to dread the end of each chapter. I would have loved for her to mention some of the amazing rehabilitations going on around the world—the Thames now hosting freshwater seahorses is a recent example that comes off the top of my head. It’s not that I doubt the facts she presents, but I do feel that we are apt to adopt apathy or anxiety if we don’t also hear about success stories of environmental stewardship.
It is still a lovely, lovely book, one that made my children and I laugh repeatedly and exclaim over the miraculousness of life. A wonderful read to reawaken you to the wild, deeply mythical qualities of animal life, especially if you like to view things through the rich and strange lens of history.
January 15, 2024
This book is angry, affirming, awakening, astonishingly beautiful. I was captured by the cover and the back-cover copy, but when I traced the author’s familiar name I realised she was also the writer of Super-infinite, a sort-of, lyrical biography of poet John Donne, whose poetry I’m lukewarm on but this book regarding it I am highly pro. As expected from this lineage, The Golden Mole was a lovely, lightly funny, paean to the beauty of the pieces of nature we are losing. I love it. I hate that it’s true.
‘That a blind farmer in Suriname once rescued a baby capybara and trained it to be his seeing eye. It was noted in the Guinness Book of Records: guided by what is essentially a giant guinea pig, a man once stepped bravely out into the darkness of the world, and was led home.’
‘The earth is so glorious and so unlikely: the giraffe, stranger than the griffin, taller than a great high house, offers us the incomparable gift of being proof of it.’
‘[Swifts] gather nesting material only from what’s in the air, which means that there have been accounts of still-flapping butterflies wedged in among the leaves and twigs.’
‘[Hermit crabs] are released as eggs into the ocean, hatch as unprepossessing (thought what larvae are prepossessing?) [...]’
‘[Byron] wrote to a friend, in 1807; “I have got a new friend, the finest in the world, a tame bear. When I brought him here, they asked me what to do with him, and my reply was, ‘He should sit for a fellowship.’”
‘[The pangolin]’s loveliness makes other forms of loveliness – diamonds, rubies, wrists bedecked with Rolexes – look like a con.’
‘That a blind farmer in Suriname once rescued a baby capybara and trained it to be his seeing eye. It was noted in the Guinness Book of Records: guided by what is essentially a giant guinea pig, a man once stepped bravely out into the darkness of the world, and was led home.’
‘The earth is so glorious and so unlikely: the giraffe, stranger than the griffin, taller than a great high house, offers us the incomparable gift of being proof of it.’
‘[Swifts] gather nesting material only from what’s in the air, which means that there have been accounts of still-flapping butterflies wedged in among the leaves and twigs.’
‘[Hermit crabs] are released as eggs into the ocean, hatch as unprepossessing (thought what larvae are prepossessing?) [...]’
‘[Byron] wrote to a friend, in 1807; “I have got a new friend, the finest in the world, a tame bear. When I brought him here, they asked me what to do with him, and my reply was, ‘He should sit for a fellowship.’”
‘[The pangolin]’s loveliness makes other forms of loveliness – diamonds, rubies, wrists bedecked with Rolexes – look like a con.’
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2023
Katherine Rundell likely needs no introduction. She's one of the most imaginative and versatile authors working today, and with The Golden Mole she turns her ready wit and keen intellect to the amazing assortment of riches that populate the planet alongside us, with exquisite results. Rundell's prose sparkles as she takes the reader on an engrossing tour covering all of the usual suspects, as well as many less familiar faces. It brought me particular joy to see some of my favourite and often underappreciated animals, such as bat, spiders and sharks, being given a chance to shine alongside the more overtly cute and cuddly mammals and birds we all know and love. As well as covering the various animals and their startling behaviours, the author also sprinkles the work with various literary references and her own experiences. This produces an intoxicating blend of nature writing, cultural history and humour which is a delight to read. Additionally, the main message of this book, the need to preserve life in all its many forms and especially those which we may not understand or like, is highly topical given the current climate catastrophe. The overall result is an important, enjoyable and beautifully illustrated book and the perfect read for nature lovers of all ages.
January 22, 2024
The Golden Mole is a magical book that features the incredible feats of miraculous animals. Rundell presents short essays on 22 different animals showcasing their unique gifts, how society and humans have (and still do) interact with them as well as how as humans we are impacting on their existence.
This book is a pleasure to read and a call to change, it is the perfect balance in showing the world’s magnificence and fragility. It is wise, full of wonder and it beautifully enlightens the many issues animals are facing in our world, mostly because of us.
The illustrations by Talya Baldwin are exactly the same, an equilibrium of deliberate attention and a little sorrow in each animal’s solitude. The book in itself is gorgeous with impeccable design and, of course, golden-sides pages.
I was recommended this book by a friend who, upon listening to Katherine Rundell’s talk at the Children’s Books Ireland conference bought this particular book and I knew it would be a great one.
A wonderful read for people who love animals (beware of children some of the essays do mention sex, so proceed with caution) and are interested in protecting the world. Recommended ages 10+ (adults please do read this too!)
This book is a pleasure to read and a call to change, it is the perfect balance in showing the world’s magnificence and fragility. It is wise, full of wonder and it beautifully enlightens the many issues animals are facing in our world, mostly because of us.
The illustrations by Talya Baldwin are exactly the same, an equilibrium of deliberate attention and a little sorrow in each animal’s solitude. The book in itself is gorgeous with impeccable design and, of course, golden-sides pages.
I was recommended this book by a friend who, upon listening to Katherine Rundell’s talk at the Children’s Books Ireland conference bought this particular book and I knew it would be a great one.
A wonderful read for people who love animals (beware of children some of the essays do mention sex, so proceed with caution) and are interested in protecting the world. Recommended ages 10+ (adults please do read this too!)
November 6, 2022
Sometimes you stumble across a book and you know you'll always treasure it. This is that book, it's so lovely I want to stroke it!!
🦋@katherine.rundell has created this beautifully illustrated book listing some of the weirdness, wonderfulness and the fragility of the world of endangered animals
🐇 Full of fascinating and sometimes amusing information and stunning artwork ... featuring bats, wombats and narwhals oh my!💖
🐻So well researched, so exquisitely presented...I truely can't fault this stunning piece of work
🦋@katherine.rundell has created this beautifully illustrated book listing some of the weirdness, wonderfulness and the fragility of the world of endangered animals
🐇 Full of fascinating and sometimes amusing information and stunning artwork ... featuring bats, wombats and narwhals oh my!💖
🐻So well researched, so exquisitely presented...I truely can't fault this stunning piece of work
October 11, 2023
Reflections and lessons learned:
“This book is, too, a litany of the many wild guesses and misunderstandings, the vivid mistakes upon which our knowledge has been painstakingly built”
In all walks of life exist the unusual - let’s celebrate that!! Great short facts about some really interesting animals that you wouldn’t usually find in primary school lessons… although the spider info was very good still 🕷️ a great book for anyone with a broad interest in animals
“This book is, too, a litany of the many wild guesses and misunderstandings, the vivid mistakes upon which our knowledge has been painstakingly built”
In all walks of life exist the unusual - let’s celebrate that!! Great short facts about some really interesting animals that you wouldn’t usually find in primary school lessons… although the spider info was very good still 🕷️ a great book for anyone with a broad interest in animals
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