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Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra: A Philosophical Tale
The Queen’s Zebra has been stolen. But
why
?
At the threshold of the French Revolution, the Enlightenment has taken 18th century Paris by storm. The Palais Royal has become the hub of free thought and freer behaviour. A whirlwind of passionate debates unfolds in the city’s new cafés, with a flourishing of theatre, satire, and opera.
George Du Paon, still mourning his beloved twin sister, has a famous taxidermy workshop near the Seine. As his close friend Nicolas guides him through the libertarian and libertine revolution of the time, George becomes entrusted with the Queen of England’s favourite deceased zebra.
George and his young protégée, Jeanne, are delighted at the prospect of breathing life back into the unusual specimen while pondering how to capture the essence of its nature. Among the questions being debated at the Académie des Sciences is why both the horse and the ass can be tamed, but the zebra cannot. And so the discussion What parts of the zebra make it so unique? Is it more than the sum of its parts? How connected are the sexes? Is a garden part of nature?
George is surrounded by a cast of figures, ranging from the formidable Mme de Staël, Ambassador Thomas Jefferson, the cross-dresser general Chevalier d’Éon, and the immensely popular womanizer Benjamin Franklin. As intriguing questions about the human spirit, reductionism, social class, injustice, and the gap between science and religion swirl and set the stage, fiction, history, and philosophy intermingle. Just as George's feelings for his assistant deepen, the zebra suddenly vanishes . . .
Roland Kupers is the author of several books on complex systems, a sculptor, and an advisor to the United Nations on climate policy.
At the threshold of the French Revolution, the Enlightenment has taken 18th century Paris by storm. The Palais Royal has become the hub of free thought and freer behaviour. A whirlwind of passionate debates unfolds in the city’s new cafés, with a flourishing of theatre, satire, and opera.
George Du Paon, still mourning his beloved twin sister, has a famous taxidermy workshop near the Seine. As his close friend Nicolas guides him through the libertarian and libertine revolution of the time, George becomes entrusted with the Queen of England’s favourite deceased zebra.
George and his young protégée, Jeanne, are delighted at the prospect of breathing life back into the unusual specimen while pondering how to capture the essence of its nature. Among the questions being debated at the Académie des Sciences is why both the horse and the ass can be tamed, but the zebra cannot. And so the discussion What parts of the zebra make it so unique? Is it more than the sum of its parts? How connected are the sexes? Is a garden part of nature?
George is surrounded by a cast of figures, ranging from the formidable Mme de Staël, Ambassador Thomas Jefferson, the cross-dresser general Chevalier d’Éon, and the immensely popular womanizer Benjamin Franklin. As intriguing questions about the human spirit, reductionism, social class, injustice, and the gap between science and religion swirl and set the stage, fiction, history, and philosophy intermingle. Just as George's feelings for his assistant deepen, the zebra suddenly vanishes . . .
Roland Kupers is the author of several books on complex systems, a sculptor, and an advisor to the United Nations on climate policy.
236 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
3 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 19, 2025
For me, Roland Kupers' Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra was a three star read, interesting, but not riveting. That's probably because when I decided to read it, I didn't note the second half of the title: A Philosophical Tale, and for Kupers, the philosophy is the real heart of the novel. The tale doesn't have much sweep, but that's because the tale is primarily a scaffold on which Kupers is building up a body of historical moments and philosophical perspectives.
Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra is set in Paris after the American revolution and when France is teetering on the edge of its own revolution, which allows for an interesting mix of characters. Salons and coffee houses facilitate all sorts of conversations among groups that earlier might not have crossed paths at all. George is the bourgeois (in terms of income, not necessarily values) owner of a taxidermy business. Jeanne does the "artistic" work of taxidermy, contemplating the mood a piece should have, sketching out poses for animals, building up the frame that will turn flat skin into almost living animal. She is definitely proletariat, lucky as a woman to have the job she does and aware that she has no means of rising any higher economically or socially. Nicolas, George's friend is "upper crust" with the freedoms that social position implies. Various U.S. politicians and members of the French aristocracy also make appearances.
The zebra—yes, there is one— is an important physical and philosophical part of the tale. Zebras, as a rule, cannot be tamed, unlike horses and donkeys, which made them a subject of scientific interest. Alongside the discussion of the nature of the zebra are conversations about
• how, if at all, faith can contribute to science
• whether there are basic laws governing life that can be expressed mathematically
• the different meaning that individuals and groups can represent
• whether humanity is a part of nature or something outside of it.
Over time, George and Nicolas come to recognize Jeanne's intelligence and sense of inquiry. As a result she becomes an occasional member of their circles of ideas. She also becomes an experiment of sorts as they dream up schemes to allow her entrée to scientific and aristocratic circles.
This is a relatively brief book, and much of it is composed of conversations among intellectuals. Unless you are somewhat a scholar of philosophy, I would recommend reading the afterword before beginning the novel itself. In the afterword, Kupers explains what drew him to this era in history, outlines some philosophical perspectives developed post-Enlightment, and makes a case that much of the science of the Enlightenment was based in kinetics, describing the universe as a set of physical laws—and wonders how Western philosophy might have developed differently if instead of searching for basic laws the search had been to understand things in their full complexity as systems. If I'd read this afterword before I began the novel, I think my reading experience would have been much more rewarding. The afterword would have given me a bit of scaffold on which to place the ideas I was encountering within the novel's many conversations.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra is set in Paris after the American revolution and when France is teetering on the edge of its own revolution, which allows for an interesting mix of characters. Salons and coffee houses facilitate all sorts of conversations among groups that earlier might not have crossed paths at all. George is the bourgeois (in terms of income, not necessarily values) owner of a taxidermy business. Jeanne does the "artistic" work of taxidermy, contemplating the mood a piece should have, sketching out poses for animals, building up the frame that will turn flat skin into almost living animal. She is definitely proletariat, lucky as a woman to have the job she does and aware that she has no means of rising any higher economically or socially. Nicolas, George's friend is "upper crust" with the freedoms that social position implies. Various U.S. politicians and members of the French aristocracy also make appearances.
The zebra—yes, there is one— is an important physical and philosophical part of the tale. Zebras, as a rule, cannot be tamed, unlike horses and donkeys, which made them a subject of scientific interest. Alongside the discussion of the nature of the zebra are conversations about
• how, if at all, faith can contribute to science
• whether there are basic laws governing life that can be expressed mathematically
• the different meaning that individuals and groups can represent
• whether humanity is a part of nature or something outside of it.
Over time, George and Nicolas come to recognize Jeanne's intelligence and sense of inquiry. As a result she becomes an occasional member of their circles of ideas. She also becomes an experiment of sorts as they dream up schemes to allow her entrée to scientific and aristocratic circles.
This is a relatively brief book, and much of it is composed of conversations among intellectuals. Unless you are somewhat a scholar of philosophy, I would recommend reading the afterword before beginning the novel itself. In the afterword, Kupers explains what drew him to this era in history, outlines some philosophical perspectives developed post-Enlightment, and makes a case that much of the science of the Enlightenment was based in kinetics, describing the universe as a set of physical laws—and wonders how Western philosophy might have developed differently if instead of searching for basic laws the search had been to understand things in their full complexity as systems. If I'd read this afterword before I began the novel, I think my reading experience would have been much more rewarding. The afterword would have given me a bit of scaffold on which to place the ideas I was encountering within the novel's many conversations.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
January 12, 2026
Philosophical at best
September 3, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf for an advance copy of this book.
Who could help but be intrigued by a title like this one, instantly begging the question: why is the zebra being stuffed? This is quickly followed by, is this meant to be macabre or funny?
The answers to those basic, and many other more complex, questions are also found in the title. This novel is ‘a philosophical tale.’ The author is no ordinary debut novelist. He is a theoretical physicist and academic who specializes in complex systems.
I have no knowledge in either field, but it’s not necessary to enjoy this lively fictional account of Paris intellectual life during the Enlightenment, where the Palais Royale effectively became the leading ‘salon,’ a place of inquiry, discussion, art, science and philosophy. It also set the tone for the socially and sexually libertine ways that were integral to the questioning of all systems that was taking place.
To approach the questions about the zebra of the title, Kupers’ tale centres on taxidermist George du Paon, his good friend Nicolas, and his apprentice Jean. George is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his beloved twin sister. The well-connected Nicolas, seeking to comfort his friend, arranges to give him the Queen of England’s favourite zebra, who has died, so that he can perform his art. The zebra does the trick. As George and Jeanne discuss the best approach to the project, Kupers takes them beyond the taxidermist’s primary goal, to capture the very zebra-ness of the animal, and into some fundamental Enlightenment discourses concerning humanity, gender, science and nature.
The philosophical tale is just that, which means some considerable discussion of the period’s themes and issues that can get ponderous. His writing is smooth, his historical context solid. He does a marvellous job with the lively setting of 18th century Paris, its important intellectuals and salon ‘celebrities.’ Perhaps most important is that the questions he raises in this novel of ideas are strikingly relevant 33 centuries later.
Who could help but be intrigued by a title like this one, instantly begging the question: why is the zebra being stuffed? This is quickly followed by, is this meant to be macabre or funny?
The answers to those basic, and many other more complex, questions are also found in the title. This novel is ‘a philosophical tale.’ The author is no ordinary debut novelist. He is a theoretical physicist and academic who specializes in complex systems.
I have no knowledge in either field, but it’s not necessary to enjoy this lively fictional account of Paris intellectual life during the Enlightenment, where the Palais Royale effectively became the leading ‘salon,’ a place of inquiry, discussion, art, science and philosophy. It also set the tone for the socially and sexually libertine ways that were integral to the questioning of all systems that was taking place.
To approach the questions about the zebra of the title, Kupers’ tale centres on taxidermist George du Paon, his good friend Nicolas, and his apprentice Jean. George is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his beloved twin sister. The well-connected Nicolas, seeking to comfort his friend, arranges to give him the Queen of England’s favourite zebra, who has died, so that he can perform his art. The zebra does the trick. As George and Jeanne discuss the best approach to the project, Kupers takes them beyond the taxidermist’s primary goal, to capture the very zebra-ness of the animal, and into some fundamental Enlightenment discourses concerning humanity, gender, science and nature.
The philosophical tale is just that, which means some considerable discussion of the period’s themes and issues that can get ponderous. His writing is smooth, his historical context solid. He does a marvellous job with the lively setting of 18th century Paris, its important intellectuals and salon ‘celebrities.’ Perhaps most important is that the questions he raises in this novel of ideas are strikingly relevant 33 centuries later.
August 17, 2025
This book is part history lesson, part philosophy seminar, and part quirky Parisian adventure—and I was hooked. Kupers takes us right into 18th-century Paris on the cusp of revolution, where cafés, salons, and ballrooms buzz with debate about science, politics, sex, and society. The stolen zebra (yes, really) is just the thread that ties together a much bigger tapestry of Enlightenment thought.
Kupers has a knack for making these legendary figures—Mme de Staël, Franklin, Jefferson, even the enigmatic Chevalier d’Éon—feel like flesh-and-blood characters. I was constantly pausing to Google people, places, and concepts, adding a whole extra layer of fun to the read.
The novel isn’t heavy on plot, but that’s kind of the point—it’s more about immersing yourself in the ideas, the banter, and the sparkle of a city on fire with possibility. It’s clever, curious, and just eccentric enough to keep you turning the pages.
Kupers has a knack for making these legendary figures—Mme de Staël, Franklin, Jefferson, even the enigmatic Chevalier d’Éon—feel like flesh-and-blood characters. I was constantly pausing to Google people, places, and concepts, adding a whole extra layer of fun to the read.
The novel isn’t heavy on plot, but that’s kind of the point—it’s more about immersing yourself in the ideas, the banter, and the sparkle of a city on fire with possibility. It’s clever, curious, and just eccentric enough to keep you turning the pages.
February 27, 2026
I finished this book and didn’t immediately know how to feel, which is rare for me, and honestly, that’s probably the highest compliment I can give it. It doesn’t hand you an emotional response or tell you what you’re supposed to take away. Instead, it quietly sits with you and lets the meaning form on its own time. I kept finding myself thinking, this feels true, even when I couldn’t quite explain why.
What stood out most was how natural the thinking felt. It doesn’t read like a philosophy book trying to sound accessible, and it doesn’t read like a story trying to be deep. It feels like a person genuinely wrestling with life, love, purpose, and the strange projects we attach meaning to while we’re alive. There’s humor in it, but it’s the kind that comes from awareness, not jokes. There’s sadness too, but it’s never dramatic, it’s just there, the way it is in real life.
I appreciated how love is handled here. It isn’t idealized or used as a neat emotional payoff. It arrives awkwardly, imperfectly, in the middle of everything else that’s unfinished. That felt incredibly honest. By the end, I didn’t feel like the book had answered big questions, but I felt understood in having them. This is the kind of book you recommend carefully, because it won’t be for everyone, but for the right reader, it lands quietly and stays with you long after the last page.
What stood out most was how natural the thinking felt. It doesn’t read like a philosophy book trying to sound accessible, and it doesn’t read like a story trying to be deep. It feels like a person genuinely wrestling with life, love, purpose, and the strange projects we attach meaning to while we’re alive. There’s humor in it, but it’s the kind that comes from awareness, not jokes. There’s sadness too, but it’s never dramatic, it’s just there, the way it is in real life.
I appreciated how love is handled here. It isn’t idealized or used as a neat emotional payoff. It arrives awkwardly, imperfectly, in the middle of everything else that’s unfinished. That felt incredibly honest. By the end, I didn’t feel like the book had answered big questions, but I felt understood in having them. This is the kind of book you recommend carefully, because it won’t be for everyone, but for the right reader, it lands quietly and stays with you long after the last page.
February 27, 2026
I picked this book up because the title intrigued me, but I stayed because of how unexpectedly profound the story became. Falling in Love While Stuffing a Zebra is one of those rare books that quietly reshapes the way you think rather than loudly trying to impress you. The author blends storytelling with philosophy in a way that feels organic, almost conversational, as if a wise friend is sharing insights over coffee.
What struck me most was how the book explores complexity, not just intellectually, but emotionally. The characters aren’t simply moving through events; they’re wrestling with ideas about certainty, relationships, and the human need to make sense of chaos. I found myself pausing often just to reflect on passages that felt surprisingly personal.
The humor also deserves praise. It’s subtle and intelligent, never forced, and it keeps the heavier philosophical moments approachable. By the end, I didn’t feel like I had finished a story so much as completed a journey of thought.
This is not a fast read, and that’s exactly why it works. It rewards patience and reflection. I’ll definitely reread it because I’m certain there are layers I haven’t fully absorbed yet.
What struck me most was how the book explores complexity, not just intellectually, but emotionally. The characters aren’t simply moving through events; they’re wrestling with ideas about certainty, relationships, and the human need to make sense of chaos. I found myself pausing often just to reflect on passages that felt surprisingly personal.
The humor also deserves praise. It’s subtle and intelligent, never forced, and it keeps the heavier philosophical moments approachable. By the end, I didn’t feel like I had finished a story so much as completed a journey of thought.
This is not a fast read, and that’s exactly why it works. It rewards patience and reflection. I’ll definitely reread it because I’m certain there are layers I haven’t fully absorbed yet.
December 5, 2025
I was really interested in the zebra and the process of stuffing it but although the title mentions the zebra and you'd think it was going to be very central to the story, the centre was just a pinprick. Kupers then took us on a journey round and round the royal court circles just before the Reign of Terror started so we get the on the ground feel of the trouble that was brewing......
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss
February 27, 2026
As someone who enjoys philosophy and systems thinking, I found this book incredibly refreshing. Rather than presenting abstract theories, the author embeds complex ideas into narrative situations that make them understandable without oversimplifying them.
The metaphor of “stuffing a zebra” brilliantly illustrates humanity’s tendency to freeze dynamic systems into static models. Throughout the book, institutions and individuals struggle with unpredictability, and the story subtly critiques our obsession with certainty.
What impressed me most was the balance between accessibility and depth. The writing never feels academic, yet the intellectual content is substantial. Readers unfamiliar with philosophy will still enjoy the story, while more analytical readers will appreciate the conceptual richness.
This book invites reflection long after the last page, which is the hallmark of meaningful literature.
The metaphor of “stuffing a zebra” brilliantly illustrates humanity’s tendency to freeze dynamic systems into static models. Throughout the book, institutions and individuals struggle with unpredictability, and the story subtly critiques our obsession with certainty.
What impressed me most was the balance between accessibility and depth. The writing never feels academic, yet the intellectual content is substantial. Readers unfamiliar with philosophy will still enjoy the story, while more analytical readers will appreciate the conceptual richness.
This book invites reflection long after the last page, which is the hallmark of meaningful literature.
February 27, 2026
I honestly didn’t expect this book to affect me emotionally the way it did. At first, I thought it would be purely intellectual, but somewhere along the way it became deeply human. The relationships in this story feel real, awkward, uncertain, tender, and sometimes confusing in ways that mirror real life.
The idea that love and uncertainty are connected really stayed with me. The author suggests that trying to control life too tightly removes its beauty, and that message hit home. I’ve gone through a period of trying to plan everything perfectly, and this book gently reminded me that not everything meaningful can be managed or predicted.
There were moments where I laughed out loud and others where I reread paragraphs because they captured feelings I couldn’t put into words myself. Few books manage to balance intellect and heart this successfully.
If you’re looking for something thoughtful but also emotionally resonant, this is absolutely worth reading.
The idea that love and uncertainty are connected really stayed with me. The author suggests that trying to control life too tightly removes its beauty, and that message hit home. I’ve gone through a period of trying to plan everything perfectly, and this book gently reminded me that not everything meaningful can be managed or predicted.
There were moments where I laughed out loud and others where I reread paragraphs because they captured feelings I couldn’t put into words myself. Few books manage to balance intellect and heart this successfully.
If you’re looking for something thoughtful but also emotionally resonant, this is absolutely worth reading.
February 27, 2026
This novel stands comfortably alongside philosophical fiction that values ideas as much as narrative. The prose is elegant without being ornate, and the pacing encourages contemplation rather than urgency.
The author demonstrates remarkable confidence in allowing readers space to think. Dialogue often carries layered meanings, and symbolic elements unfold gradually instead of being explained outright. I appreciated the restraint, the book trusts its audience.
What elevates this work is its emotional grounding. Intellectual exploration never overshadows the humanity of the characters. Love here becomes a philosophical inquiry in itself, suggesting that connection may be the only way humans truly engage with complexity.
A beautifully crafted and intellectually generous book.
The author demonstrates remarkable confidence in allowing readers space to think. Dialogue often carries layered meanings, and symbolic elements unfold gradually instead of being explained outright. I appreciated the restraint, the book trusts its audience.
What elevates this work is its emotional grounding. Intellectual exploration never overshadows the humanity of the characters. Love here becomes a philosophical inquiry in itself, suggesting that connection may be the only way humans truly engage with complexity.
A beautifully crafted and intellectually generous book.
February 27, 2026
I didn’t expect to laugh so much while reading a philosophical novel. The humor is clever and understated, often appearing in situations that feel absurdly familiar. The author gently pokes fun at bureaucracy, academic certainty, and human ego without ever becoming cynical.
The funny moments actually make the deeper ideas land harder. You laugh first, then realize there’s a serious truth underneath. That balance kept me engaged from start to finish.
It’s rare to find a book that makes you think deeply while also entertaining you consistently. This one manages both effortlessly.
Highly recommended for readers who like smart humor mixed with meaningful storytelling.
The funny moments actually make the deeper ideas land harder. You laugh first, then realize there’s a serious truth underneath. That balance kept me engaged from start to finish.
It’s rare to find a book that makes you think deeply while also entertaining you consistently. This one manages both effortlessly.
Highly recommended for readers who like smart humor mixed with meaningful storytelling.
February 27, 2026
I’m not usually someone who writes reviews, but this book stayed with me long enough that I felt compelled to say something. It’s not plot-driven in a traditional sense, and that’s exactly why it worked for me. It reads like someone thinking out loud about love, purpose, and the absurd things we spend our lives doing. There’s a gentleness to the writing that made me trust it. Nothing felt forced. Nothing felt like it was trying to be profound, and yet, it often was.
February 27, 2026
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book at first, and then I realized that was kind of the point. It mirrors the uncertainty it talks about. The more I read, the more it opened up emotionally and philosophically. It doesn’t give answers, but it offers companionship in asking the questions. That made it meaningful to me in a way that’s hard to quantify.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews