Raven, Seek Thy Brother

Ring of Bright Water #3

by Gavin Maxwell

A remarkable self-portrait enlivened by courage and humour. It is full of marvellous anecdotes, descriptions of people and landscapes, birds and animals, times of comedy and tragedy. The happiest are the months when the otters Edal and Teko were miraculously reconciled with their owner in an Indian summer of gentleness and gay contentment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Animals, Natural History, Nature, Scotland, Autobiography

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Gavin Maxwell was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his work with otters. He was born in Scotland in 1914 to Lieutenant-Colonel Aymer Maxwell and Lady Mary Percy, whose father was the seventh Duke of Northumberland. He was raised in the small village of Elrig, near Port William, which he later described in his autobiography The House of Elrig (1965).

After serving in the Second World War as an instructor with the Special Operations Executive, he purchased the Isle of Soay in the Inner Hebrides, where he attempted to establish a shark fishery. In 1956 he travelled to the Tigris Basin in Southern Iraq with the explorer Wilfred Thesiger to explore the area's vast unspoiled marshes; Maxwell's account of their travels was published as A Reed Shaken by the Wind (1959). It was there that he adopted the otter Mijbil. The story of how Maxwell brought Mijbil back to rise in his isolated home in Sandaig (named Camusfeàrna in the book) on the west coast of Scotland, is told in Ring of Bright Water (1960); the book sold more than two million copies and in 1969 was made into a film. It was the first in Maxwell's 'otter trilogy', for which he remains best known: its sequels were The Rocks Remain (1963) and Raven Seek Thy Brother (1968).

The house at Sandaig was destroyed by fire in 1968, and Maxwell moved into a former lighthouse keeper's cottage on the nearby island of Eilean Bàn. He died in 1969. His Eilean Bàn home remains a museum and the island a wildlife sanctuary.

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The conclusion to Gavin Maxwell's Camusfearna trilogy is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. As with the previous instalment, THE ROCKS REMAIN, a lot of the material in RAVEN SEEK THY BROTHER focuses on the various problems and misfortunes that Maxwell experienced during the mid to late '60s: he was plagued by ill health and financial difficulties, and at times the book appears to be a catalogue of things that went wrong. His failures to establish a new home for his beloved otters and to start an Eider colony on one of the islands are particularly gruelling.

And yet, and yet...at the outset of the book, Maxwell admits that his previous book was deliberately downbeat and pessimistic, in order to put off the general public from plaguing him at his retreat. The old magic's back here, and in the few, all to brief moments we get to spend with the otters - for Edal, Teko, Mossy and Monday are all back - the quality of the prose becomes magical once more and even surpasses that of RING OF BRIGHT WATER. The closing, all too brief final chapters are particularly spellbinding, and had this softie of a reader in tears. I only wish the traumatic events of the epilogue could have been expanded upon, as I wanted to know more about just what happened in 1968; to this end, I've just ordered Richard Frere's MAXWELL'S GHOST which I hope has a bit more information about that (as well as acting as an unofficial "fourth" volume of the trilogy).

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book could be subtitled "When Everything Falls Apart". It seems like one calamity followed another for Maxwell as he tried to close down his beloved Camusfearna and find new homes for his otters. Still, in spite of all the troubles, he carries the reader back into the beauty of the Highlands one more time. He also digressed with a trip to Iceland to investigate the possibility of starting an Eider industry in the Highlands and that, in itself, is quite fascinating.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Gavin Maxwell's writing, and the world of nature that he opened up to the world in his "Ring of Bright Water." I'm big on otters - because of that book - and I'm hardly the only one. This book continues the stories at Camusfearna and about Gavin Maxwell's life, but it is so terribly sad, with mishap after mishap affecting him, his business efforts, his animals, and his staff.

During this period of his life, Maxwell began racing Irish Wolfhounds (the nearest dog to a horse) and studying geese, ultimately moving into a lighthouse. The writing is top notch as always, with occasional light moments, but it can't hide the overwhelming air of melancholy as Maxwell embarks on new interests, yet is still tied to deteriorating Camusfearna and animals there that require constant focus in order to survive. You learn about the otters' bond to their original caregiver, their jealous nature, and the violent impact that can have. There are some unintentional teachings about risks and the lifelong commitment you make to the animals in your care.

Most of Maxwell's books tend to stay fairly on topic - "People of the Reeds," "Ring of Bright Water." And if you really want to know about a man and his delightful unusual pet, you can just stop with the latter book. (There are many books about Lutra Lutra, and other types of River Otters, now available, thanks to the popularity of "Ring of Bright Water.") But "Raven Seek Thy Brother" gives you deeper insight into the state of mind of Maxwell the man.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of Maxwell's Ring of Bright Water trilogy, this has always been my favourite, if also somewhat depressing.

[R.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I wasn't familiar with Gavin Maxwell's story before obtaining this book and now I find his life fascinating on many aspects, but while this book was interesting, it wasn't great.

First of all I think I would have connect more to it if I had read his previous works. Then, while the author was an interesting personality, a traveler and a naturalist, well, he wasn't really an author, or not a very good one anyway. Sometimes his narration feels flat or too fragmental and he may analyse an episode or theme suddenly turning on something else and/or offering no conclusion. Occasionaly he manages to offer some nice descriptions of landscapes and/or nature, but often he relies on names of islands, mountains etc which I wasn't familar with so I couldn't always follow him. Furthermore, while one empathises with him up to an extend, the book describes a phase of his life that is quite depressing on many aspects, and if one hasn't read his previous books to establish a better connection and understanding with him, the book gets a bit too much at times. (The book was published on 1968 and the author passed away on 1969, aged only 55).

Still, while many of Gavin Maxwell's views and actions are questionable by today's standards and at times I couldn't decide if he was a pioneer on many flields, a genious, a paganist or a day-dreamer, I found my self drawn to his story. How many people have an otter sub-spieces named after them or how many people chose to abandon a potentially easy, wealthy urban life to live in the middle of nowhere in order to peruse their interests?

I would like to read some more books written from/about this guy and research more extensively his work and life story after reading this book for sure. A rather specific read I guess and not for everyone or every mood...

[Oscar Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever. He’s so full of himself. Read it like you would a Steve Coogan novel - make it fun for yourself. A transporter to pre-technology Skye and a saviour of hope for simple living. The pictures half way through could make a weak, insecure boy like me cry. I’ve never cried, not properly at least. I think that’s a big part of my everyday struggle.

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like others have mentioned, I think I liked this third book the best out of the trilogy. I found the way in which the narrative was organized, starting from a low point and then going back in time to explain how the negative situation had come into being was quite brilliant and effective.

I witnessed a similar downfall effect my parents, who lost their dream property and business in the country, and eventually our home. And thus, the decline narrative that Maxwell presents resonated quite loudly for me. He also presents a though-provoking tale that illustrates the way in which humans often negatively effect the lives of animals, whether purposefully or not.

Overall, "Raven Seek Thy Brother", is a deeply saddening, but stimulating, story about an ill-fated dream and the danger of overreach. A somber end to the fanciful world introduced in Ring of Bright Water.

The last page of the book caused me to bawl uncontrollably. I had not realized until that moment how deeply intertwined I had become mentally with the world of Camusfearna and its destiny. This kind of emotional attachment is certainly the mark of a great piece of writing.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like The Rocks Remain, felt confused at times due to the author hiding large portions of the story. Helps make sense of what was actually happening in the background during The Rocks Remain. Emotional storytelling, but very fragmented.

[Kirsty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very jumbled, and not enough otter content, which was definitely what I came for.

[Carrie Brownell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The conclusion to Gavin Maxwell's Ring of Bright Water Trilogy is rather on the depressing side. You can almost see it coming after the second book in the series - The Rocks Remain. In book 2 you begin to get a sense that Maxwell would pay any attention and give any consideration to animals but absolutely none to any potential human companion. This third book confirms it. He spends the entire book complaining that life has fallen apart for him with disasters striking him repeatedly. You also can't help but see that they were frequently disasters of his own making which, even if they had to happen, would have been more bearable with a friend or, say, his former spouse, around to bear up alongside him.

Altogether I have to say that this book is a depressing end to the series and one I was glad to finish. I would heartily recommend the first book in the trilogy - The Ring of Bright Water - as a stand alone. Keep the cheery thoughts if you will. But if you were just as curious as I was then prepare for a thud.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

"A remarkable self-portrait enlivened by courage and humour. It is full of marvelous anecdotes, descriptions of people and landscapes, birds and animals, times of comedy and tragedy. The happiest are the months when the otters Edal and Teko are miraculously reconciled with their owner in an Indian summer of gentleness and gay contentment."
~~back cover

I just couldn't stick it. I picked the book up last night to read another chapter, and heard my brain screaming "NO! I don't want to read this book!" At 120 pages, I was halfway through, but I just couldn't trudge through more disasters and heartache, written very stiltedly.

[Nigel Code · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in the trilogy of my favourite books of all time. Do not even think of reading this until you have read Ring of Bright Water and The Rocks Remain. In many ways a heartbreaking picture of life, bitter at times, wonderfully written by a man who simply could not cope with the world.

[Katie Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this actually an allegory about the effects of British Imperialism on native peoples? It kinda feels like it...

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The focus was more on the logistics of v what was happening instead of what was happening. I would have preferred more insight into the interactions between the otters and people.

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what to think of this book. Characteristically, I started with book 3 before reading the other two (Ring of Bright Water/The Rocks Remain)! I've read Botting's fine biography and Richard Frere's book "Maxwell's Ghost" and wanted to cap it off with something from Gavin himself.

It's a poignant, jumbled book. I was trying to think of one episode that particularly jumped out at me and I had a hard time doing so. Then it came to me: the scene in the mid-'60s where Gavin is captaining his boat, the Polar Star, and he literally steers it onto the rocks after Jimmy Watt has told him to turn, or go another way, but he thinks he knows better. He hears the ghastly crunch and stands there white-faced. Jimmy offers him some sympathy and a drink, and he says he doesn't want a drink. He stands there for hours waiting to be pulled off the rocks, beating himself up, filled with shame and self-loathing.

But it drives home how self-destructive he is. Throughout the book I wondered which was going to get him first, the series of nasty illnesses and accidents he describes, or his own foolish impulsiveness. And yet there's a strategic mind in there. Perhaps too much. He admits that he has been writing to "juvenile fan" Andrew Scot for five years (since he was twelve!) before he summons him to come to Sandaig to help with the otters. And if Gavin Maxwell had lived, I suspect he would have insisted on taking the multiple photos of Andrew Scot out in future editions. They remain there as evidence of Gavin's fondness (and presumably love and desire) for the boy at a specific moment in time. Just before his house burned down completely. Which haunts me way more than it should, because I have a hard time seeing it as an accident.

But it's a fascinating document, this: not exactly a confession, but Maxwell is as transparent here as he would ever get. All his big plans are here: renting out the lighthouse cottages, setting up the eider colony, and so on. Sending the otters to the Chinese Dairy Lake at Woburn. But you can't help feeling that he is just biding time. He mentions his eighty cigarettes a day habit at one point, as he waits to hear if he has lung cancer or not. It's a slow suicide. He's out of time. You sense it at the end of the book.

The scenes where he describes the two still-affectionate otters and his rekindled love for them are lovely, if too short. And he tenderly dedicates the book to the dead Edal. It seems that the creatures he loves most die horrible deaths: Edal, Gus the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the white stallion he mentions trying to save in Morocco, and then Mij, of course.

He carefully doesn't speculate about the cause of the fire, or describe it. Is that because he doesn't know, or because he knows who did it and wants to protect them? I think it's significant that the fire occurred on the day that Jimmy Watt was visiting, and Gavin may have announced that he was leaving everything to Andrew rather than Jimmy. Because that was the plan, per Frere's account. It would have made sense at the time: Jimmy had been gone a few years, Andrew was very much *there.*

I also find it significant that there are no pictures of Andrew with Edal.

So it's the narrative of a man who moves from being incredibly emotionally dependent on one young man for years (Jimmy) to another (Andrew), and yet who can't be fully honest about it, and whose judgment is impaired.

All I could think was how terribly he shot himself in the foot, how terribly he messed things up for himself. And yet, you feel for him at the end, no question. His Scottish idyll was supposed to be his sanctuary, a place where he could be himself with his animals and chosen friends/lovers. If he had lived another ten years, perhaps he could have fully "been himself."

I am glad Frere finished the tale in "Maxwell's Ghost," and so we know how it ended for Gavin. He moved into his fine new home on the island. Andrew left him after much turmoil. He was finally diagnosed with cancer and declined rapidly. He died alone after a painful operation. There's a double-edged sword to that coda, too. Frere's honesty about his friend's sexuality seems to have permanently tarnished Maxwell's literary legacy. But perhaps his star will rise again. In this era of hyper-awareness of age of consent issues and pedophilia, though, I am not sure that it can.

[Samantha Parker]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/7396830

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

While (semi) honest and detailed, I'm not sure I'm happy to have completed this trilogy. This book focused on everything that went wrong, and is quite sad.

[Maryanne]

Raven Seek Thy Brother 07082008 The true sequel to RING OF BRIGHT WATER by Gavin Maxwell