Mr. Allbones' Ferrets

by Fiona Farrell

Book by Fiona Farrell

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels

217 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Fiona Farrell, ONZM (born 1947) is a New Zealand poet, fiction writer and playwright.

Reviews

[Rudy Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Allbones’ Ferrets is a highly engaging historical fantasy around the transport of ferrets to New Zealand in the Nineteenth Century to combat the infestation of rabbits transported from Europe twenty years previously.
The narrative is told through the personal experience of the protagonist, Walter Allbones, a labouring class young man who makes some of his living in the Lincolnshire countryside by poaching rabbits. An unexpected encounter with a portly landowner and his granddaughter on a dark night is the inciting incident that starts a sequence of events which will ultimately lead to his immigrating to this country with the hand of his true love. It is a happy ending for everyone except the birdlife of New Zealand.
The author is not didactic on the theme of ecological catastrophe but gives us information gleaned from historical records from the National Archives, the National Library and other sources, as well as informing us about the rationale and process of the disastrous decision primarily through the voice and actions of the scientifically inclined Mr. Pitford and his ward, Eugenia. We are left to make our own assessment of the relevance and moral implication of this information, which is not difficult to do.
By contrast, the story of Walter’s attraction for Eugenia, his constant struggles with Fowler Metcalf, in one form or another, and his intended goal of making a lucrative financial gain so that he can secure the lives of his siblings brings into vivid relief the power of human narrative to engage us. Even now I doubt that anyone reads this book and hopes that the endeavour will fail so that 183 ferrets are not introduced into our fragile environment. We want Allbones to succeed so that he achieves his personal hopes and dreams.
The narrative is written in the third person, but alternates between the past and the present tense. I imagine for dramatic impact?
The central characters: Allbones, Metcalf, Pitford and Eugenia, are all well-defined with the exception of the physical description of Allbones himself. Although I had his voice and body type clearly in mind I kept wondering throughout the book if he had a beard or not and even what the colour and texture of his hair was. By contrast, the opening scene establishes his special skills, hearing, knowledge of the animals and their habits. His natural intelligence is in stark contrast to Pitfords’ scientific learning.
His sympathy and warmth towards the animals he nurtures, and by extension his humanity, is most acutely realized on page 125 when Eugenia is catching “specimens” and using the Latin names for dragonflies and by contrast Walter finishes his speech on why he uses ferrets with the tender phrase, ‘An’ yes, they’re pretty creatures.’
I enjoyed the book very much. The story unfolded well with a great climax and twist at the end, the dialog was perfectly pitched and believable and the characters inhabited a credible world that I cared about.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a book about New Zealand for my reading challenge--a place I'd like to visit. So I googled books about New Zealand and this one came up. But it does not take place in New Zealand at all--just the last page--but in England in the late 1870's. Walter Allbones is a poor uneducated young man who takes care of his sister and the little'un's when his mother dies. He works menial labor jobs when they are available and supplements their food with rabbits poached from the manor land. Walter uses ferrets to drive the rabbits from their warrens. One night, after a successful hunt, he comes upon the old gentleman, Mr. Pitford, and his granddaughter who are staying at the manor. They are naturalists and are out observing badgers. Walter is frightened of being caught and although not on manor land, his pockets are full of manor rabbits. Mr. Pitford has a contract to import ferrets, stoats, and weasels from England to New Zealand to help control the rabbit problem which was caused when a few rabbits were imported to New Zealand for sport. No natural predators there for the rabbits which, of course, multiply like rabbits! Walter is contracted by Mr Pitford to get the 350 ferrets, stoats and weasels to import. Unfortunately ferrets, stoats and weasels also liked to eat the easier to catch birds. The last sentence in the book says it all: "The result has been a record of extinctions of bird species without equal anywhere in the world.

[Gabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather brutal start, but the story did grow on me -- though the ending was also a gut punch. I appreciated the window into the late 1800s through Walter's eyes. A humanizing insight into some of the forces behind the tragic decimation of New Zealand's native species.

The romance aspect never clicked for me. The kiddos seem super young? And their interactions were incredibly clunky at the start, though the ending sheds some insight on and offers some explanation for Eugenia's reactions to Walter at the start.

The ending really accelerated in ways that I felt abandoned reasonable explanation. Were there no lasting consequences for the fire (e.g. scrutiny of the main characters, punishment of some sort, etc.)? What about Walter's knife wound to the hand of Fowler? Apparently he "cut through flesh, severing tendon and artery to the bone" which feels like a potentially mortal wound for that time period, then a couple pages later Fowler is publicly beating the crap out of Walter with no issue? Would Walter not have publicly defended himself from Fowler's accusations? After Fowler got in so many fights during the ship's passage, would his accusations not have been taken more doubtfully?

[Raewyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and well written. I was looking in my personal collection for a book that included animals to fulfill a bookclub theme. I had obtained this book from a library sale table years ago.
1880s New Zealand, voyage to New Zealand, 4 main human characters and a vast number of ferrets. Having owned ferrets, I agree with Walter Allbones in that they are pretty creatures. Also deadly creatures.
This book is about things natural and unnatural, beautiful and dreadful. Love and vulnerability. Dominance and innocence.
Fiona Farrell managed to cram a vast wealth of discussion material into a small and quick read.
I am truly fascinated also by the reviewers that were horrified by the opening hunting scene and the devastation of introduced species equally. Naivety.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought that a tale about ferrets, stoats and weasels would be so entertaining! Based on a real person, and his real ferrets, this is a Victorian romance set in the context of the great colonial experiment, in which exotic species travelled across the world to join European collections, and useful species were sent to populate the colonies. Exotic species travel back to stock the collections of Europe while useful species are dispatched to found new colonies in the antipodes. From a factual base, Fiona Farrell spins a delicate, satirical fantasy about human folly and the perils of disturbing the subtle balance of nature.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clever idea of using old receipts and names to put together a fantastical account of how weasels, ferrets and stoats arrived in New Zealand. The first chapter was highly descriptive and very bloodthirsty, but it certainly set the scene in regards to Mr Allbones and his love for his ferrets. However I am giving it two stars as I just didn't enjoy the book. It was clever, but I was unable to engage with the characters or care for them.

[Tasman District Libraries]

Walter Allbones, a young poor nobody, is recruited to help export ferrets from England to New Zealand in the late 1800’s. The history side of this book is fascinating and the story is action packed with twists and turns all surrounding a love story. This book is a delight to read. NC

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 is the real rating. I loved the writing. Fiona Farrell puts words together so well. She can create an atmosphere and voice within a short amount of sentences. The only way this could have been better would have been to hear her read it (an opportunity you must take if you get the chance). But as to did I like it? That's hard. The subject matter disgusts me. She's taken the facts of the matter, perhaps the stupidest thing ever to happen to New Zealand - man introducing weasels, ferrets and stoats as a 'natural solution' to kill off the rabid rabbit population (also introduced by man), which basically led to the extinction of many native New Zealand birds - and somehow manipulates the facts into a love story between the Ferret-keeper, 'Allbones' and the granddaughter of an avid collector and naturalist, Eugenia. Both are from vastly different classes... I find it clever that in a mere 217 pages Farrell manages to both give hinted fact, then deceive the reader into believing something else, and then subtly reveal [trying not to spoil here]. So basically: Love your work Fiona, don't love the subject matter. At times the gruesomeness of factual dealings made me squirm :)

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Allbones' Ferrets is the story of what happens when a wealthy natural scientist, Pitford, and and a poor, but intelligent peasant, Allbones, join forces to help New Zealand conquer its rabbit problem. Enter Eugenia, Pitford's delicate, beautiful, but also curious and intelligent granddaughter. Then Fowler an enormous, evil bully gets in on the game.

Part natural history, part social commentary, part love story this slim novel manages to be many things at once. Its gruesome at times with graphic descriptions of ferrets hunting rabbits. Then it turns pastoral with young love in fields full of butterflies. Yet even with this breadth the story flows nicely and the characters always seem natural.

I really loved this book! The unique story line and beautifully descriptive writing style kept me hooked. I loved the characters and was immediately interested in where they would end up. Mr. Allbones' Ferrets is literary fiction at its best.

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very different from what I had expected. The story of how ferrets were introduced to New Zealand fauna, the writing style and genre reminded me a lot more of the emigration novels written at the turn of the last century than anything recent.

I was a bit hesitant about the story to begin with, but have to admit it grew on me. I really liked Walter Allbones, and wanted to learn more about him. The other characters were nothing special though - not very well fleshed out at all, and stereotypes were abundant.

A quick and pleasant enough read, but probably not a book that will stay with me for very long.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Vegans: do not read! This is a vile book. I have yet to find another author who so luxuriates in the abuse and murder of animals.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently a runaway hit in Australia, if the book jacket is to be believed. This was a good story and I enjoyed the natural history insight. Still, the plot lacked some depth.

[Elizabeth]

only got partway into this and would have been more interested after I was in NZ and really understood the role of ferrets there!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of Mr Allbones' Ferrets by Fiona Farrell has now appeared in Landfall Review Online:[return][return]http://landfallreviewonline.blogspot....

[Will Bly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, poignant. Quick and easy read.