The World and The Zoo

by Rob Roensch

When a recent grad takes a summer zoo internship, it's supposed to be a rebel detour before adulthood. But over the summer, the zoo and its humans deliver much more. A story of awakening exploring love, death, biology and privilege, rich with the genius of squirrels, the grace of otters, the gorillas' need for quiet and the bovine dreams of whitetail deer. Funny, meditative and deeply human, The World and The Zoo is a masterful short novel, carving a delicate path full of breathtaking details.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2020

Reviews

[Myles Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever read a book where every sentence is perfect? Where the prose is as tight as it needs to be, no more, no less? This book achieves that. I read it in one sitting. The onus of burden, from me having to read it to me surrendering myself to it and the authors craft, happened quickly, effortlessly, tirelessly.

The attention to detail in this is also spot on. That’s part of what makes the line level so good, I think.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautifully written short novel. Kind of a coming of age story of a zoo intern, making observations as the title indicates about the world and the zoo.

[Ken Hada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A polite, unassuming narrative, that captivates the teader, by one of the best prose writers writing today.