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November 2016: Animals > The Tusk That Did The Damage by Tania James - 3 Stars

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message 1: by Charlie (new)

Charlie  Ravioli (charlie_ravioli) | 611 comments A sad book of fiction in which three storylines intersect (a filmmaker's, a poacher's and an elephant's).

The goodreads synopsis is as follows: Orphaned by poachers as a calf and sold into a life of labor and exhibition, the Gravedigger breaks free of his chains and begins terrorizing the countryside, earning his name from the humans he kills and then tenderly buries. Manu, the studious younger son of a rice farmer, loses his cousin to the Gravedigger’s violence and is drawn, with his wayward brother Jayan, into the sordid, alluring world of poaching. Emma is a young American working on a documentary with her college best friend, who witnesses the porous boundary between conservation and corruption and finds herself in her own moral gray area: a risky affair with the veterinarian who is the film’s subject. As the novel hurtles toward its tragic climax, these three storylines fuse into a wrenching meditation on love and betrayal, duty and loyalty, and the vexed relationship between man and nature.

I liked the book and thought the writing was good (although not "lyrical" which is how some reviews described it). My favorite parts were when the story was told from the elephant's point of view. The elephant is the most likable character which says something given that he goes around murdering people. I felt the most sorry for the elephant. Lots of foreboding throughout the book from start to finish so no real surprise with the way it ends (even though it is a little tricky to follow based on the timing of the last sequence of events).

It's a solid 3 star book for me, was hoping to love it but...


message 2: by Booknblues (last edited Nov 27, 2016 07:47PM) (new)

Booknblues | 12211 comments Charlie wrote: "A sad book of fiction in which three storylines intersect (a filmmaker's, a poacher's and an elephant's).

The goodreads synopsis is as follows: Orphaned by poachers as a calf and sold into a life..."


This book is on my TBR, but I have never found quite the right time to read this.

Thanks for being a trail blazer. Your review makes me want to read this.


message 3: by Nicole (new)

Nicole | 692 comments Charlie wrote: "The elephant is the most likable character which says something given that he goes around murdering people."

Your above statement made me chuckle. Poor elephant ...


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