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iamcat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
doobyus's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, nature-loving, life-affirming, joy of a book. I’d never heard if it before, and found it in a bookshop in Tavistock in July. It has cemented my love of Devon and, in particular, Dartmoor.
Life has been interesting for me recently, and thus spoke to my heart in a very meaningful way. It’s now, certainly, one of my favourite books ever.
Life has been interesting for me recently, and thus spoke to my heart in a very meaningful way. It’s now, certainly, one of my favourite books ever.
singh_reads_kanwar2's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book in the tradition of Watership Down, but about Foxes. The hero of this story is a black fox named Wulfgar and of his nemesis, Scoble the trapper, in the seasons leading up to the pitiless winter of 1946. It is both a portrait of place and a gripping story of survival. He's sort of the badass alpha male (yet sensitive) of the foxes who reside around these particular moors in England. All isn't too great for him though because there is murderous hunting dog, The Lurcher, who is owned by an equally deranged trapper who would like to kill the poor fox.
The Lurcher quite possibly steals the show when the book focuses on him as a main character. He likes to kill things, and all of his thoughts are crazy, must kill everything to make the voices in my head and the stars up above happy variety.
One of the decent humans is a small boy, who we learn at the end of the book has the same first name as the author. The book, while written in 1982, takes place in the late 1940's, making it not just a meta-fiction trick but rather a re-imagining of what the author saw as a boy and mythologizing it. As breathtaking in its descriptions of the natural world as it is perceptive in its portrayal of damaged humanity.
The Lurcher quite possibly steals the show when the book focuses on him as a main character. He likes to kill things, and all of his thoughts are crazy, must kill everything to make the voices in my head and the stars up above happy variety.
One of the decent humans is a small boy, who we learn at the end of the book has the same first name as the author. The book, while written in 1982, takes place in the late 1940's, making it not just a meta-fiction trick but rather a re-imagining of what the author saw as a boy and mythologizing it. As breathtaking in its descriptions of the natural world as it is perceptive in its portrayal of damaged humanity.
twentystitches's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
The nature lingo was too confusing for me 😭
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
4.0
I found this quite hard to get into but once I found the flow I was hoooooked! I love the tension between fox and man and how well Carter explores the conflicted relationship between them. It’s quite sad to see how foxes suffer at the hands of man simply because of an outdated view and tradition. I really loved this. Just thought it was a little too long for what it was!
wafer's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
While the prose itself is gorgeous, the plot progression seems lost. I love the concept of a nihilist outlook on what makes a ‘good death’ to these foxes, but it’s not explored nearly as much as I was hoping it would.
Honestly, go for fox & the hound first.
Honestly, go for fox & the hound first.
craftysilicate's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
dustfeather's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tembera's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was quite beautiful and am surprised it does not have that many ratings/reviews. The mental and physical conflict between a slick black fox, intelligent though compelled by its nature, and a man fraught with scars from the war and the need for survival presents a glance at the commonality of man versus nature. Neither party, the man and the fox, natural predators, but forced into the proximity of mutual hatred through no fault of their own. Carter's writing brings such a banal struggle alight through his brilliant and unwavering prose.
Why are we four stars instead of five? Two reasons - Carter's writing takes a little while to adjust to and I was lost for a little while before I understood it. And because he cannot seem to stop writing about scat. I understand that foxes do this, however it was a bit much....
Why are we four stars instead of five? Two reasons - Carter's writing takes a little while to adjust to and I was lost for a little while before I understood it. And because he cannot seem to stop writing about scat. I understand that foxes do this, however it was a bit much....