“‘Now,’ continued the cat, ‘there is nothing more difficult than
changing an animal’s mind. But I will say, in case I can change yours:
humans are more useful to us outside our bellies than in.’”
Perhaps.
After
The Calamity, the animals thought the humans had managed to do
themselves in. But, it turns out, a few are cowering in makeshift
villages. So the animals―among them a cat, a dog, a crow, a baboon, a
horse, and a bear―have convened to debate whether to help the last human
stragglers . . . or to eat them.
Rest assured, there is a happy ending. Sort of.
Featuring illustrations by Steven Tabbutt
Reviews
“The book's overall effect . . . beautifully obliterates pigeonholes. The echoes of Animal Farm
are many, but here, the main target of social critique is far larger
than totalitarianism. . . . As an anthropomorphic folktale, The Council of Animals is concise, clever, and wonderfully conceived. As an allegory of the human condition, it's even better.”―Jason Heller, NPR
Both
wildly imaginative and surprisingly funny, with (mostly) endearing
characters, this thinly veiled metaphor offers what feels like an
appropriate outcome. Tabbutt’s drawings of the animals add to the whimsy
and interest of the tale by McDonell (An Expensive Education; The
Bodies in Person), which readers of all ages will enjoy. Highly
recommended.”―Library Journal
“McDonell's clever, lively prose and snappy pacing propels readers onward. The Council of Animals
has the feel of a fable, both a romp with sweetly goofy animal
characters and a serious and clear-eyed story about the real world and
its dangers. . . . Thought-provoking, captivating, funny, instructive:
this is a book for readers who have ever yearned for a little extrahuman
wisdom and cheer.”―Shelf Awareness
“The Council of Animals
is a delightful fable full of wit and wisdom. Nick McDonell has dreamed
up an ingenious mythology for his animals and he portrays them with the
charm of Milne or Carroll. McDonell has the rare ability to combine
irony with empathy and deliver satire with grace. The result is a
timelessly entertaining tale that readers will find inspiring and
irresistible."―Simon Rich, author of New Teeth and Ant Farm
"This
tale’s ratio of wit to wildness is positively golden. Its subtle logic
and frank and tender mischief have somehow left me with the feeling of
having witnessed a wake and christening combined―and I’m so very glad I
attended."―Helen Oyeyemi, author of What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours
Nick McDonell
Nick McDonell, born in 1984, is a writer of novels, journalism,
and political theory. He studied literature at Harvard and international
relations at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford. His fiction has been
published in twenty-two languages and appeared on bestseller lists
around the world. A film adaptation of his first novel, Twelve, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His academic work on nomadism―The Civilization of Perpetual Movement―was published in 2016. As a reporter for the London Review of Books, Time, TheNewYorker.com, and Harper’s,
Nick has embedded with the United States Army and Marines, the Afghan
Special Forces, the African Union Mission to Darfur, and the Iraqi
Special Forces. Nick’s book, The Bodies in Person: An Account of Civilian Casualties in American Wars,
was published in 2018. Nick is a cofounder of the Zomia Center for the
Study of Non-State Spaces, which supports scholarly and humanitarian
projects around the world.
http://www.nickmcdonell.com/
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