Stephen SpotteAnmeldelser

After a few years and a few tries, I'm officially calling this a DNF - the premise is good, but the book is disjointed and hard to follow, filled with way too many extraneous cat-thoughts. I tried it again after my recent trip to Egypt, but it didn't hold my interest enough to try and follow.

An interesting story to bring you back in time told by a cat about ancient Egypt

The prose was engaging, but the action just didn't move fast enough to keep my interest.

I received this through Librarything Early Reviewers. For me, this is a complicated review to write because it's a complicated book. The main character is called to a medieval French Ecclesiastical courtroom. He has been summoned by the bishop to be the defense attorney for the defendants in three trials, rats in the area, who are accused of crimes against humanity, mainly eating all the barley in the fields and in the city storehouses, a pig who eats a baby, and a man accused of being a werewolf. What follows are trials that, if the charges were against a human, would seem cruel and archaic today but against animals it is comically absurd. It is also very clever and witty. I really enjoyed the arguments.The main target seemed to be religion and how it forms public beliefs. But it was very slow going for me and I got bogged down in tedious arguments. I applaud the author, a marine biologist, for learning so much about the law. interesting book.

Animal Wrongs by Stephen Spotte was awarded to me through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I googled animal trials in middle ages and, it really did happen. Animals were tried and even convicted of crimes, such as murder, beastiality, and other crimes, The absurdity of these trials questions the philosophy behind the modern criminal justice system. Capitol punishment, for instance. I thought it was well written and very persuasive. All-in-all, well worth reading, entertaining and, subtly, thought provoking.

This was an advanced reader's copy provided by the publisher via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. Whacky is a difficult genre and humor is a tricky business. Putting animals on trial is absurd. Once you've surrendered, you can start to appreciate this book on its own merits as a bit of a mix of the Canterbury Tales and Tom Jones - embellished by bawdy asides and elements of your typical picaresque novel. While I know little about medieval literature or history, this strikes me as a book that does not rely on the education of its readers. True to form its comedic thrusts take aim at some more modern targets - so more along the lines of the droll /satirical rather than the laugh out loud funny. All that said, I have to say the book would probably be found to be more interesting by someone with some knowledge of medieval history.

This was not what I was expecting--a sharp humorous satire on medieval law with the protagonist acting as defense attorney to a rat, pig, and a man thought to be a werewolf. The prosecutor was a demon, who had once in real life been a noted lawyer. Each case was more and more bizarre and the story consisted of long-winded minutiae and digressions. The humor was artificial. I felt the author was forcing himself to be funny. I was tempted to abandon the novel, but I did skim to the end. On the whole, I rate the novel as mediocre.

The publisher's blurb caught my eye and my interest--a little historical fiction mixed with a little wry humor: medieval trials of livestock ranging from rats to pigs. The writing is clever, the period detail adds interest, but the language and spiritual satire were too coarse for my preferences. What could have been an enjoyable read offended rather than entertained. Not for me, unfortunately.

A mid-evil look at the rights and wrongs of society. This is a story of two lawyers who go to trial with their clients who are animals. It is a clever look at what is wrong and correlates greatly with the wrongs in our society at the present time.
A strange but clever novel, that is quite entertaining at times, I would recommend to readers looking for something "off the beaten path" so to speak.
Thank you to author Stephen Spotte and Library Thing for the free ARC of this novel, I am leaving my honest review in return

Spotte’s retelling of Medieval ecclesiastic trials of animals could have been an absurd, biting satire, especially given the political world today. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t. After some good parts early on, the humor died, the satire became irrelevant. In the end, what could have been fun was just meh.

Early in the 16th century, a defense lawyer and his prosecutorial opponent (who also happens to be a demon) take on three cases involving animals: one against rats who have been charged with eating grain stores, one against a pig who killed a baby, and one against a man accused of being a werewolf.

These trials of animals were apparently a real historical thing, although I have to say even after reading an entire novel in which people go on and on and on explaining it all at great length, I can still barely wrap my brain around how the hell anybody thought that made any sense at all. Really, the whole thing is utterly absurd.

Showcasing that absurdity seems to be very much the point of the novel, but I'm afraid that even as someone who enjoys an occasional foray into the absurd, I just could not get into it. It doesn't help, I suppose, that, despite a bunch of deliberate anachronisms, the satire is five centuries short of topical, and to the extent that it's doing anything that is relevant to our current world, it doesn't seem especially sharp or profound. Maybe if I were someone capable of taking religion at all seriously in the first pace, this glimpse at one of its more ridiculous manifestations would feel more meaningful to me, I don't know. And maybe if I'd read it in a better, more patient mood, I would have gotten more out of it. I mean, there were a few moments I actually found mildly humorous. But mostly, I just found it tedious, with its long passages in which the characters repeat the same points over and over and over again. That's probably realistic for a courtroom scene, but it didn't make for a particularly engaging read.

Stephen Spotte spins a tale that tale of two lawyers who discuss and argue in court three cases over the span of about ten years the well known, at least to this reader, trials of animals in the 16th century. It's a wildly bizarre, fun, hilarious, and darkly satirical novel. The two attorneys engage in a battle of wits with enormous sections of dialogue that will challenge and delight the reader. The novel rips into the nonsensical inventions of religious dogma of the 16th century and skewers it with satirical bits and characters, one of which is the literal servant of the Devil himself, for an otherworldly fantastical historical novel that makes for great reading. It is a novel that lampoons its historical era but clearly is, sadly, all to relevant now. Its a weird - funny - must read.

A highly recommended read.

This was a strange book, and I requested it only because I thought a rat on trial in the Middle Ages sounded funny. In this book there is a man named Chassene, and he is a lawyer. There are three trials in this book: a rat, a pig, and a werewolf. The shocking animal cruelty and cruelty towards peasants bothered me a bit, but I'm glad to live in Current Year. If you are Christian or Catholic, this book will be offensive, as there is a demon who likes to pontificate about God's "goodness." I would classify this book as fantasy.

I quite enjoyed the idea of this book, which fictionalizes several trials against animals in early modern France (rats, a pig, a werewolf). But the author seems to have tried to be too clever by half, and by introducing the elements of "magical realism" and much anachronistic language, he lost me somewhere along the way. And I found myself looking forward to the historical note when I got to the end, only to find there wasn't one.½

Disclaimer: I won an ARC via a giveaway at Librarything.
Spotte’s Animal Wrongs is one of those clever books that does not bludgeon you to death with its cleverness. Spotte’s book makes use of trials that occurred in the Middle Ages when animals were put on trial for things like eating grain stores. In fact, the set up of the book mirrors works from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The two lawyers are at the center of the novel, Chassenee and Revigny, were real lawyers who did take part in such cases.
That, however, is only one level of the novel’s cleverness.
Another clever aspect is the use of the two lawyers, who in many ways free like a darker, more cynical less hopeful versions of Crowley and Aziraphale. It’s not a complete comparison. Chassenee isn’t an angel but any definition. Yet, there is that same sense of two who should be on opposites sides, but pick a third side. In part, they function also as Dante and Virgil in a strange side trip as well. In many ways, it is the relationship between these two men
Another level of clever is the use of an actual trial to not only examine the rights of animals but also the ills of society. He makes use of scripture and philosophy. There are interesting scientific tidbits as well that are used to contrast with the beliefs in the Middle Ages, so you actually learn something when reading this novel.
It might help when reading to have some familiarity with the Middle Ages as well as with Medieval writing. In general, however, this amusing and clever book. It is the first book I have read by Spotte, but it will not be the last.½

I give The Singing Bones: A Novel of the Life and Times of Naturalist George Stellar four stars reservedly. The story of the expeditions of Mr. Stellar is so fantastical that, at times, it is unbelievable. I actually looked up information on Mr. Stellar to be assured the book was not a work of fiction. The time period covered by the work is largely limited to a specific expedition, potentially reducing its appeal to a wider audience. Finally, the book is exceedingly long. This work is possibly an interesting read for naturalists and those involved in plant and animal sciences. It became a bit tedious at times, with extremely detailed vignettes about days of particular excursions into various parts of Siberia as well as the politics of university research funding and asset allocation. These drier passages were offset, however, by equally detailed vignettes of Mr. Stellar's methods of passing long, cold evenings in Siberia. While it seemed some vignettes were more detailed than necessary, they provided a more completely well rounded biography.

This is a novelization of the life of naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who, in 1741 accompanied Russian explorer Vitus Bering on his second expedition eastward from Kamchatka. Steller, being a man of many hats, also served as ship’s physician and Bering’s spiritual advisor.

The story of the expedition is the largest part of the book. The ship, under Bering’s guidance, successfully sighted the Alaska mainland and made landfall on several islands now part of Alaska. They made mostly unsuccessful contact with a very few native people. Steller described many marine animals and plants unknown or little known to Russians.

It was an ill-fated voyage though, as a good part of the crew, including Bering himself passed away from scurvy. Steller knew how to prevent this disease using lore he had gained from native inhabitants in Kamchatka. His advice was spurned, until shipwrecked and their boat entirely broken, Steller was able to provide the necessary fresh herbs and meat as well as the benefits of fresh (not brackish) water and save part of the crew.

The story is fascinating. I knew nothing about the Russian voyages to the east and Alaska. I tend to think of exploration from east to west in the US, or the Spanish explorations northward. These voyages by Russia on what are now the far western edges of the United States, were several decades before the American Revolutionary war.

However, I found the novel’s voice somewhat lacking. It often has the stilted quality of 18th century journals (on suchandsuch a date we went here or there), and lacking details. At other times he uses bits of profanity –such as Steller’s father having so many children, he almost fucked himself out of a seat at the dinner table. Is this profanity consistent with a journal written in the mid 1700’s? I have no idea.

Overall If you enjoy stories of exploration and discovery or the history of this area, this book might well be of interest.

A novel about the life of German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller. The book includes descriptions of life among the Russians, Cossacks, and native people of eastern Siberia. The author relates Steller’s professional development and work in eastern Siberia and northern Pacific travels as a state sponsored naturalist. Steller’s work included recording new (to western knowledge) species, particularly marine mammal species. The novel starts with Steller’s early life in Germany then moves to St. Petersburg then overland to eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, the Aleutians and to Alaska —the farthest point of his journey.

This novel is set in the early to mid-eighteenth century. Starting with Steller’s birth and his family life, moving to his education and professional advancement focusing on the 1740’s - the main period of his professional activity as a naturalist.

The author uses first person narrative, but the voice is uneven, punctuated with jarring changes in tone, typically to a modern use of vulgarity. In my opinion the novel would benefit from a editorial review to achieve a consistent voice appropriate to the period and clean up random typos and/or misspellings.

Overall I was satisfied with the content of this novel and appreciated the period detail and descriptions. My last question on finishing the book: historical fiction or novelization of the journals of Georg Steller? The detail and description tips toward the latter.

A very different take on the travel log. The book is a biography of the naturalist Stellar told in the first person. It covers his entire life but most of the book is about an expedition across Siberia and the Bering Strait. Most tales of expeditions describe the places crossed and interesting experiences. This tale is nonstop complaints about members of the expedition, incompetence of officials he has to deal with, terrible work condition, etc. I gained new respect for what it took to be an explorer.

A fascinating biography of the naturalist Stellar, and his adventures in Siberia and Kamchaka Russia during the 1700's. This also includes information about Bearing's explorations, and death. Both of whom it turns out were together for much of what opened Eastern Siberia and Alaska to modern Western European consciousness. A good read if so what labored in places, kept my interest.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. It aims to be a novel recounting Georg Wilhelm Steller’s life as a natural scientist, ethnologist and physician on the Second Northern Expedition. In his work De Bestiis Marinis (On the Beasts of the Sea) Steller described various species native to the Commander Islands, like the now extinct Steller’s sea cow, which he examined anatomically and in its behavior.

In the The Singing Bones : A Novel of the Life and Times of Naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller Steller is in my opinion depicted as a rather arrogant person. I don’t know if this was really the case as I have not read a copy of his original journals, but I did not like the main character. The book mostly describes the difficulties encountered on the expedition because of political reasons as well as incompetence of other members of the excursion. The different ethnicities encountered on the expedition are described as primitive and depicted in a rather negative light. I question if Steller really thought so negatively about his travel companions and stood on morally so much higher ground than the ethnicities encountered. I would have liked included a higher number of translated excerpts of his original journals and works, like the contained description of the Steller’s sea cow, a part which I found very interesting.

All in all, I read this book in the hope of getting a realistic picture of Steller’s life, work and character, and was disillusioned in the end as the tale recounted seemed to me in some parts to be more fiction than fact.½

At first blush, this was not my favorite read this month or during these past couple of months, until I read "Baked Scrod" which really moved me. Interestingly, this story was one of the few that had not previously been published, and suddenly my interest was piqued in reading Spotte closer than I had been. For me, many of the surreal stories were forgettable, except for "Baked Scrod", which I would not consider surreal but one that makes a unique, powerful statement. I don't like to work that hard when I read, so I am not enthusiastic about this collection, but I will never forget reading "Baked Scrod."

Stephen Spotte's novel was a different type of read. It started off by meandering through a fishing trip and possibly bad food to a surgical procedure and good drugs. The 'conversation' begins amidst the euphoria of booze and pot as Spotte candidly and succinctly summarizes the historical (and quite hysterical) antics of Egypt's Cleopatra through the eyes, ears, and nose of a cat. The banter between man and cat was amusing in a tongue-in-cheek way. As the conversation moves from history to the cat's life before he was adopted from the shelter, Spotte's novel seemed a bit stretched out to fill pages with empty cat wanderings and wonderings. Parts of the novel were humorous, but it felt disconnected. The novel does end abruptly, but then, that may be intentional for reasons that I did not understand. The perspective Spotte was gleaning his information from (that of the cat) was an interesting concept.

This was a unique collection of short stories, related in so far as they examine different individuals and their relations with the world around them. There is definitely a feel to some of these that is reminiscent of Hemingway/Fitzgerald, but with what I can best describe as a surreal overtone. Some of the stories I absolutely loved, and some I felt could have used a bit more intricacy, but overall it was a good read. There are a few editing errors, but very minor and easily corrected in the brain while reading.

One evening, when a former alley cat named Jinx’s human is laying on the sofa, fresh from the hospital for gall bladder surgery, Jinx starts talking to the human. Sure, the human is not only on prescription meds but has done some self medicating with pot and alcohol, but it’s a pretty intense experience. Jinx tells the human about his former life as a pampered pet of Cleopatra. The heart of the story is the history of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony.

Sadly, even though it’s a story narrated by a cat, there is not much cat in the tale. It’s a fairly dry relating of the facts of the struggle between Egypt and Rome. Jinx doesn’t have much to do, and doesn’t develop a personality. Jinx’s human is a captive audience. The author has his facts down pat, but doesn’t make them come to life. Only three stars, even though a cat is the main POV.