nitroglycerin's Reviews (952)

Badgers are elusive. They’re an animal I haven’t seen live in the wild. This book therefore was fascinating and taught me so much about these mammals. 

There is a lot of focus on bovine TB and badgers part in that, since the book was written at the time of the 2013 cull it makes sense. It was a hot topic. The badger cull still happens. The author stays clear of choosing one side or the other, instead he expresses the views of both sides fairly. 

I read this as part of my mammoth quest to read all the longlisted wainwright prize books, and I can see why Barkham was included (more than once) as his writing is engaging and knowledgeable without being overloading. 

Having already listened to The Old Ways quite recently, I noticed a few bits that were very much identical in wording in both books, particularly when discussing Nan Shepherd. There was enough new writing to be interesting, and a few more authors mentioned for me to look out for. The glossary of words would be easier to read in physical format but interesting non the less. 

I enjoyed the memory police, but I didn’t love it. 
Why?
I didn’t feel submerged in the story. I felt the slow pace held it back rather than helped it. I didn’t like that the characters weren’t properly named. 

I did like the concept of losing memories. Not knowing who the bad guys actually where or why.

 

I feel like there could have been a larger library of wild plants/weeds/whatever you wish to call them, included in the book. Tips on how to harvest seeds from nature appreciated though