Jennifer
asked
Jane Wilson-Howarth:
You mentioned a love of Madagascar in one of your reviews. Any novels/histories/shorts/authors you'd recommend reading that feature the island?
Jane Wilson-Howarth
Sorry to be slow to respond but I've been working away - in Nigeria.
Yes indeed Madagascar has a huge place in my heart - firstly from seeing Attenborough's Zoo Quest films and reading his "Zoo Quest to Madagascar" (which is still a great read if you can find a second hand copy). Dervla Murphy's "Muddling Through in Madagascar" in contrast was a disappointment and actually incited me to write "Lemurs of the Lost World" after I spent nearly a year on the Great Red Island. I really enjoyed Geraldine McCaughrean's "Plundering Paradise" which is a [mostly] beautifully researched children's story focussing on pirates, tho I was mildly surprised when she wrote about porcupines (they don't occur on Madagascar) and it was clear she wasn't interested in the amazing unique wildlife.
There's a rather odd Victorian novel by RM Ballantyne "The Fugitives or The Tyrant Queen" that you can download for free which is interesting and a good ripping yarn. Anything that Allison Jolly has written is authoritative and readable and Durrell's "The aye-aye and I" is also great stuff. I didn't take to Christina Dodwell's "Madagascar Travels". And if you are visiting, use the Bradt guide, not Lonely Planet as the latter author seemed not to like the place!
Yes indeed Madagascar has a huge place in my heart - firstly from seeing Attenborough's Zoo Quest films and reading his "Zoo Quest to Madagascar" (which is still a great read if you can find a second hand copy). Dervla Murphy's "Muddling Through in Madagascar" in contrast was a disappointment and actually incited me to write "Lemurs of the Lost World" after I spent nearly a year on the Great Red Island. I really enjoyed Geraldine McCaughrean's "Plundering Paradise" which is a [mostly] beautifully researched children's story focussing on pirates, tho I was mildly surprised when she wrote about porcupines (they don't occur on Madagascar) and it was clear she wasn't interested in the amazing unique wildlife.
There's a rather odd Victorian novel by RM Ballantyne "The Fugitives or The Tyrant Queen" that you can download for free which is interesting and a good ripping yarn. Anything that Allison Jolly has written is authoritative and readable and Durrell's "The aye-aye and I" is also great stuff. I didn't take to Christina Dodwell's "Madagascar Travels". And if you are visiting, use the Bradt guide, not Lonely Planet as the latter author seemed not to like the place!
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