Ring of Bright Water

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Early in May comes the recurrent miracle of the elvers’ migration from the sea. There is something deeply awe-inspiring about the sight of any living creatures in incomputable numbers; it stirs, perhaps, some atavistic chord whose note belongs more properly to the distant days when we were a true part of the animal ecology’

Ring of Bright Water is more lyrical in its descriptions than I recall. In fact, there’s quite a lot of the book that’s simply describing the setting – the isolated house of Camusfearna and the nature around it. The otter I remember, Mijbil, doesn’t even enter the book until fairly late. And his successor, Edal enters in, though I’d thought she was only in the sequel. Maxwell wasn’t to know this, yet his curiosity and observation of nature was enough for him to spot the dissonance that occurs between an ancient, unyielding Atlantic coastline and the profligate activity of spring plants. He sums this up by saying: Lo ratifico, una obra muy especial y mágica, de las mejores memorias que he leído de primera mano acerca del idilio y conexión entre humanos y animales, que es imposible que no te llegué, y en cierto punto, hasta te duela ( por ti y por el autor y sus preciosas nutrias). Sólo sé que,a éstas alturas, ya quiero leer su siguientes partes. Maxwell portrayed himself as recluse, but was, by many accounts, thoroughly garrulous in company. What do you think was the source of his contradictory nature? Hastings, Chris (11 September 2005). "The dark love behind A Ring of Bright Water". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014.Gavin Maxwell died seven months after I was born. In a parallel universe, I think I would have liked to have sat with a newspaper and a pint at a table in a pub somewhere. Maxwell would be sitting nearby, within earshot, relaxed and happy in the company of some of his less posh friends. I’d be able to listen to what they were gassing on about, and try to get the measure of the man. Then I would step to the bar, buy a whisky (maybe a double) and take it across to Maxwell’s table and place it before him and say, “Thank you, sir. Thank you for writing so well, and for weaving such wonderful stories.” Then I’d nod my head at him and walk out the door into the rain. Austerity Britain has nothing on the austerity, drabness and general greyness of post-war Britain. We, along with our allies (especially the USA), may have won the war, but it was bad in Britain – always raining in the bombed-out city centres, where drudges dressed in demob suits trudged through puddles to and from their bedbug-infested tenements along broken pavements to work at tedious, meaningless office jobs for 18 hours a day (if we are to believe the social history writers and/or George Orwell). a b c Lister-Kaye, John (4 July 2014). "The Genius of Gavin Maxwell". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014 . Retrieved 18 November 2014. Can we ever truly know anyone, even oneself? Especially at second hand. I wrote something about this in Island of Dreams,

Award Winners". National Board of Review. New York City. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013 . Retrieved 24 June 2014.

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The film was released as a region 2 DVD in 2002, [10] and as a region 1 DVD in 2004. [11] Previously, it had been released as a VHS tape in 1981 and 1991. [12] [13] See also [ edit ] In my opinion, this single statement is one of the most remarkable in the entire book. To know and realise that there is something awry with the way plants function (Of an ecosystem). A subset of ecosystem processes and structures, where the ecosystem does something that provides an ecosystem service of value to people. in ecosystems reveals more to me about Maxwell’s genius than almost anyone I have ever read. And it sets, for me, a context for his love of wildlife – including his companion otters – and everything that unfolds in his book from thereon. Maxwell takes such a delight in the landscape and the antics of the creatures within it, both the wild ones and those he tamed or half-tamed, that it’s impossible not to enjoy this, for me. He wasn’t ashamed of his love for the animals, and sometimes that just shines through so clearly. Ring of Bright Water". Variety. Los Angeles. 31 December 1968. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018.

Mij's inquisitive and adventurous nature leads him some distance from the cottage to a female otter with whom he spends the day. Ignorant of danger, he is caught in a net and nearly killed. The humans find him and help him recover. Graham spends a significant amount of time drawing Mij, but realises that to show the true agility of the otter he must draw it underwater. He builds a large tank out of old windows so that he can do this. I was nervous to read this book because I'm very sensitive to animal welfare and completely against animals in captivity. I won't even keep a fish. When I started reading I wondered if I'd actually finish it because it's written in old English which is sometimes hard to follow. But once the otters were introduced I was hooked. What fabulous, intelligent and wonderful creatures. What pleasure our Creator must have taken in creating them. I am officially obsessed. Maxwell wrote so descriptively that it feels like you're there playing with them. I laughed (a lot!), cried and read with nervous anticipation as well as glee. What surprised me the most was my changed response to this book. I was not happy by the read as I had been when younger. It reminded me of my desire to acquire my own otter, and then thought of all the crazy kids in the 60's and 70's like me that wanted exotic pets (I'm thinking of Tiger King, here!). It seems to me these kind of stories may have helped that unfortunate trend along. Wouldn't the poor creatures been better left in their natural environments?Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water remains one of the most enthralling and surprising books I’ve ever read and I am sure, if I was to read it again in another twenty years or so, I would find yet more significance in his words. It’s a timeless and wonderful testament to the beauty and power of nature.