I was rummaging through a pile of unfiled paper on my desk and came across a copy of The Lady from April 2010. The magazine was in my mind already as they have just published a very pleasing review of The Beauty in the Beast – apparently I have ‘some fine stylistic touches too – a bumblebee is ‘furry, like an impossibly light mouse‘.’ and that the book should be ‘Read it in the garden, with the sun on your face and perhaps be spurred on to help protect Britain’s most vulnerable species.’
So as I flicked through the pages of horse riding poshness I was thrilled to be reminded that they had reviewed A Prickly Affair … and described it as a ‘quirky, entertaining, mad, informative and ultimately serious book…‘ which I have to say rather got it I reckon!
The best review I have ever had, ever, however came from the unlikely pages of the Daily Mail. I am sorry to trouble your eyes with the tittle-tattle that snakes down the website of that paper, but there is a sweet photo of me!
Mainly, though, the reason I like it so much is that the reviewer, Marcus Berkmann, understood what the book was about. Of course it is about me meeting lots of animal obsessives, but that is just one level and Marcus cut right through to the point, ‘His book works on so many levels: as a portrait of British eccentricity, as an informal, highly selective guide to our native fauna, and, quietly but angrily, as a polemic on the destruction of habitat and on the terrible mess we have made of our countryside. ‘I preach hedgehog,’ he writes, not entirely seriously, but there’s more to him than that, on the evidence of this book: a lot more.‘
The Herald have also been rather nice to me, ‘”I’m not suggesting that a dose of David Attenborough is not a good thing,” he writes in this warm and captivating book, “but staying glued to the sofa is not enough.”‘
These have been a great start, but what I would really appreciate is if those of you who have got The Beauty in the Beast (and hopefully enjoyed it) would be willing to write a short review on the Amazon site … not just for my ego, I assure you, but because I want people to be drawn into a deeper love affair with nature.
Did you see your review in BBC Wildlife magazine?
Yes Kate, I did, but was a little disappointed. Got the feeling that they had not read the entire book as they missed the key point!
But the good news – we have a date! 20th June – really looking forward to seeing you again. hx
Still, some quotable phrases and an overall thumbs up. I’ve just ordered another copy! Btw, did you see I now have TWO hedgehogs in my garden? If they are mating, how long before I might see babies?
4-5 weeks but it can be a little variable … maybe after our session at Elsemere we can retreat to yours for hedgehog fun!
The reviewers got it spot on. You sneak all sorts of brilliant info into each chapter Hugh. I’m still reading it and you have just the right amount of human and animal info all the way through- a great talent- thanks for the entertainment
thanks Paulo – hope to see you this summer
Hugh
1) Reviews may shift books – and for that reason you should include the links you have here from these big publications on to your amazon site. Remember to put that link on both .co.uk and .com
2) Get your kids or creative friend to shoot a short video review from a critter? It’d be a lot of fun to watch. Angle: get the kids buying it for their mums/dads/grannies????
3) Books aren’t really a baby – once out of your harddrive they belong to everyone else’s subjectivity, so don’t worry whether people love ’em or hate ’em. It’s up to them, and it’s bad for you (either way) to soak up the praise/critiques. That said I’ve just stuck up a review for you on amazon.co.uk (tho forgot to copy it so you’ll have to wait 24 hours before it turns up, sorry).
Good luck with the publicity. Nicola http://aroundbritainnoplane.blogspot.com
thanks Nicola – I am still very attached to the book … so nervous … but am getting thicker skinned. I love the video idea … I wonder if anyone in my family is handy with a camera!