Between Man and Beast

The parts of the book that deal with adventurer in equatorial Africa and hunting gorilla are wonderful. Reel's mixture of narrative storytelling and information gleaned from primary documents make for a riveting history. The middle part of the book, where explorer/”discoverer” of the gorilla Paul Du Chaillu goes from darling to pariah amongst the London intellectual social set, is less engaging. There are some interesting facts about the reception of Darwinism and London's first lending library and its influence on the Victorian publishing industry, but there are so many people involved, only a few who are described in any real detail, that it takes away from excitement of the ‘jungle' sections. Still a good read though, and a testament to the interrelation of knowledge and storytelling.