Ring of Bright Water

I was lucky enough to pick up a box set of Maxwell's Ring of Brightwater trilogy, along with his House of Elrig, book a few years ago in good condition, on the basis of having enjoyed his A Reed Shaken by the Wind a lot.
Finally I got to this first book, not really knowing what to expect, other than the short crossover in A Reed... where he obtains his first otter cub. There are a few spoilers below, so if you are put off by these, then perhaps curtail your reading now...

The first half of this book explains Maxwell's remote property (called Camusfearna in the book, but not its real name) in Scotlands Western Highlands, and explaining in great detail its surroundings, and his peaceful existence there with Jonnie the spaniel. And then somewhat suddenly he introduces his short story about his first otter in Iraq, and then the obtaining of his second otter Mijbil, also from Iraq and the one year and one day spent with him. It explains the steep learning curve both parties went through, with an otter in semi-captivity.
Along the way Mijbil's sub species is clarified as not previously named, and so it became Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli.

And after Mijbil passed away, Maxwell explains the circumstances in which the only couple in the UK with an otter they need to re-home, bumps into the only man in the UK who is desperately seeking an otter. And then Maxwell explains the transition of his second otter Edal into his care.

Amongst the otter stories, Maxwell shares more of his own thoughts, and his other numerous animal adoptions, including a lemur, a bushbaby, 4 geese, and a wildcat!

Overall, Maxwell comes across as charming, eccentric and his appreciation of animals and birds is obvious. There can be various criticisms levelled at him for his attempts at domesticating wild animals, but I believe Maxwell was leading change in animal welfare and treatment, and it is unreasonable to judge him in recent terms. He writes incredibly well in describing the landscapes, flora and fauna and he delights in sharing it in his writing. To describe this book in one word I would use charming.

5 stars from me.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Gavin Maxwell, ensconced in a house on the beautiful coast of Scotland, decides to keep an otter as a pet - at any cost. And costs there are - financial, emotional, and (for the otters) existential.

Review
Ring of Bright Water and its sequel, The Rocks Remain, were two of the books, along with Gerald Durrell's and James Herriot's, that made the adolescent me think seriously about animals. I owe them for that. Unfortunately, the books look quite different to a wiser, older me.

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.

What does stand out, though, much as it did in Maxwell's memoir of childhood, The House of Elrig, is his attitude toward animals. What is clear now, but I don't think was to the child me, is that Maxwell is focused on individuals. He loves Mijbil and Edal deeply and fully. But he's not really concerned with animals more broadly – or, if he is, only in a somewhat selfish way. The very way he acquires the otters is fraught with risk – for them. Even he admits, in the end, that his very pursuit of exotic pets supports and instigates a cruel, brutal trade that causes many of them to die. It's a fact that stands out to my adult view from the beginning. As a child, I was no wiser than he, and was simply mesmerized by the otters. Now, some of it is horrible.

I'd planned to go on to the sequel, but now I'm not so sure I can stomach Maxwell's casual disregard of animal pain or his apparent view of them as an instrument for human enjoyment. Perhaps it's not surprising in a man who grew up both collecting and killing with equal interest, and who initially set up a shark-hunting venture. Those elements come out with far more weight for me now than they did back in the '70s.

If you're an animal lover, I can no longer recommend this. There's just too much that's wrong in Maxwell's approach. If what you're primarily interested in is lush description, Maxwell's prose hasn't changed, and there's a lot to like in his long descriptions of Camusfearna and the otters.