As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

"Raising the Peaceable Kingdom" by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

book review by Riley Burnham 8/17/2023

well... i liked this book a lot... ALTHOUGH the Epilogue nearly lost me [i powered through, altho could & would easily stop before the human-bashing begins -- a la "historical" "events" & the many many many ways humans are so bad & awful compared to animals, yada yada yada]

i did however like the prose of the rest of the book -- a story of a seemingly retired guy living on a beach in Auckland, NZ w/ his family, conducting an experiment of mixing many types of pets in one household -- chicks, cat, dog, rats, rabbits...

some key takeaways: these animals [even & especially the rat] has big personality, w/ what appears to be consideration for humans, humor... the dog & rat at last become top mates

​​​​​​​the chickens are infatuated w/ each other & must be in proximity almost always; are singsong w/ their contented clucks & sounds, & LOVE being indoors, often waiting for hours at the window just to be let inside

​​​​​​​at the end he realizes the dog is being somewhat failed in the circumstances & properly loans/gives him to a good friend who intimately & lovingly bonds w/ it -- win-win

good story, bullshit in the epilogue, fascinating & tempting concept

​​​​​​​the intermixing becomes an odd-bunch of friends & adventure-mates as the cat, rabbit, rat... wander to the beach in author's tow