Author : E.O. Wilson
What is it about : This work of Fiction from one of the foremost (non-fiction) authorities on Biology and in particular, Social Insects; brought together three threads of story lines - The American South, Ants and one man's struggle for the conservation of the natural habitat against the powerful local realty developers. The Book follows the nerdy Raff, a locally borne naturalist exploring the Nokobee Lake in the US State of Alabama, doorsteps away from his home, to his rise to a Harvard trained lawyer, figuring out a way to out-fox the local powers and bureaucracies, that included his honourable family with heritage and prestige, going back to the American Civil War. Raff wily wins his way, at the end, to preserve the nature of his home environment.
Some thoughts after having read the book : Initially without even knowing and starting to read this book and only basing my viewpoints on E.O.Wilson's other books and reputation, my assumptions of the narratives have been proved half correct - I just KNEW that, the biology and life cycle of Ants would feature prominently sooner or later somewhere in this book; what I HAD NOT anticipated, was the Author’s fictional fluency and mastery, and the injections of the Culture of the American South laced throughout the book. This book is certainly an eye-opener for an Asian (myself) into certain aspects of the South - Conservatism, Gun-Culture, Racism, Heritage, Distant Echoes of the Civil War, Un-spoilt Nature, Financial Opportunism, Family Linage and Local Life. The chapters on Anthill Chronicles, which detailed the life cycles of a few of the ants nests by the shores of Lake Nokobee, are a tour de force, showcasing E.O.Wilson's mastery and command of All-Things-Ants. These chapters have been written with great insights including insect anatomy, mating rituals, nest building, battles, society formation and the interference of human beings into their world; and all this has been done without the use of technical terminology.
Would I recommend this book to you : Without trying to compare this novel with the Greats, the likes of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer (more the Mississippi than Alabama), this book ranks amongst these top fictions for, if anything, this book's depiction of the modern American South. I would read this Book just for those insightful and interesting aspects. Also, if you are an Ant Biology (Social Insects) hobbyist like myself, then Chapter IV : Anthill Chronicles, sings for you.
