Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile
by Verlyn Klinkenborg
Book Summary Information
Author: Verlyn KlinkenborgEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-02-07
ISBN: 0679407286
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile
Book Review: Reptilian Sense and Sensibility
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wry, original, disarming, imaginative, and instructive tale! Author Verlyn Klinkenborg considers the subjective journaling of 18th century English curate Gilbert White regarding a real life tortoise who lived on White's property in Selborne, and from White's biased human observations crafts a rebuttal unlike any other: a bestial philosophic treatise. Timothy is a sentient being who has much to teach us from her example (White in his paternalism erroneously concludes Timothy is male).
Through Timothy's narrative we are shown our own species' arrogance, cruelty, and bumbling tack. "How do I escape from that nimble-tongued, fleet footed race?.... Walk through the holes in their attention". Timothy's discourse on instinct versus reason is worthy of university level discussion. "Tottering, stilt-gaited beasts. A sad plight. Reason too often a will-o'-the-wisp. Instinct a relic within them."
Jane Austen in a carapace. Elegance amongst the asparagus.
As one reviewer notes, this is "one of the best meditations on slowness, patience, and endurance". It will make you re-consider humankinds place in the world. An excellent book club read, it will lead to many long discussions. One can also predict increasing crowds at the reliquary of Timothy's shell at the Natural History Museum in London.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Suspend Some Time with a Masterpiece
The Portable Dorothy Parker (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)by Dorothy Parker
Penguin Classics; Published: 2006-03-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.18
Price in other shops:
The New York Trilogy (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)by Paul Auster
Penguin Classics; Published: 2006-03-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
Travels in the Scriptorium: A Novelby Paul Auster
Henry Holt and Co.; Published: 2007-01-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.30
Price in other shops:
The Brooklyn Follies: A Novelby Paul Auster
Picador; Published: 2006-10-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.50
Price in other shops:
Christ the Lord: Out of Egyptby Anne Rice
Knopf; Published: 2005-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.90
Price in other shops:
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terrorby Christopher Moore
William Morrow; Published: 2005-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $43.72
The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus (Myths)by Margaret Atwood
Canongate U.S.; Published: 2005-10-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.72
Price in other shops:
The Shadow of the Windby Carlos Ruiz Zaf?n
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Intuitionby Allegra Goodman
The Dial Press; Published: 2006-02-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.29
Price in other shops:
The Woman Who Waited: A Novelby Andre? Makine
Arcade Publishing; Published: 2006-03-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.79
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Gardener's Year (Modern Library Gardening)by Karel Capek
Modern Library; Published: 2002-02-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.27
Price in other shops:
The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition) (Oprah's Book Club)by Ken Follett
NAL Trade; Published: 2007-11-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.98
Price in other shops:
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Timeby Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyby Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
The Dial Press; Published: 2008-07-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.39
Price in other shops:
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61)by Eckhart Tolle
Penguin; Published: 2008-01-30; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops:
Making Hayby Verlyn Klinkenborg
The Lyons Press; Published: 2003-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.42
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62)by David Wroblewski
Ecco; Published: 2008-09-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.90
Price in other shops:
The Last Fine Timeby Verlyn Klinkenborg
University Of Chicago Press; Published: 2004-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.84
Price in other shops:
The Rural Lifeby Verlyn Klinkenborg
Back Bay Books; Published: 2004-01-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.58
Price in other shops:
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesiaby Elizabeth Gilbert
Penguin Audio; Published: 2006-02-16; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $18.83
Price in other shops: