Hermine: An Animal Life

by Maria Beig, Jaimy Gordon (Translator)

Fiction. Translation. "Marie Beig's HERMINE is a heartbreaking bestiary, a human life told in sixty-four animals. The book's design is apt, since its protagonist elicits less regard from her farm family than its animals do. Imagine a world in which your first memories are of your 'father's bad-tempered scowl and the angry faces of sisters and brothers who were struck and struck back.' A world in which tenderness is 'always turning away again to someone else' -- -Jim Shepard. Translated from the German by Jaimy Gordon.

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[S̶e̶a̶n̶]

A lot of violence done by animals and done to animals, though it grows gentler toward the end.

[Taylor Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Matthew Neill Null for recommending this one.

[Matt Jaeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly conceived and executed, a life of a woman as told through the context of the animals she encounters in her life. Perhaps a bit too morose, however.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thumbnail description of this book is incorrect. It's meant for another book.

Hermine: An Animal Life is some of my favorite kind of writing. Seemingly simple, very specific, fragmentary, with a ruthless narrator you may not trust.
The sum of all that is incredibly powerful, beautiful, timeless, mesmerizing.

[Russel · Rating 5 out of 5]

one cool fucking zoo 10/10 highly recommend even tho you could probably file this under Not Really My Thing (there are ZERO explosions but the formal presentation of the book is punk enough that you find your self almost not missing them though really couldn't we at least have blown up a deer just one fucking deer maybe an owl maybe some of those german kids too)

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deserves more readers.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful surprise of a book.