Each Day a Small Victory by Chips Hardy
My rating: 4/5 cats
this book is advertised as wind in the willows meets pulp fiction. and that isn’t bad, for a blurb, but it isn’t a perfect description. this is just a more realistic version of wind in the willows.
there is plenty of anthropomorphization. all the animals know each other – and they all have waspy human names like bill or alan (even the actual wasps) but their casual interactions never prevent one from eating the other. nature is nature, and in the winter, especially, there is no room for social niceties.
see, these animals do not play well with others. and why? because animals don’t. animals are food for other animals – animals eat each other while they are still alive and twitching. take that, animal rights activists – that is real animal cruelty; try to convince a stoat to go vegan, jsf!!
the stoat is not this:
the stoat is more like this:
really, man.
stoat.
the stoat does not apologize – he says straight up “you will not like me when i am hungry.” unless you taste bad (looking at you, toad)
i love animal tales that offset how “civilized” the animal kingdom is when compared to the oafish, uncivilized “animalistic” humanity. OHHHHH THE IRONY!!!
this doesn’t do that. humans exist in this universe, but animals don’t study them, don’t pass judgment. humans have certain usefulness, when they drop food, etc, and pose certain dangers – when they catch you all up in their chicken coops, eating their birds, but they are largely ignored.
mona the bumblebee is my favorite character, but for your own good – do not get attached to any characters. but there are a lot of good ones. (eyes welling up)
i love the details in this book: each animal species has their own slangy cusswords: the dogs say “barking” the birds say “flapping”
it is totally rad.
sure, it is violent, and a reader may find all the blood gratuitous, but i suppose a little time spent watching actual animals go about their business will educate ya- where there are animals,there will be blood.foxes eat kittens. kittens eat birds. birds eat mice. and on and on and on.
oh, and badgers are assholes.
they do not wear waistcoats. they do not drive cars. they do not drink tea. accept it.
this book is the bedtime story kidnappers read to their victims. it is not all fluffy sunshine – animals have teeth. and i love it. i love this book. i love the illustrations. here is one. enjoy.
IT DANCES IN THE CORPSE OF THE RABBIT!!
oh, it totally cracks me up and is a great read.
i can’t get it into my store, but in the back of the book, it says: to order more copies of each day a small victory, please call the publisher (can of worms press) on +44 (20) 7708 2942 or visit www.CanOfWormsPress.co.uk
you should.
