This little song of a book makes for a lively and brief read. From caterpillars to moths to butterflies, Russell flits from subject to subject poetically. Her book focuses on the genetic mission of the butterfly, their tricks of adaptation and mimickry. Makes me want to be a butterfly (if for no other reason than to be able to secrete a chastity belt onto my wife to keep her from being promiscuous.) The occasional second-person narrative works surprisingly well. Most importantly, Russell does not waste much ink discussing issues of habitat destruction or species extinction. We know about that already. Instead she focuses on the magic, the color, and the life. The lepidopterists out there might quibble with the science (the author is more of an MFA than a PhD) but I odnt know about that. It is getting on evening and I am going to grab a six-pack and my camera and go out in the hills looking for butterflies.
This lyrical exploration of butterflies has an amazing range. The authors depth and breadth of research is equaled by her ability to sweep us into a very special world, the world of those who are obsessed with butterflies. Butterfly biology and ecology, the focus of this book, are clearly presented in beautiful language. The details of butterfly anatomy and behavior are sometimes bizarre and always interesting. The author adds depth to the book by including the human view of butterflies. Her profiles of contemporary and historical scientists and ordinary people who have been obsessed with butterflies are riveting. (Some of the people are as peculiar as the insects!) She includes the incredible variety of meanings that societies have assigned to butterflies and moths. I had a hard time putting down this unusual blend of science, biography and mythology.
I picked up this slim volume for a quick read and was treated to a meditation on the subject of butterfly species, as well as the insect and plant world. The book overflows with information, but the wealth of details never seems dry or textbookish. I laughed out loud at times with the insights about the subjects mating and survival behaviors revealed with wonderfully wry comparisons to everyday events. Im left with the feeling that while seemingly a fluke of nature ("if all butterflies disappeared so would a few flowers-but not many"), the butterfly fits in natures web through complex relationships with the plants and insects that inhabit its domain: Ants that become the children to the caterpillars Pied Piper and plants whose leaves mimic the appearance of ones that have been ravaged by the caterpillar. And perhaps, most telling our own relationship to these singular creatures: as eccentrics, as collectors, as art appreciators, as naturalists, and as scientists. I count myself among a select group of those who have taken the time to learn about the natural world from the point of view of the butterfly. This is the rare book that is greater than the sum of the details due to the authors exceptional, wide-angle approach to a multifaceted puzzle. A pleasure to read for the humor and insight.
