Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson (audiobook)

genre: non-fiction, true crime

Victorian Salmon Fly Tying.  A backwoods British Natural History Museum.  A virtuoso flutist.  A contemporary of Darwin who traveled the word in search of birds.  What the heck do these things have in common?

A crime, the effects of which we may never be able to fully comprehend.

This non-fiction book about a true theft of rare and exotic bird skins to be used in fly tying is absolutely fascinating.  It reads like a crime novel and I really liked the background, chronology and science that really helps you understand the significance and value of what was stolen. But I also liked delving into that strange and mysterious world of fly tying and the psyche of those who are obsessed with this little bits of feather and fluff tied to a hook. Don't get me wrong - while listening I had to go online to look at the different feathers and ties that are discussed and some of them are so so beautiful. But really, it is STILL just a thing that's designed to catch a fish, right?  But to the aficionados of the art, having the right feathers is worth any cost.  I wasn't thrilled with the ending - I think I just wanted something different, although in non-fiction, that's certainly not the author's fault.  I just felt a little less interested right at the end but overall, for the natural history I learned and the mystery itself, I really enjoyed this read.

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