Product Description

Viskovitz is each of these animals and many more; yet it is the human condition with all its highs and lows which is portrayed in these hilarious metamorphoses. You're an Animal Viskovitz is a whirlwind of ironic fables, a tour de force of comic inventiveness and intelligence unlike anything that you have read before.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156687 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
ALESSANDRO BOFFA was born in Moscow. He completed his studies in Biology in Rome, and now divides his time between Italy and Thailand. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

Determination, deception and . . . dung?
Some years ago, philosopher Thomas Nagel published his now-famous essay, "What Is It Like to Be A Bat?". He concluded that we can't fully comprehend the mental processes of another creature. Boffa may accept Searle's pronouncement on bats, but this Russian-born biologist has worked it out for twenty other species. In this treasury of witty "autobiographies", Boffa examines various animals' lives. In these lively episodes he demonstrates the various manifestations of one "Viskovitz" as spider, snail, mantis or microbe. In sometimes wonderfully lyrical language, Boffa recounts Viskovitz' quest for his true love, "Ljuba" and the turmoils and travails this multiple personality must endure.

Biologists know all animal life [and perhaps a few plants!] is driven by the "Five Fs" - Feed, Fear, Fight, Flight and . . . er . . . reproduction. Boffa rearranges the queue to put the last up front. As twenty different species, not all of them definably male, Viskovitz uses every opportunity to continue the line. His quest to mate, especially with the love of his choice, consumes him in each guise. His sense of mission may seem extreme to some, but the tales clearly represent what has been learned from studying life. Boffa recounts the many rituals various species go through in attracting mates. Africa's dung beetle Viskovitz goes beyond mere collecting and posturing. He becomes a monopolistic entrepreneur, determined to overwhelm any competition in his desire to win the beetle Ljuba. The resolution of that courtship is a priceless example of what "diversity of life" truly means. Identity may be hidden in some remote aspect of an organism.

Ljuba, primary object of desire, isn't the only influence on Viskovitz' life. There is Zucotic, who might be Viskovitz' alter ego. There's Lara, who may play substitute for the elusive Ljuba. In one case, the delightful Ljuba is replaced by a new, even more attractive mate, who happens to be a cardboard cutout. And, there's Viskovitz' relationship with his own parents, who- and what-ever they may be. Antecedents, as in any family, bear strong influence on how the current generation behaves and what they might expect. Inquiring about what his departed father was like, he's informed: "Crunchy, a bit salty, rich in fibre" by his preying mantis mother. Gender identity is vague among some creatures, and Viskovitz' relations with snail and sponge families makes delightful reading. But, so does the whole book. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Bizarre, Funny, Short
This really is a fun read. Boffa tells the story of Viskovitz through this book, except it's not just one story, but a collection of tales about Viskovitz's different animal forms. Some of the stories are very short, 2 pages, others go into more depth (the wolf for example). The same character names are used in each story for V's friends and so on, but each story seems to have its own writing style. Some are straight stories, others, such as the scorpion, follow a specific genre (in this case a western with the scorpion being a gunslinger character).

It's all a very easy read, and, at only some 140 odd pages, a very quick read, but that really doesn't detract from what is a very enjoyable book.

Oh, and it does seem a bit obsessed with sex.

hilariously funny
I wasn't sure what to expect but I had heard good things so I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed.
There are lots of little chapters, which makes it a good book to pick up and put down without loosing anything. Each chapter has a different animal incarnation - several of them had me snorting with laughter in a very embarrasing way (the snail, mantis and elk in particular).
Each story includes a little insight into human relationships, self-image or confused sexuality - but beautifully observed and delightfully played out by the animals.
This would be a great present for a guy.