Official Review: Mighty Mary by Max Davine
Posted: 28 Aug 2019, 09:19
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mighty Mary" by Max Davine.]
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Mighty Mary (Max Davine) is a fictional account of the life of Mary the Elephant, an Asian elephant who performed in the Sparks World Famous Shows circus in the early 20th century. Mary was the star of the circus until a shocking incident in which she brutally and publicly killed her handler, resulting in her execution by hanging in 1916. The events of her circus career are factual insofar as information on them is available, but the author fills in the gaps with imagined details that enrich the story of her extraordinary life and tragic death.
Poached from the wild after the death of her mother, a female Asian elephant calf is confined and raised in captivity by a series of violent and aggressive overseers. The humans of the time consider animals not to have souls, thoughts, or feelings, and so all the humans in the calf’s life treat her with cold indifference. The calf, later named “Mary”, is shuttled from place to place and continent to continent, ultimately finding herself in the Sparks circus, where she becomes an immediate success. Throughout it all, she battles deep homesickness and existential confusion, makes both friends and enemies without trying, and desperately attempts to find her place in to her new “family”.
The author treats Mary as the most “human” character in the story, imbuing her with thoughts, needs, emotions, and hopes for the future. Human callousness and cruelty are on full display in this novel, to the point that the reader is at risk of becoming ashamed to be a member of the human race. This is by design; the known facts regarding the life of Mary the Elephant leave no room for doubt that she was treated cruelly and unjustly from the moment of her first contact with humanity. Nevertheless, some humans in Mary’s life are kinder and more understanding than others, and so the reader is left with a sense of hope despite the horrors Mary endures. Davine’s rendering of the tragic end of Mary’s life pulls mercilessly at the reader’s heartstrings and creates a deep feeling of injustice at the cold-blooded treatment of such a thoughtful and majestic beast.
My one critique is the profusion of errors throughout the text, ranging from petty typos to entirely meaningless sentences. I truly did enjoy both the story and the author’s writing style, and so it pains me to have to deduct a star for lack of editing. Profanity was used sporadically, as were graphic descriptions of violence, both by and against animals, as well as between humans.
There were no scenes designed to be erotic, although animal mating was mentioned and euphemistically described on several occasions. There was, however, one scene of race-based violence and another involving a moderately graphic description of rape. Therefore, I could not recommend this book for underage readers or readers particularly sensitive to descriptions of assault.
I would rate Mighty Mary as a 3 out of 4 for its engaging storyline and compassionate, empathetic, and realistic portrayal of the life and death of a truly extraordinary creature. It lost one star for its errors alone, and would gain that star back with some solid editing. This book would most appeal to readers who care for animals and are willing to look at life through their eyes. Because the book is based on a true story, the reader knows the ending in advance. As such, readers who need a surprising ending should pass this one by. However, the author’s imaginative and heart-wrenching rendition makes it a worthwhile read for all those who are willing to peek behind the curtain and dig deeper into Mary’s story.
******
Mighty Mary
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Mighty Mary (Max Davine) is a fictional account of the life of Mary the Elephant, an Asian elephant who performed in the Sparks World Famous Shows circus in the early 20th century. Mary was the star of the circus until a shocking incident in which she brutally and publicly killed her handler, resulting in her execution by hanging in 1916. The events of her circus career are factual insofar as information on them is available, but the author fills in the gaps with imagined details that enrich the story of her extraordinary life and tragic death.
Poached from the wild after the death of her mother, a female Asian elephant calf is confined and raised in captivity by a series of violent and aggressive overseers. The humans of the time consider animals not to have souls, thoughts, or feelings, and so all the humans in the calf’s life treat her with cold indifference. The calf, later named “Mary”, is shuttled from place to place and continent to continent, ultimately finding herself in the Sparks circus, where she becomes an immediate success. Throughout it all, she battles deep homesickness and existential confusion, makes both friends and enemies without trying, and desperately attempts to find her place in to her new “family”.
The author treats Mary as the most “human” character in the story, imbuing her with thoughts, needs, emotions, and hopes for the future. Human callousness and cruelty are on full display in this novel, to the point that the reader is at risk of becoming ashamed to be a member of the human race. This is by design; the known facts regarding the life of Mary the Elephant leave no room for doubt that she was treated cruelly and unjustly from the moment of her first contact with humanity. Nevertheless, some humans in Mary’s life are kinder and more understanding than others, and so the reader is left with a sense of hope despite the horrors Mary endures. Davine’s rendering of the tragic end of Mary’s life pulls mercilessly at the reader’s heartstrings and creates a deep feeling of injustice at the cold-blooded treatment of such a thoughtful and majestic beast.
My one critique is the profusion of errors throughout the text, ranging from petty typos to entirely meaningless sentences. I truly did enjoy both the story and the author’s writing style, and so it pains me to have to deduct a star for lack of editing. Profanity was used sporadically, as were graphic descriptions of violence, both by and against animals, as well as between humans.
There were no scenes designed to be erotic, although animal mating was mentioned and euphemistically described on several occasions. There was, however, one scene of race-based violence and another involving a moderately graphic description of rape. Therefore, I could not recommend this book for underage readers or readers particularly sensitive to descriptions of assault.
I would rate Mighty Mary as a 3 out of 4 for its engaging storyline and compassionate, empathetic, and realistic portrayal of the life and death of a truly extraordinary creature. It lost one star for its errors alone, and would gain that star back with some solid editing. This book would most appeal to readers who care for animals and are willing to look at life through their eyes. Because the book is based on a true story, the reader knows the ending in advance. As such, readers who need a surprising ending should pass this one by. However, the author’s imaginative and heart-wrenching rendition makes it a worthwhile read for all those who are willing to peek behind the curtain and dig deeper into Mary’s story.
******
Mighty Mary
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
