Rainbow Dust: Three Centuries of Butterfly Delight - Hardcover

Marren, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 022639588X ISBN 13: 9780226395883

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2016

Synopsis

Like fluttering shards of stained glass, butterflies possess a unique power to pierce and stir the human soul. Indeed, the ancient Greeks explicitly equated the two in a single word, psyche, so that from early times butterflies were not only a form of life, but also an idea. Profound and deeply personal, written with both wisdom and wit, Peter Marren’s Rainbow Dust explores this idea of butterflies—the why behind the mysterious power of these insects we do not flee, but rather chase.

At the age of five, Marren had his “Nabokov Moment,” catching his first butterfly and feeling the dust of its colored scales between his fingers. It was a moment that would launch a lifetime’s fascination rivaling that of the famed novelist—a fascination that put both in good company. From the butterfly collecting and rearing craze that consumed North America and Europe for more than two hundred years (a hobby that in some cases bordered on madness), to the potent allure of butterfly iconography in contemporary advertisements and their use in spearheading calls to conserve and restore habitats (even though butterflies are essentially economically worthless), Marren unveils the many ways in which butterflies inspire us as objects of beauty and as symbols both transient and transcendent.

Floating around the globe and through the whole gamut of human thought, from art and literature to religion and science, Rainbow Dust is a cultural history rather than merely a natural one, a tribute to butterflies’ power to surprise, entertain, and obsess us. With a sway that far surpasses their fragile anatomy and gentle beat, butterfly wings draw us into the prismatic wonders of the natural world—and, in the words of Marren, these wonders take flight.

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Marren is a wildlife writer, journalist, and authority on invertebrate folklore and names. He is the author or coauthor of more than twenty books, including The New Naturalists and Nature Conservation.

Review:

“British nature writer and conservationist Marren remembers the butterfly collecting of his youth as a life-changing encounter with nature. Such an intense response to butterflies is not uncommon, and the author examines the emotional appeal of butterflies to naturalists, artists, novelists, and collectors during the past three hundred years. . . . Marren is a master of concise, elegant writing, and this passionate, personal work is not only a fascinating cultural study of these creatures but also an example of superb nature writing. . . . Highly recommended for all nature enthusiasts.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“A prizewinning British wildlife writer reveals the special place of butterflies in our imagination and cultural life. . . . Marren has a firm grasp of history and biology, filling his narrative with vivid accounts of interesting events and encounters with writers, illustrators, hobbyists, and scientists. With an easy style, the author considers butterflies in art and literature—from ancient manuscripts to Vladimir Nabokov and John Fowles—and even advertising. . . . This is not a field guide or a natural history but rather a celebration of butterflies with a note of sadness over the decline of these creatures. . . . An erudite, engaging book.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Marren’s Rainbow Dust is a history of butterflies in Great Britain. By this we mean, of course, a history of humans and butterflies. (What is with all these Brits writing about nature? There’s a strong elegiac tone in these works, as well as celebration, as well as inspiration to do god-damned better, mates!)” (Backyard and Beyond)

“An elegantly written and superbly researched account of how the human bond with butterflies has changed over centuries.” (Patrick Barkham Guardian, Best Books of 2015)

“To and fro, the book flitty-floats, elegantly, intentionally, like a butterfly between blooms. . . . He’s a genial, entertaining guide, is Peter Marren. . . . Butterflies have found their champion. Is Rainbow Dust worth a flutter? Oh, absolutely.” (John Lewis-Stempel Times)

“A subtly brilliant cultural and scientific history of lepidoptery, interspersed with vignettes from Marren’s own life in the field.” (Barbara Kiser Nature)

“Rainbow Dust is Marren’s love letter to the butterfly. . . . His passion is infectious. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, Rainbow Dust is a truly marvelous book.” (Sophia Waugh Telegraph)

“As charming and colorful as its winged subjects.” (Financial Times)

“Reveal[s] the fascinating world of these winged jewels.” (Stephen Moss Guardian, Best Nature Books of 2015)

“Marren’s Rainbow Dust, a captivating cultural life of . . . butterflies, is crammed with such fascinating stories. The real reason for those bright colors? One scientist chewed on this for years—literally.” (Martin Jones Guardian, Readers’ Books of the Year 2015)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 022639588X
• ISBN 13: 9780226395883
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320