Looking for suggestions: fiction from an animal POV

[ownedbycats]

I like Watership Down. I like Tailchaser's Song. I like Silverwing. I liked the first few Warrior Cats books. I liked Raven Quest/Wolf Rider.

I'm looking for more like these. Books from an animal POV where the animals are still, well, animals as opposed to whatever's going on in, for example, Redwall. (Though I do like Redwall.)

[Calenorn]

Some of Jim Kjelgaard's young adult novels are from the animal's point of view. His books are naturalistic, not anthropomorphized at all. He gets the reader to respect and sympathize with the animal protagonists without compromising accurate natural history. Very knowledgeable, and a gifted writer.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Calenorn

Some of Jim Kjelgaard's young adult novels are from the animal's point of view. His books are naturalistic, not anthropomorphized at all. He gets the reader to respect and sympathize with the animal protagonists without compromising accurate natural history. Very knowledgeable, and a gifted writer.

I recognize that name! I had to check my catalog, and turns out I have a very aged copy of one of his books (though it was from a human POV):

[Uncle Robin]

It's been a VERY long time since I read it, but Beak of the Moon might fit. The one review at the Storygraph suggests there is an acceptably low amount of anthropomorphization. Although research on them in the years since the book was published suggests they're a helluva lot smarter than they are painted in the story.

[Calenorn]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I recognize that name! I had to check my catalog, and turns out I have a very aged copy of one of his books (though it was from a human POV):

Attachment 193396

This one was good, although only half from the animal's view:

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20120841

Haunt Fox

"He was Star, a big handsome red fox, named for the star-shaped white spot in the center of his chest. But his talent for eluding traps and dogs with ghostlike cunning earned him a new name—Haunt Fox. An outlaw who mercilessly raided poultry farms, he was stalked and shot at by every hunter and farmer in the valley. But no one wanted the legendary animal more than young Jack Crowley and his foxhound, Thunder. Together, they set out on a blazing chase into the heart of the wilderness. It was a chase the brave outlaw fox would never forget."

[issybird]

The Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn feature a dog/human detective pair, written in the first person by the dog. I’ve only read the first and that a long time ago and the degree of anthropomorphication might be a little too high, but they’re fun.

[Tarana]

Spellsinger series. Fantasy - musician ends up in animal world. I'd classify it as YA. If you have an Amazon account, I have the option to lend the book to you for 2 weeks. You could see if you like the series. Send me a pm with amazon linked email address if interested.

[ekbell]

Jack London's mirror image books Call of the Wild and White Fang are his attempt to write from the dog point of view without "humanizing" them.

And of course there are the classic books written from the animal's point of view Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salton.

[ekbell]

A interesting fantasy series written from an animal point of view is Diane Duane's three book series Feline Wizards (the last book must be acquired from her website). She has made an effort to create a distinctly non-human cat culture.

[ZodWallop]

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. FAR less anthropomorphized and more natural than the movie that was made from it. No animals in human clothes and most importantly, no magic. A very good read.

[drofgnal]

There's the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques. I've read the first few and enjoyed them. There are about 20 of them. But by far my favorite book about animals was Watership Down.

[Martinoptic]

Thomasina by Paul Gallico
"I was aware, from the very beginning, that I was a most unusual cat…”
'Thomasina is the beloved pet cat of 7-year-old Mary Ruadh, whose strict father is the town's vet. When Thomasina falls ill, her father sees no other option but to put the cat down. Heartbroken by his cruelty, Mary stops speaking to her father and falls dangerously ill herself.
Meanwhile, Thomasina is rescued by Lori, a young woman who lives alone in an isolated glen and is rumoured to be a witch with healing powers.
While Lori helps Thomasina recover from her ordeal, Mary's health continues to deteriorate and it is only when Thomasina makes her miraculous return, on a dark and stormy night, and is reunited with her owner that Mary is pulled from the brink of death.'
Maybe also Manxmouse by the same author - both children books but this grown-up enjoyed them.
'The Manxmouse is one-of-a-kind. He’s the strangest little mouse you’ll ever see, with bright blue fur, huge rabbit ears and a distinct lack of tail. But Manxmouse doesn’t mind being different.
He knows that destiny awaits him, and so Manxmouse sets out on an exciting adventure. He meets tigers and hawks and dastardly pet-shop owners, but there’s someone he dreads and desires to meet more than anyone else. The someone who has been waiting for him all along… the Manx Cat.'

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

There's the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques.

The Redwall series was mentioned in the first post as the opposite of what she is looking for. She doesn't want Duck Tales, Redwall, The Wind in the Willows, etc, where the animals are stand-ins for people.

[ZodWallop]

You know, it's only a part of the book, but when I first read the title of this thread I thought of Cujo by Stephen King.

[Dr. Drib]

Since we are now including RATS as animals , then allow me to take this opportunity to suggest a serious literary novel that I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend:

Firmin the Rat, by Sam Savage

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349164.Firmin

This is a sad, funny book that is also a commentary on isolation and what it means to be a rat in a cruel world. There are some existential moments, buy hey!, don't we all have moments when we reflect upon our place in the world? Read this book, and you'll begin to understand what separates readers from non-readers.

Kobo [UK]:
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/firmin-1