This book could have been brilliant. Similar to the classic Aesop's Fables, this collection of short stories contains a series of tales involving animals. Written with wonderful humour and at times brilliant insight, this book -- like the famous stories of Aesop -- is a study of human nature told through the form of animals. One story that particularly stands out is "Squirrel seeks chipmunk," which not only serves as the title of the book, but also offers a delightful analysis on relationships, and how the reality of past romances can turn into myth in our own heads with the passage of time.
Unfortunately, the brilliance contained in this book starts to fade by the end. For instance, in "The Grieving Owl," the second last story in the book, the narration devolves into sheer stupidity. Instead of insight, we are left with juvenile scatological humour -- and not even funny scatological jokes at that -- that undermine the first few wonderful stories. This lamentable progression soured me on this collection and left me shaking my head in disappointment. This could have been a delightful book, which is why the final portion was so upsetting.
3 out of 5 stars
