King Solomon's Ring

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the idea of a 1950s ethologist’s memoirs holding up in 2024—but within minutes, Benjamin Regan’s narration had me hooked. His voice is the audiobook equivalent of a well-worn tweed jacket: comfortable, slightly eccentric, and impossible to ignore. He nails Lorenz’s dry humor, like when the author describes his water shrews as “tiny, bloodthirsty pirates” or admits to being pecked into submission by his own hand-raised geese. The production is clean, though I wished for slightly more dynamic range during Lorenz’s outdoor escapades—some scenes (a jackdaw’s funeral, a goose’s temper tantrum) begged for a touch more atmospheric immersion. The book’s strength lies in its *specificity*. Lorenz doesn’t just tell you jackdaws mourn their dead; he recounts how his pet jackdaw, *Jack*, spent days searching for a lost companion, her cries growing hoarse. It’s these unflinching, often heartbreaking details that elevate the book from quaint to profound. My only real critique? The final chapter meanders into broader philosophical musings that feel tacked on—Lorenz is at his best when he’s knee-deep in mud, not waxing poetic about human nature. Still, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be adopted by a goose or outsmarted by a crow, this audiobook is your golden ticket. Just keep a box of tissues handy for the water shrew chapter.