In 1789, British naturalist and curate Gilbert White published
A Natural History of Selborne, which included his observations of Timothy, a tortoise who lived on his property. Verlyn Klinkenborg (
The Rural Life) lets Timothy speak for himself in
Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile. Juxtaposing Timothy's reactions to White's observations, Verlyn Klinkenborg, brings to life the story of White, an 18th-century Christian minister, with Timothy, through a terse and poetic voice, providing both metaphysical and philosophical musings about the human life that is shared with his.
Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile has received positive reviews with the Chicago Sun-Times saying, "His novel is one of the most charming meditations on a creature's relationship to the Earth that I have read."
