Fabre's Book of Insects by Jean-Henri Fabre

Fabre's Book of Insects Reviews

• 
  Anh

  Đầu tiên phải thừa nhận, không phải tác phẩm nào hay ho và thú vị cũng có thể đọc liên tu tù tì trong một khoảng thời gian ngắn.
  Đây là một minh chứng cụ thể. Cuốn sách đúng như thể loại mình ưa thích, những tưởng có thể đọc một phát hết luôn thì càng đọc càng thấy mỗi câu chữ, mỗi trang giấy là một rừng kiến thức mới mà nếu ví như việc ăn uống thì thấy món ngon nhưng ăn nhanh quá sẽ bị bội thực + không hấp thụ được hết chất dinh dưỡng – nên tốt nhất là phải nhẩn nha nhấm nháp từng chút một.
  
  Nói tóm lại có thể liệt kê ra các điểm cộng to oành như sau:
  - Cuốn sách về thế giới côn trùng được nhìn nhận và mô tả bởi một nhà văn không còn đơn thuần là một cuốn sách kiến thức khô khan khi Jean Henri Fabre đã khéo léo lồng vào đó cả tình cảm yêu ghét đối với từng loại côn trùng một.
  - Chất liệu giấy + màu sắc chất lượng, hình minh họa về các loại côn trùng thì ôi thôi nó đẹp lộng lẫy, thu hút từ người lớn tới con nít, già trẻ lớn bé gái trai...
  - Bên cạnh việc cung cấp kiến thức về các loại côn trùng, những mục chú thích nhỏ bên cạnh cũng góp phần nâng cao kiến thức cho người đọc về một số các từ ngữ/thuật ngữ chuyên môn khác.
  - À nói lại lần nữa là hình minh họa đẹp lồng lộn luôn, haha :D
  
  Một vài điểm trừ khiến cuốn sách bị tuột cái èo xuống 4*:
  - Dịch giả Hương Hương dịch còn chưa mượt, từ ngữ còn hơi cứng nhắc, đôi chỗ có sự lung tung, lộn xộn, vòng vo và mâu thuẫn.
  - Sách cũng chưa được biên tập hoàn hảo khi đâu đó vẫn còn những lỗi sai chính tả, thiếu dấu và dính chữ gây tuột mood.
  - À, cũng lại là về hình ảnh. Hình minh họa về côn trùng thì miễn chê nhưng hình vẽ minh họa tác giả Fabre thì thật creepy – càng nhìn lâu càng thấy ớn lạnh muốn khóc thét, haiz
  
  Khuyến cáo nhẹ:
  - Đọc càng chậm càng tốt. Đọc nhanh quá cuối cùng cũng chỉ nhớ được hình thôi chứ chả đọng lại được gì trong đầu đâu (à, mình đang không đề cập tới các bạn đầu óc phi thường nhé!) vì nội dung sách nhiều chỗ dùng từ chuyên ngành khá khó hiểu, kiến thức thì lại bao la bát ngát luôn.
  - Sách thích hợp cho trẻ em từ 1 – 10 tuổi xem hình, người có độ tuổi 11 – 99 xem hình + đọc từ từ, cảm nhận và nghiền ngẫm.
  - Trước khi đọc nên “turn on imagine mode” vì có vậy thì đọc mới thấy sướng, ihihi :P
• 
  Chi – cuddle.thereader

  Điều đầu tiên tớ phải nói về em này là sách siêu siêu đẹp luôn anh em ơi, hình minh họa in màu, giấy dày cứng cáp đẹp xinh vô cùng huhu. Giữa cuộc sống bận rộn thường ngày, chúng ta không còn có nhiều thời gian để quan tâm tới xung quanh như ngày còn bé nữa, vậy thì hãy cùng dành thời gian mỗi tối để hòa vào với thiên nhiên và tìm hiểu về một thế giới bé nhỏ vẫn tồn tại ngay sát bên ta nhé.
  
  Đọc cuốn này, tớ có cảm giác đang xem kênh Discovery vậy, tác giả viết về những loài côn trùng cùng tập tính sinh hoạt của chúng. Tớ thích đọc từng phần một về từng loài khác nhau, cảm giác như đang xem từng tập trong một show tìm hiểu về thiên nhiên vậy. Lượng thông tin trong từng trang viết khá là lớn, nhưng giọng văn nhẹ nhàng thủ thỉ pha một chút bông đùa, đem lại cảm giác gần gũi giống như một người anh đang kể cho chúng ta nghe về các loài côn trùng khác nhau vậy đó.
  
  Cuốn này mà đọc vào một chiều hè không quá oi bức, ngồi trong vườn nghe tiếng ve kêu thì đúng là tuyệt đỉnh. Ngày bé tớ hay đọc mấy cuốn sách tranh in màu về các loài côn trùng và cây cỏ lắm, thích nhất mấy phần viết về ong và bướm, vì tớ thích sự chăm chỉ cần mẫn của loài ong và đời sống hóa từ một chú sâu xấu xí thành một chú bướm xinh đẹp. Trong cuốn này, phần viết về loài ong tớ cũng rất ưng ý, nên tớ đã trích một đoạn ngay trong phần trích dẫn bên dưới này, anh em hãy thử xem nhé.
  
  Chung lại thì đây là một cuốn rất nên đọc nếu anh em muốn tìm hiểu về thế giới côn trùng, đặc biệt là các em bé muốn tìm hiểu về côn trùng nha. Cuốn này tớ nghĩ làm quà tặng cho các em cấp 1-2 sẽ hợp lý vô cùng, hồi bé tớ mà có cuốn này chắc đi đâu cũng vác theo mất huhu ưngggg.
• 
  Jamie Smith

  “The Mantis eats the Locust: the Ant eats the Mantis: The Wryneck eats the Ant. And in the autumn, when the Wryneck has grown fat from eating many Ants, I eat the Wryneck. It may well be that the Mantis, the Locust, the Ant, and even lesser creatures contribute to the strength of the human brain. In strange and unseen ways they have all supplied a drop of oil to feed the lamp of thought. Their energies slowly developed, stored up, and handed on to us, pass into our views and sustain our weakness. We live by their death. The world is an endless circle. Everything finishes so that everything may begin again; everything dies so that everything may live.”
  
  No one would write a book like this today. Jean-Henri Fabre anthropomorphizes the insects he studies, attributing human motives and feelings to them in a way which is charming but not how modern science works. But that’s okay, because this is not a modern science book. Fabre published his Souvenirs entomologiques in ten series between 1879 and 1909, and this book is an extract of the best of these writings, translated into English. Charles Darwin, who himself spent decades after his voyage on HMS Beagle doing intensive studies of barnacles and earthworms, praised Fabre’s diligence and attention to detail, calling him the Homer of insects. It is not known how Fabre reacted to this praise, but he never accepted evolution.
  
  When I first started reading this book I was puzzled. The simple, declarative writing style made me wonder if it was written for children, but I soon realized that you would only read this to the little ones if you wanted them to have nightmares. The predatory behavior of the insects is described in great, and sometimes unsettling, detail as they trap, sting, bite, dismember, and devour one another. It is definitely a bug-eat-bug world.
  
  Although it is not a modern science book, there is excellent science in it. Fabre set up experiments which could last from a few hours to an entire season, carefully noting actions and results. I came to understand how he could anthropomorphize the bugs so completely; in the absence of modern biochemistry and genetics it would be easy to attribute volition to the subjects of his studies, especially since Fabre, a good Christian, saw in them manifestations of the Great Architect.
  
  He is at his best when he ponders the instinctive behavior of insects, capable of marvelous and sophisticated feats of engineering and yet locked into specific actions which are almost – though not entirely – free of adaptability. He sometimes tests the limits of their ability to cope with new situations, and in many cases finds them unable to deviate from their programming, although he does note that one species of wasp always supplies its young with the same kind of spider, except when those are in short supply, and then it has no trouble switching to another kind.
  
  If there is one word I would use to describe the book, it is “joy,” the joy of discovery, the fascination of learning the hows and whys of insects, and the celebration of life as it expands outward and fills all the available niches. Fabre loved what he did, spending decades patiently observing and recording. There are several delightful passages where he brings his young son with him and describes the child’s fascination and wonder.
  
  Okay, so we all know that crickets aren’t really happy, ants aren’t evil, mantises don’t get irritated, but you can see how sometimes those were the best words to describe what Fabre was seeing, and occasionally his writing rises to the lyrical, as in “[Crickets’] song is monotonous and artless, but well suited in its very lack of art to the simple gladness of reviving life. It is the hosanna of the awakening, the sacred alleluia understood by the swelling seed and sprouting blade.”
  
  This isn’t Darwin, but it is one of the classics of natural history. It is a delight to read and yet contains serious science which can inform and enlighten the reader. It makes you want to go out into the woods and start peeking under rocks and fallen logs. There be wonders to be found in such places.
  
• 
  Jennifer Ritchie

  I am not a lover of bugs and insects—but I really enjoyed this book. Jean-Henri Fabre was a French naturalist who worked during the latter half of the nineteenth century and wrote wonderful accounts of his discoveries. I really enjoyed the accounts of his experiments and his descriptions of the amazing abilities of each insect. A general tone of wonder, amazement, and humility, so rarely found in science books today, is found all through this book, as Fabre often acknowledges the incredible evidence of intelligent design and gives honor to the Creator.
  
  The “Classics to Go” Kindle version is high quality; the text contains very few typos and the illustrations are beautiful.
• 
  Sơn Lương

  Thuở nhỏ nếu từng lớn lên ở quê, biết đi chân đất là gì và chẳng xa lạ gì với vườn cây ruộng đồng, hẳn chúng ta đã từng say mê nhìn ngắm côn trùng, tìm hiểu và khám phá đời sống của chúng.
  Jean Henri Fabre cũng đã có thời thơ ấu như thế. Và từ những ngày say mê quan sát tìm hiểu về côn trùng, ông đã trở thành một nhà côn trùng học. Trong Côn trùng ký, quyển sách nổi tiếng nhất của mình, Fabre không chỉ giúp người đọc nhớ về thời chăm chú quan sát kiến bò, bướm bay trong vườn, mà còn cung cấp thêm nhiều kiến thức mới lạ về côn trùng.
  
  Chúng ta cứ nghĩ đom đóm là loài hiền lành, chỉ biết phát sáng chứ chẳng làm hại ai, nhưng hãy xem Fabre viết trong sách: "Tuy mang ngoại hình hiền lành đáng yêu, nhưng đom đóm lại là kẻ ăn thịt thứ thiệt, là thợ săn trong cuộc chơi; và nó đi săn một cách hung ác hiếm có". Mình sẽ dành phần đom đóm ăn gì, và tấn công con mồi như thế nào cho các bạn đọc sách.
  
  Côn trùng ký in ấn rất đẹp, có hình minh họa. Với những dạng sách này, mình thường không đọc hết một lèo, mà để đó nhẩn nha. Hoặc khi giữa dòng đời tấp nập, bất chợt nghĩ đến ong, châu chấu, hay một loài côn trùng nào đó, mình sẽ về giở sách ra xem và nạp thêm kiến thức mới.
• 
  Matthew Hurley

  Where
  Edward O. Wilson inspired me with his scientific achievements,
  Jean-Henri Fabre inspired me with his simple love of knowledge, his child-like wonder in describing the insects. Which is, of course, where scientific greatness has to start. Wilson hints at this; Fabre embodies it.
• 
  Shawn

  
  Introduction
  
  I read this book in conjunction with Paul Tillich’s
  Systematic Theology and it provided great periodic reprieves from the more laborious reading of Tillich. But, it also complemented Tillich’s work, in ways that I will share below, with certain quotations from Fabre’s book.
  
  Fabre exhibits a wonderful knack for noticing and describing the glory of creation in a detail sufficient to convey an amazing appreciation for its wonder and beauty. Fabre’s fascination with life is infectious and his skillful writing permits him to efficiently share this joy with the reader. Fabre says: “A living speck -the merest dab of life -is far more interesting to me than all the immensities of mere matter.”
  
  Having read this, I will never again look at the nest of a wasp or the struggles of a beetle blindly, but instead with much more wonder and amazement. Fabre says: “The short sighted man, if he thinks of the insect at all, it is only to kill it. He would upset the order of the universe rather than sacrifice a dozen plums. To measure the importance of things by one’s own turnip-patch is a horrible method.���
  
  It is encouraging to see a writer like Fabre tell of his personal experiences interacting with nature, for it is this recording, this presentation of experience, that expands human knowledge. The proliferation of living things exists abundantly all about us, even within us. We are all integrally part of this amazing complexity that we call life. We have much to learn from examining even the most minute forms of life.
  
  Arise From the Dust and Live
  
  We are made of star dust. The Bible tells us we are formed of dust. In Genesis 3:19 it says: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” And yet, we too often fail to appreciate that we are alive, that we are growing, no longer dust, but moving gloriously toward spirit. Fabre’s description of the life of the cicada helps us to see:
  
  “The cicada goes down into the earth and buries itself. For four years it lives below the soil. Then for about five weeks it sings in the sunshine. Four years of hard work in the darkness and a month of delight in the sun - such is the Cicada’s life. We must not blame him for the noisy triumph of his song. For four years he has dug the earth with his feet, and then suddenly he is dressed in exquisite raiment, provided with wings that rival the bird’s, and bathed in heat and light! What cymbals can be loud enough to celebrate his happiness, so hardly earned, and so very, very short?” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  The Cicada
  
  Reason (The Logos) Arises in Man
  
  Fabre speaks of the essential absence of reasoning power in insects and how they are almost entirely driven by instinct. Instinct leads insects to robotically build their houses, weave their nests, hunt, stab, paralyze their prey, digest their food, or secrete the poison of their sting, without the least understanding of the means or the end. Insects have very little ability to learn by experience. Fabre speaks of this as follows:
  
  “The Pelopaeus, for instance, builds her cells with earth already softened into mud. This is instinct. She has always built it this way. Neither the passing ages nor the struggle for life will induce her to imitate the Mason-bee and make her nest of dry dust and cement. She supplies her young with food in the form of Spiders. This is instinct, and nothing will ever persuade her that young crickets are just as good. But should there be a lack of her favorite Cross Spider she will not leave her grubs unfed; she will bring them other Spiders.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  Pelopaeus (Dirt-dauber Wasp)
  
  Even though fully instinctual, the observed ability to employ a separate species of spider hints of the ever slightest bit of discernment. Certainly, the insect is ruled predominantly by instinct, but a tiny bit of ever-growing discernment seems present in minute but increasing amounts as we move up the creaturely scale to man, wherein it seemingly peaks. Fabre continues:
  
  “The Mantis eats the Locust: the Ant eats the Mantis: The Wryneck eats the Ant. And in the autumn, when the Wryneck has grown fat from eating many Ants, I eat the Wryneck. It may well be that the Mantis, the Locust, the Ant, and even lesser creatures contribute to the strength of the human brain. In strange and unseen ways they have all supplied a drop of oil to feed the lamp of thought. Their energies slowly developed, stored up, and handed on to us, pass into our views and sustain our weakness. We live by their death. The world is an endless circle. Everything finishes so that everything may begin again; everything dies so that everything may live.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  Wryneck
  
  Fabre’s insightful descriptions hint of the evolutionary stages of nature, within which we observe the progressive rise of man wherein there is a replacement of some amount of instinct with reason. Man enjoys some measure of freedom, the ability to think, and to contemplate his existence. In man, reason arises, as is manifested by the creativity and diversity of man’s endeavors. Such characteristics make man unique among the creatures and closer to the image of the creator.
  
  Hoarding vs. Simple Living
  
  Man alone has significant ability to contemplate and modify his behavioral form. Perhaps the most intriguing of Fabre’s descriptions occurs in his contrasting of the preying mantis with the Empusa mantis:
  
  “Big eaters are naturally quarrelsome. The Mantis, gorged with Locusts, soon becomes irritated and shows fight. The Empusa, with her frugal meals, is a lover of peace. She indulges in no quarrels with her neighbors, nor does she pretend to be a ghost, with view to frightening them, after the manner of the Mantis. She never unfurls her wings suddenly nor puffs like a startled Adder. She has never the least inclination for the cannibal banquets at which her sister, after being worsted in a fight, is eaten up. Nor does she, like the Mantis, devour her husband. The organs of the two insects are the same. These profound moral differences, therefore, are not due to any difference in the bodily form. Simple living, as a matter of fact, softens character, in animals as in men; over-feeding brutalizes it. The glutton gorged with meat and strong drink -a very common cause of savage outbursts -could never be as gentle as the self-denying hermit who lives on bread dipped into a cup of milk. The Mantis is a glutton: the Empusa lives the simple life.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  Mantis
  
  Defeating Conventionalism and Discovering Dynamic New Possibilities
  
  Fabre’s recount of an experiment that he conducted with wasps serves to caution us against the danger of static tradition and the importance of discovery.
  
  “I placed a bell-glass over the entrance of a wasp burrow. They butted against the transparent wall, tumbled down, picked themselves up again, and whirled around and round in a crazy swarm. Some, weary of dancing, wandered peevishly at random and then re-entered their dwelling. Others took their places as the sun grew hotter. But not one of them, not a single one, scratched with her feet at the base of the glass circle. This means of escape was beyond them. Meanwhile a few Wasps who had spent the night out of doors were coming in from the fields. Round and round the bell-glass they flew; and at last, after much hesitation, one of them decided to dig under the edge. Others followed her example, a passage was easily opened, and the Wasps went in. Inside the glass not an attempt was made to dig a tunnel. The insects whirled around and round, but showed no enterprise. They floundered about, while every day numbers died from famine and heat. At the end of a week not one was left alive. A heap of corpses covered the ground. Those within the bell-glass, finding daylight in their transparent prison, think their aim is accomplished. In spite of constant collisions with the glass they spend themselves in vainly trying to fly farther in the direction of the sunshine. They keep blindly to their familiar habits and die.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  Similarly, humans spend their lives chasing after finite, tangible goods, while largely ignoring spiritual matters that can facilitate their exit into glory.
  
  In Praise of the Lowly Cricket
  
  Perhaps the most eloquent of Fabre’s descriptions occurs when he praises what must be his favorite insect, the cricket:
  
  “Far from complaining, he is very well satisfied both with his house and his violin. He is a true philosopher: he knows the vanity of things and feels the charm of a modest retreat away from the riot of pleasure-seekers. I am more than inclined to place the Cricket at the head of the Spring choristers. In our waste-lands, when the thyme and lavender are gaily flowering, the Crested Lark rises like a lyrical rocket, his throat swelling with notes, and from the sky sheds his sweet music upon the fallows. Down below the Crickets chant the responses. Their song is monotonous and artless, but well suited in its very lack of art to the simple gladness of reviving life. It is the hosanna of the awakening, the sacred alleluia understood by the swelling seed and sprouting blade.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  Cricket
  
  The Amazing Design of Insects and the World
  
  Fabre’s descriptions drive home the teleological argument of design:
  
  “There must be something to make the matter of the wing shape itself into a sheet of gauze, into a labyrinth of meshes. There must be an original plan, an ideal pattern which gives each atom its proper place. The stones of our buildings are arranged in accordance with the architect’s plan; they form an imaginary building before they exist as a real one. In the same way, a Locust’s wing, that sumptuous piece of lace emerging from a miserable sheath, speaks to us of another Architect, the Author of the plans which nature must follow in her labors.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  Be a Light Unto the World
  
  Fabre writes:
  
  “Brightness is produced by the breathing organs of the Glow-worm. There are certain substances which, when mixed with air, become luminous or even burst into flame. The act of their producing light or flame by mingling with the air is called oxidation. The lamp of the Glow-worm is the result of oxidation. The Glow-worm produces a substance that is oxidized, and the air is supplied by a tube connected with the Glow-worm’s creating-organs. The Glow-worm has complete control of the light he carries. He can turn it up or down, or out, as he pleases.” -Jean Henri Fabre
  
  
  Glow Worm
  
  Like the little glow-worm, we have a light to give to the world, but ours is a spiritual light, the light of Reason progressing to the point that it may be recognized and come to dwell more abundantly in the world.
  
  We have much yet to learn from the vast and diversified state of nature that surrounds us. This little book is an insightful inspiration in this regard.
• 
  Mitch

  I think I have now read this book in paperback, then again in hardback form with illustrations by Detmold- said illustrations being covered in onionskin papers to protect them. This kind of quality book is pretty much not made any more and I absolutely cherish it.
  
  Fabre writes well about his closely-observed subjects out in the French countryside.
  
  I find his findings troubling...to our current understanding of evolution, anyway. Perhaps this is a limitation originating in my own limited reasoning, but he provides multiple examples of non-reasoning insects that perform tasks that insure their specialized survival- tasks that can break down and kill off said specialized insects at multiple points during their brief existences. So many examples are given that it's practically impossible not to believe these insects were intelligently designed instead of haphazardly designed through time and chance alone.
  
  I know this flies in the face of evolution, and I'm not saying people should believe in God or aliens here, but what these creatures do without guidance or understanding is incredible. And as I said before, one false step would upset long chains of necessary steps that ensure individual survival, so...
  
  Obviously, I'm missing a lot of pieces here, much as Fabre himself admitted from time to time. Still, I think this is a great book.
• 
  Alexia Han

  Fabre's fascination for insects and the nature itself started at a young age and never stopped despite the hardships he faced in life. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge is truly inspiring.
  The way he uses simple words to describe insects' lives and the enthusiasm poured into those words often made me smile while reading the book.
  It is a great read that makes you appreciate the small animals and other little things in life that can bring joy.
• 
  Leslie

  Don't be fooled into thinking this is just another bug book. It will pull you in as you observe the fascinating life of 16 different bugs in a close up and personal way. When you do finish this book, you will be wishing for more of its fun, engaging, and action packed chapters to learn from.
  
• 
  Ashley Kennedy

  One can easily see why Fabre was called the "Poet of Science." Compared to other nonfiction books of its day, this one is far from dry and monotonous; it's the rambling adventures of a naturalist in the French countryside, observing mason wasps, beetles, cicadas, glowworms, and anthrax flies (no insect is too humble to attract his attention). One to make you stop and pay closer attention to the "little things that run our world" as another great entomologist (Wilson) has called them.
• 
  Paul

  Note that this particular book is some sort of rendition into English of a translation into [Spanish?] of extracts of Fabre's work. I'd like to read some of his originals sometime and see how far they've been shifted by this game of telephone.
  
  That said, this is an amusing and engrossing (as well as occasionally gross) read. I wonder if his style influenced James Herriot.
• 
  Jen

  I absolutely adore this book. It's even better than Fabre's "Life and Love of the Insect," which shares many of the same essays (though sadly, it's very short).
  Now I want to move to France and rent a tiny home with a yard full of insects and spend my days documenting their outfits, scandals, and trades in minute detail as if I were a 19th century bug paparazzi.
• 
  Emma Whear

  This book is what I was looking for from Sand County Almanac. Fantastic and bright descriptions of insects, with a tiny bit of personal narrative interspersed. The author is a hoot, and has quite the thing for bugs.
• 
  Richard Subber

  Fabre offers a sincere and obviously well-informed exploration of the life and manners of his beloved insects.
  I confess, it's more than I care to know about insects.
  
  Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
  
  www.richardsubber.com
• 
  Christie Wessels

  More than I ever wanted to know about wasps, pupae, and larvae. But fascinating nevertheless. Fabre's patient observations discovered so many interesting things I have never known about insect life.
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  Page

  I remember reading this book in high school and being convinced that I wanted to be an entomologist afterwards. I found it on my bookshelf and decided to go for a reread. So wonderfully written. A peak into the beautiful and hidden world of insects. 5 stars. ❤️❤️
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  Sue Blaustein

  I wrote this blog post about Fabre for the Urban Ecology Center of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  
  
  https://urbanecologycenter.org/blog/o...
  
  
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  Tara

  I’m not quite sure how I managed to stay awake but I finally finished this book.
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  Tung

  Đúng là không thể đọc nhanh quyển này được, cứ từ từ mà chiêm ngưỡng cái đẹp của tự nhiên thôi... Cơ mà không ham cái nhà gần cả đám côn trùng như tác giả đâu... sợ chết 😂
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  Ngọc Lam

  Sách in đẹp, nhiều đoạn hài không tưởng. Đọc 1 lèo hết nửa cuốn trong một buổi trưa hạnh phúc.
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  Ben

  100021)
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  Marianna Carnazzo

  Just y
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  Trang Hoàng

  Một trong những cuốn sách chill nhất mình từng đọc, gợi nhớ mạnh mẽ về thời ấu thơ, khi ta làm bạn với côn trùng, cỏ cây và bầu trời.
  Sách viết sinh động, dễ gợi nhờ dùng ngôn ngữ miêu tả, kể chuyện. Một tiểu thuyết du ký vào thế giới côn trùng xuất sắc được viết bởi một nhà khoa học.
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  Anh Thư

  Đọc thử xem có nên tìm đọc đủ 10 quyển kia ko, câu trả lời là có! Mặc dù vậy bản nhỏ xíu này cũng khá hay
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  Eric

  Fabre's Book of Insects was a difficult read written by entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre, yet I enjoyed it overall. Praised as the Homer of Insects by Darwin, the Frenchman has spent countless hours strived to study and observe insects' lives and behaviors. He records all this knowledge in this single book. Fabre elucidates the lives of numerous different species. Each chapter is devoted to a single type including the Scarab, the Cicada, the Praying Mantis, the Glow-Worm, the Psyche, the Spanish Copris, and many other remarkable insects.
  
  Fabre digs deep into the peculiar kingdom. For each insect in this book, he describes their looks, lives, and specialties with exquisite detail. Prior to reading this book, I was considerably indifferent to bugs in general. All they did was annoy me virtually daily. Little did I know how interesting they were until I read the accounts of this book.
  
  Fabre uses fun and frisky tones throughout the novel. It is not tedious facts, but rather, looks into the charming world of insects as if he is using a story-telling manner. Consequently, it is less like a dull non-fiction book that lists statistics, and more like an exciting documentary.
  
  It is also cool how the book includes the author's experiments to either test or prove a point. They are essential as they make the points coherent as well as interesting. For instance, Fabre once fired a gun to see if Cicadas would be disturbed; he also made an artificial "earthquake" to test the durability of the Spanish Copris' burrows; and, he did an IQ test on the common Wasp. These experiments made an indelible impression on me. With them, the novel is much more enthralling.
  
  There are 16 chapters in this novel, each concentrated on a different species of insects. I think that the most enjoyable chapter was "The Cicada". The chapter starts with an introduction of La Fontaine's fable which describes the story of how the Cicada begged the ant for food in winter. Fabre clarifies afterward that "the fable is a slander...At no time does he go crying famine at the doors of the Ant-hills. On the contrary, it is the Ant who, driven by hunger, begs and entreats the singer [the Cicada]. Entreats, did I say? It is not the right word. She brazenly robs him." With this introduction, the reader is instantly hooked with interest. The author proceeds to explain the torturous acts of Ants on the Cicada just to steal its supply of sap. It is written very strongly, in a way that the reader unexpectedly sympathizes with the Cicada, while detests the pesky Ants. The chapter also discusses the "song" of the Cicada. "I remain master indoors, but out of doors [the Cicada] reigns supreme, and his reign is by no means a peaceful one." This chapter is notable in this book, and by far most interesting.
  
  The father of modern entomology, "an inimitable observer", Jean-Henri Fabre lives up to all these titles indisputably. His knack for being able to withstand everlasting observation periods is evident from this piece of work, and also how much diligence is put into it and his investigations. I rate it 4.5 stars and would recommend it to anyone.