Born Free Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Charles Paul May

Critical Essay by Charles Paul May

The reader [of Born Free] gets a feeling for nature in Kenya, and, in slight degree, for human life there as well.

It is too bad, tho, that the author does not go into more detail about the training of the lioness. There are instances where Mrs. Adamson speaks of using a stick to teach Elsa the meaning of "No," but usually she tells what her pet did without giving the background leading up to Elsa's achievements. Nor does she dramatize several events that must have been exciting, thereby leaving the reader with a let-down feeling.

The style of writing is fluid and pleasant, and the adventures of Elsa and her owners are amusing, absorbing, or exciting enough to make this a satisfying book for a variety of readers.

Charles Paul May, "She Made African Lioness Her Pet," in Chicago Tribune (© 1960 Chicago Tribune; reprinted by permission of...
(read more)