The Bear in a Safari Hat [Paperback]

This is an excellent wholesome read from a debut novelist. The Bear in a Safari Hat vividly creates a world run by bears and is a mixture of comedy, tragedy and drama. The characterisation is particularly strong in this book - bears such as Furry O'Mara and Snowball Olofsson (the giant polar bear industrialist from Norway) are created so strong that you'll feel they're in your living room.

Reading between the lines this entire book is an allegory of US Presidential candidate Barack Obama. For example:

* the bear (the native American symbol of strength, courage and bravery)
* the safari hat (symbolising Kenya)
* the protagonist is educated in Jakarta, Indonesia (the same as Obama)
* he travels to the West with a message of hope and inspires others
* the name O'Mara is used a lot (a clear soundalike to Obama)
* the existing leader, symbolically called "Whitefur", represents the old system and is eventually deposed
* others follow the protagonist because of his qualities e.g. the bees
* a whole chapter is devoted to falling stock markets and the system that allowed this to happen
* the author skilfully links Africa (part of Obama's ancestral line) with Hawaii (Obama's birthplace) through the use of antipodes
* there are bees named after all three of Columbus's sailing ships which discovered the Americas
* significantly, there is a bee called Sepulveda (i.e. the civil rights/slavery debate issue)
* the main bear eventually becomes president of the honey supply (this is foretold near the end)
* bears dye their fur in a clear message about race
* Irish and Scottish ancestry are mentioned (the other parts of Obama's ancestral line)
* both Chicago and Washington are mentioned
* a liking of jazz, especially jazz trumpets (Obama's facebook profile mentions that Miles Davis is his favourite musician, followed by John Coltrane)
* there is a telling line on p.225 "You sprang from a most unlikely location, but, in the future, all bears will know your name."
* and the book was also officially released on the 4th of July...

This is code. Go figure...but in my opinion the subtle message is clear. You can take from this book what you will.

The story follows Furry, an old Irish honey farmer and his nephew, as they try to get back a special trumpet which was stolen by a team of rival bears using hornets in a hot-air balloon.

Note that this novel is highly anthropomorphic: these bears make honey, drink mead, run businesses, drive cars and generally do many things that humans do. They're still bears though and a clever balance is struck. There are also a number of bees with roles - in particular, Chiwi, the 'Chargewing' at Furry's honey factory.

This was a welcome relief from the day to day pressures and routine of the stressful adult world. I looked forward to the escapism it brought me with a "mug of honey tea" in my hand (or should that be paw!!) and this does for adults what other famous bears in fiction did for children.

This is 20 chapters of fun. Overall, a good laugh and a classic read. I'm already looking forward to the follow up. This book was truly magical and enchanting! As it says on the back, these really are the new bears for the 21st century!

The Bear in a Safari Hat is a delightfully cheery, absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable tale. Full of sparkling humor, fast-paced and prodigiously well written, this rollicking ursine adventure contains many a witty allusion and basks in colorful, imaginative and carefully crafted detail. Here truly is a book for bear lovers of all ages. Bring on the next installment, I say - and also the TV series, and the film!

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  5.0 out of 5 stars