Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animalish | 2011 | Susan Orlean | Buy |
| 2 | Rin Tin Tin | 2011 | Susan Orlean | Buy |
| 3 | On Animals | 2021 | Susan Orlean | Buy |
Susan Orlean’s animal-focused writing reflects her lifelong interest in the connections between people and other creatures. Rin Tin Tin (2011) is a full-length biography of the German Shepherd who was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier and went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of the silent film era. Orlean traces the dog’s story through nearly a century, exploring how Rin Tin Tin became a cultural icon.
Animalish (2011) and On Animals (2021) collect Orlean’s shorter pieces about animals. On Animals gathers decades of her writing on subjects including show dogs, racing pigeons, a celebrity tiger, and the chickens she keeps at her own home. The pieces range from reported features to personal essays, all marked by Orlean’s warmth and close observation.