Stunning book as I expected from Chris Packham, the marvelous Springwatch presenter he is.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book

This is a deeply moving memoir about growing up and being different. I would recommend this book to someone who really really loves nature and/or someone who does not mind long and complicated sentences. I found the writing hard to get into even though I wanted to empathise more with the narrator.

A simply beautiful account from the complex character who is Chris Packham. I loved it. Chris writes beautifully, and his descriptions of his encounters with wildlife, whether happy or heartbreakingly sad, really touched me. A fantastic read.

Thank you Netgalley for the review copy.
This book was HARD work. Some of the scenes described were absolutely stunning but it seemed to me that it was done to an over the top mode and, after a while, became tiresome. I also did not like the jumping around that the chapters did (I do know that this way of recording experiences is a way into Chris's condition however so it was forgivable) but I found it frustrating.
On the whole, a rather depressing read.
Not what I expected unfortunately.

I have always been interested in wild life and remember watching Chris when I was younger and he was host of the Really Wild Show, so thought this would be an interesting insight into his life. The book is great for this as it jumps about around his childhood. It talks about his aspergers and how it affected his life. Overall a brilliant read

I’m a big fan of Chris Peckham. I have fond memories of him on the Really Wild Show as a child with his blonde mohican haircut and his passionate, borderline obsessive interest in animals and the natural world. As a fellow nature lover, I’ve also enjoyed watching him on Springwatch and Autumnwatch, especially trying to spot when he was shoehorning The Jesus and Mary Chain or The Smiths lyrics into his pieces to camera. Therefore, I was excited to see that Chris had written his autobiography, “Fingers in the Sparkle Jar”. I was hoping for something exciting, a bit off the wall and just…different, a bit like Chris himself.

Well, this book is certainly different.

Unlike many autobiographies, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar is a series of captured moments, mostly from Chris’ childhood in the 1970’s. There’s a heavy emphasis on the wildlife he went in search of and the pets that he and his family owned. Interspersed throughout the text are more emotional passages about personal life (bullying, failed attempts at chatting up girls etc.) Every so often, there’s a jarring passage about Chris’ counselling sessions, where it becomes obvious that he had, at some point, been suicidal and had clearly suffered from bouts of depression. It’s clear that Chris’ dark thoughts were related to his inability to get along with other people (the book is full of references to how he simply didn’t fit in with his peers) and it becomes obvious that something else is going on. It transpires that, although not diagnosed until years later, Chris has Aspergers – although I’m not sure if this is made clear in the text or if I just knew that already. It’s so sad to see how much Chris suffered, but also uplifting to see how his focus and attention to detail made him into one of the foremost British naturalists alive today.

The book itself is almost entirely focused on animals. In some ways, Chris had a really idyllic childhood, free to roam the countryside to birdwatch, catch frogs, collect birds eggs etc. Occasionally this obsession with animals can become a bit gross – there’s a lot of examining poo, dissecting dead creatures and putting tadpoles in your mouth to see what they tasted of. In some ways Chris almost came across as cruel when he did things like steal birds eggs from nests, trapped insects in jars until they died and at one point even stole a live bird of prey from the wild to raise as his own pet. However, I think this was just an example of an autistic child trying to understand the world around them and not considering the feelings of others when there was something that he wanted.

Throughout the book, Chris recounts many of his memories involving animals and in particular, a very touching relationship with his pet Kestrel. Much of the book is focused on this relationship, with almost no discussion of his feelings towards his family (I sense that he pretty much ignored them) or friends (I don’t think he had any). It seemed that Chris put all of his emotions into caring for the bird and it was heartbreaking to see what happened when it inevitably passed away.

I did find the way that this book was written quite hard to follow. There’s an approximation of linear progression but the narrative does jump around, making it difficult to imagine what age Chris is and what events have happened previously. It’s obvious that Chris is highly intelligent but he uses very flowery prose to frame each vignette of memory – to the point where his allegories, similies and metaphors were so opaque that I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. This made me feel like I was almost being kept as arm’s length as a reader – as if by explaining the scene as poetically as possible Chris could skip the emotive part. As such, I found it difficult to connect to the book and really struggled to get into it.

There’s a TV programme that went along with the book which was shown on BBC2 and went even further into Chris’ life. Even though many of the stories in the book were discussed, the programme also focused on Chris’ personal life and we got to see his sister, his partner and his stepdaughter from a previous relationship. Seeing Chris in the context of his family really helped me to engage with his story and I enjoyed the programme far more than the book.

Overall, this book is a truly honest, brave memoir of a troubled boy/young man and his escape into the natural world as a coping mechanism. It’s sad, funny, disgusting, weird and wonderful – exactly like Chris himself. I just wished I could have engaged more with the writing, as the accompanying TV programme was brilliant.

Packham tells a story of an unusual child-somewhat odd and very obsessive. The book has three aspects-the more typical memoir recollection of childhood, a series of third-person observations of the child, and therapist sessions. I liked the idea-it demonstrates the disconnect between his own world and how the world really was. Unfortunately I found it difficult to read and engage with in practice.

I am a huge Chris Packham fan, I admire the way he stands up for his principles and so couldn’t wait to read his memoir. I had also heard snippets of it read on Radio 4 read by Chris himself, which sounded magical, so was very excited to read the rest. I was not disappointed. The way he writes is very lyrical and beautifully tells his story from a lonely boy fascinated by the world around him to a man sharing pieces of his troubled mind this book was a privilege to read. His descriptions of the natural world were perfectly crafted and I would recommend this stunning book to everyone.

In this memoir, we discover that young Chris was an introverted boy, who was only truly happy when out having feral adventures in fields, rivers, ponds and woods, or hidden in his bedroom; bursting with fox skulls, birds’ eggs and sweaty jam jars of live creatures. But when Chris stole a young kestrel from its nest, he embarked on a friendship that taught him what it meant to love, and which would have a profound affect on him. In this rich, emotional and exposing memoir, Chris brings vividly to life his childhood in suburban 1970s England, with his ever pervading search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him.

From his TV persona, I would never have guessed the difficulties Chris has had to face in his life. Although no specific condition is mentioned in this memoir, as an adult, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, which would account for the obsessive behaviour that others found so hard to understand. Chris candidly shares moments of hurt, pain, embarrassment and confusion he experienced due to this misunderstanding, balanced with the love, joy, surprise and pleasure he found in the natural world. This made for an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read for me, which I had to take my time over but it was well worth it.

Recently, I read a description that said this memoir will be unlike any you’ve ever read, with which I have to wholeheartedly agree! Chris cleverly subverts our expectations of the memoir genre by writing several events involving himself in the third person, for example through the eyes of his teacher and neighbours. Also, we flick around in time, with the Summer with his kestrel playing a central role, and each sub-book ends with a discussion looking back on his childhood with his therapist; shortly after he almost committed suicide. Not only did this make for a refreshing change in style, I think it also helped to convey Chris’ confusion and frustrations, as well as giving us a view of him from others’ perspective.

Overall, I thought Fingers in the Sparkle Jar was a beautifully wrought, powerful and candid recount of a difficult childhood for Chris Packham. A side to this successful, much loved naturalist and TV personality I never knew about before.

This is a very unusual biography of a well-known naturalist. Whilst his descriptions of his childhood are very vivid, with wild-life and nature featuring heavily, it is somewhat chaotic when talking about his life. He appears to suffer from a mental health disorder, I am not sure which, but I think he is on the autistic scale. The chapters where he talks to a psychiatrist are harrowing, but a little muddled, intersperced with graphic descriptions of being bullied at school for being different.
I found most this book moving, and really felt for him when the thing he loved most in the world,a falcon, died.
Perhaps we could all learn about "difference" amongst people from this account.

I really enjoyed this book, gave a great insight into Chris Packham's growing up and not only that but how a child experiments with wildlife when learning

Sophie also picked up Fingers in The Sparkle Jar, a memoir written by naturalist Chris Packham. Packham is something of a household name in the UK. During Sophie’s childhood he presented the BBC’s The Really Wild Show, a wildlife show aimed at children, and today he presents Springwatch along with other animal documentaries for the BBC. Recently, he has become known for being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome later in life and has spoken out about suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, as well as being a well-known animal rights campaigner.

Fingers in the Sparkle Jar is an odd read. Unlike traditional memoirs, the book frequently shifts perspective with many chapters written in the third person from the viewpoint of people Packham interacted with in his youth: neighbors, classmates, teachers, and even the owner of the local pet shop. Alongside these are shorter chapters written as if by his therapist in recent years, and the more commonplace first-person chapters from Packham’s point of view. This constantly shifting narrative is further confused by the way the book doesn’t proceed in chronological order, instead in skips back and forth through Packham’s youth, giving rise to a mild sense of chaos which is at odds with the young boy’s obsessive orderliness – keeping meticulous notes on everything he discovers and observes in nature.

It’s fair to say that everything about the book paints Packham as an unusual child. Obsessed with all forms of nature, we read about his time spent tracking down birds nests and stealing eggs, checking traps for foxes, and attempting to breed mice to feed the grass snakes he gathered and kept in his garden. He spent most of his young life outdoors in the woods or garden, forever hunting down some new species or training his kestrel – stolen from its nest as a hatchling. His parents seem remarkably tolerant of all this. Sophie wasn’t sure she would be happy to find jars of frogspawn and wild animal skulls all over her son’s bedroom. It isn’t an easy read at times either. Nature is red in tooth and claw after all, and the book doesn’t gloss over this with death and injury a regular feature, often in brutal form. None of that, however, detracts from what was one of those rare things – a truly interesting book, and one that chronicled a type of childhood that Sophie fears may be on the verge of extinction itself.

I like the idea of this book more than I actually liked it. Chris Packham seems like a really nice guy and the idea of a 'memoir' which is just moments neatly framed appealed to me. However, I couldn't find enough interest in the moments Packham chose to frame here. Each time I felt something was becoming interesting, it just fell a little way short.

Fingers in the sparkle jar – Chris Packham
I don’t have the right way with words to do justice to how incredible this book is.
It’s not just an autobiography. It is a literary work of art.

The unique way in which Chris describes just the simplest of details eg a bird’s beak, a fish’s eye, a leaf, conjures up the most illustrative picture imaginable. I created sparkle jars when I was growing up and reading this evokes so many of my own childhood memories. The descriptions are intricate without being over the top, detailed and informative without being too scientific, colourful without being too lurid. After finishing this book, someone just has to mention tadpoles and I have a whole gamut of guttural sense reactions - once you’ve read it you’ll know what I mean!

As well as being a fascinating look into the world of nature, it’s a perfect introduction to being a child of the 60s and 70s. It is also an essential read in order to better understand the perceptions and observations of someone living with Asperger Syndrome.
Absolutely brilliant. In fact I found it so good that I went out and bought a hardback copy despite receiving a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hoped this title could be used as a reading book for Year 7 or 8. We are looking for non-fiction books which young people can relate to. In that respect Chris Pacham as a subject is ideal. Unfortunately it jumps around in time and narration, this would cause confusion. However, as an adult reading for pleasure I think it is an interesting way of telling the story, jumping from time to time and person to person. Almost with a bird's eye view looking down on the young Chris. It needs to be read in one go to avoid confusion. I am afraid I did not finish the book, however, there are some magical passages of description and I shall return to finish it when time allows.

The enthusiasm and exceptional intelligence of this author is obvious from the first few sentences. The words spill across the pages as rapidly as Chris Packham talks, with a monumental attention to detail. However at one point I did share the sentiment of one of young Chris's neighbours - 'a bit too much information' - as the adjectives flowed! The author's descriptions of life growing up in the 60's are so vivid I could almost taste the rocket ice lolly from the ice cream van. His difficulty in relating to humans is emphasised as he finds solace in his all consuming fascination with wildlife. A beautiful book crafted with raw honesty.

A moving and fascinating book. I have only given this book three stars as I did find it over-descriptive at times but what a difficult book to write. The attention to detail shows how the mind of CP works..... it seems never to calm down.

This is a really touching read. I'm not a watcher of the wildlife tv programmes that Packham has made his name presenting but that really doesn't matter. This is not a standard "then I did this and it was great" memoir - it is a personal tale of a childhood being the odd one out, struggling to connect with people around him and finding that connection in nature and the wildlife he collected and studied. His obsessions and priorities put him at odds with those of his own age and the indulgence of his parents allows him to develop the perspective that he has clearly taken into later life. Written in a nice style which occasionally tells part of the story as an account from the perspective of one of the people around him, this read flows nicely and was really enjoyable. This only covers his youth and teenage years so there is the prospect of a followup volume covering his later years which would be worth looking out for.

Oh dear! I really really tried to like this book. I love Chris Packham and find him a highly intelligent and entertaining television presenter, and so I was looking forward to what promised to be a refreshing approach to his autobiography. Unfortunately it didn't deliver for me. I was unable to finish it , finding it overtly complicated and disjointed.
Chris clearly has an extensive vocabulary, however he seemed to want to use it in each sentence in it's entirety. He over uses adjectives to the point where the sentence looses it meaning. This lead to the flow of the story being lost, and leaving me lost in the process.. There were some beautiful descriptions , but largely they went too far, and I feel it needs a major edit. The story also jumps about in time and that also leads to confusion.
I know that others have read and loved this book, and they must see something that I don't- and so I can only say that it's not for me.
On the upside I would say this would be a great book club read as it would certainly provoke debate!

What a lovely well written book by Chris Packham. Filled with facts about animals, it will also appeal to younger readers. An enchanting and captivating memoir and definitely worth reading. It is a difficult book to review so I will just say...read it or listen to it on audiobook. This is a book I will read a second time. Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookworms on Facebook.