Hoban, Russell. Turtle Diary.

Turtle Diary is a novel about two lonely middle-aged strangers, William G. and Neaera H., who become obsessed with the large turtles in the London Zoo and decide to set the animals free. The novel appeals to the reader to think about the relationship between captive animals and identity, but it also repeatedly reinforces human-animal binaries. Even though the turtles allow the protagonists to go on a journey to transform  their dull lives, the zoo remains on the background of the narrative. 

Secondary readings: 

• Wend-Walker, Graeme. 2012. “After Jacqueline Rose, What Is Left? The Play of Identity and Representation in Russell Hoban’s Turtle Diary.” Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures 4 (1): 15 – 36. DOI: 10.1353/jeu.2012.0008

Hoban, Russell. 1975. Turtle Diary. London: Jonathan Cape.