Scan barcode
biolexicon's review against another edition
2.0
"I came to value exceedingly novels and essays and works of nonfiction that connected human enterprise to real and specific places, and I grew to be mildly distrustful of work that occured in no particular place, work so cerebral and detached as to be refutable only in an argument of ideas."
I struggled with how many stars to give this book. This is the first book I've read, haven't liked, but respected. I think it comes down to the quote I copied above. As readers we value very different things in books and it shows through in his writing. It just didn't resonate with me.
I struggled with how many stars to give this book. This is the first book I've read, haven't liked, but respected. I think it comes down to the quote I copied above. As readers we value very different things in books and it shows through in his writing. It just didn't resonate with me.
gnomeshill's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
susanbrooks's review against another edition
4.0
A few years ago I was volunteering at the Berkeley Book Festival, giving out wristbands and tickets in front of one of the large venues. Barry Lopez was speaking and the Berkeley crowd seemed jazzed. I had never heard of him and came across this recently. Wow. The quality of his noticing is intense. It makes me want to go all around noticing and describing things too.
categal's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this very much. Lopez writes about remote places on Earth, and also life in his neighborhood. Spending so much time at home during this pandemic, it was a relief to get out and stretch a leg through parts of the world that I frankly have no interest in visiting myself.
I appreciated his care in describing the air, the people, the branch of a tree. A long essay titled "Effleurage: The Stroke of Fire" describes a massive kiln that a neighbor of his manages in Oregon. The kiln is used to create anagama pottery, and is so large and runs so hot in full operation that it is almost a dragon come to life. Another essay, simply titled "Flight" recounts Lopez's astonishing experience of flying all over the world for days on end in various freight planes to research how goods are transported in these modern times. By the end, I felt as though I had glimpsed behind the curtain of capitalism and saw commerce the people existing on the fringes who make it happen.
I took a long time to read this book, sipping it slowly in the mornings as the sun came up. Time well spent.
I appreciated his care in describing the air, the people, the branch of a tree. A long essay titled "Effleurage: The Stroke of Fire" describes a massive kiln that a neighbor of his manages in Oregon. The kiln is used to create anagama pottery, and is so large and runs so hot in full operation that it is almost a dragon come to life. Another essay, simply titled "Flight" recounts Lopez's astonishing experience of flying all over the world for days on end in various freight planes to research how goods are transported in these modern times. By the end, I felt as though I had glimpsed behind the curtain of capitalism and saw commerce the people existing on the fringes who make it happen.
I took a long time to read this book, sipping it slowly in the mornings as the sun came up. Time well spent.
judetheunbeliever's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0