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A review by liralen
Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer's Search for Wonder in the Natural World by Leigh Ann Henion
3.0
This was one of the books I packed when I left to walk across Spain: it seemed fitting, after all, to read about wonder when I was off on a pilgrimage.
Except...I got to page 153, thought about it, and left the book in Puente la Reina.* It turns out that reading about other people's adventures is not as interesting as having your own.
There are a couple of things going on here. The first, of course, is Henion's quest to observe natural wonder in the world. The second is her struggle to make sure she has an identity beyond Archer's mother. She goes on safari, visits an ice hotel, watches an eclipse, learns about phosphorescent water. The experiences range from envy-inducing to awe-inspiring.
And yet I struggled to maintain interest. I'm not entirely sure why, but I would guess that this was in part because I didn't connect well with her efforts to figure out who she was as, and apart from, a parent (sympathised with -- but didn't connect with); in part, too, it sometimes felt like there was...too much? Too many manufactured experiences? I'm not sure. If I were not having phenomenal experience after phenomenal experience, Henion says, I would not be parenting in this way. If I were not being led by wonder, it is not the source from which I would teach (195). What does that say, though? Why are all these such...scheduled incidences of 'wonder'? Why is it 'wonder' to see lions in the Serengeti but not to see deer in the NC mountains? What about the wonder of a saturated, orange-pink sunset?
Towards the end of the book, Henion mentions trying to see coral spawning. The failed attempt—which required night swimming with sharks—was somewhat disheartening... (236). We don't hear much more about this, presumably because she didn't see the spawning (because there's guesswork involved in the timing). But why is night swimming with sharks not a phenomenal experience in and of itself?
I liked some of the writing; I loved learning about these different places and phenomena; at the end of the day, it wasn't really the book for me, but I expect it will work well for many others. (And perhaps there is a pilgrim in Spain reading it right now...)
*I checked first to make sure I could get a copy at my library, and I finished the book when I got home. This is also not as huge a reflection of Phenomenal as it could be—I left Jane Eyre, my last book, behind eventually, and that's my longstanding favourite book.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
Except...I got to page 153, thought about it, and left the book in Puente la Reina.* It turns out that reading about other people's adventures is not as interesting as having your own.
There are a couple of things going on here. The first, of course, is Henion's quest to observe natural wonder in the world. The second is her struggle to make sure she has an identity beyond Archer's mother. She goes on safari, visits an ice hotel, watches an eclipse, learns about phosphorescent water. The experiences range from envy-inducing to awe-inspiring.
And yet I struggled to maintain interest. I'm not entirely sure why, but I would guess that this was in part because I didn't connect well with her efforts to figure out who she was as, and apart from, a parent (sympathised with -- but didn't connect with); in part, too, it sometimes felt like there was...too much? Too many manufactured experiences? I'm not sure. If I were not having phenomenal experience after phenomenal experience, Henion says, I would not be parenting in this way. If I were not being led by wonder, it is not the source from which I would teach (195). What does that say, though? Why are all these such...scheduled incidences of 'wonder'? Why is it 'wonder' to see lions in the Serengeti but not to see deer in the NC mountains? What about the wonder of a saturated, orange-pink sunset?
Towards the end of the book, Henion mentions trying to see coral spawning. The failed attempt—which required night swimming with sharks—was somewhat disheartening... (236). We don't hear much more about this, presumably because she didn't see the spawning (because there's guesswork involved in the timing). But why is night swimming with sharks not a phenomenal experience in and of itself?
I liked some of the writing; I loved learning about these different places and phenomena; at the end of the day, it wasn't really the book for me, but I expect it will work well for many others. (And perhaps there is a pilgrim in Spain reading it right now...)
*I checked first to make sure I could get a copy at my library, and I finished the book when I got home. This is also not as huge a reflection of Phenomenal as it could be—I left Jane Eyre, my last book, behind eventually, and that's my longstanding favourite book.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.