sheena21's review against another edition
4.5
I was incredibly touched by the way she tells the stories of other living beings with such attentive descriptions
I really appreciated reading her thoughts on how in nature, living beings eat other living beings
I really appreciated reading her thoughts on how in nature, living beings eat other living beings
oliviaani's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
Some essays were bangers, some less so (i.e. the scene with the cat who was nursing). The writing is beautiful in many parts of the book but sometimes the structure was overly complicated
rwaringcrane's review against another edition
4.0
A beauty woven from observation and reflection and devotion to the power of words, Mary Oliver's book of essays makes for wise companionship. The pieces inspired by foxes, the gull, a spider in her web, and owls sang to me. And the essay Power and Time was written just for me — and the other souls who wonder about living a life bound up in creative work.
"I would say that there exists a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else, and that our dignity and our chances are one. The farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family; and there is no decency or sense in honoring one thing, or a few things, and then closing the list. ... We are each other's destiny." p 158
"I would say that there exists a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else, and that our dignity and our chances are one. The farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family; and there is no decency or sense in honoring one thing, or a few things, and then closing the list. ... We are each other's destiny." p 158
stingrayyed's review against another edition
4.0
Its a fun collection of essays with sometimes jarring events that occur within the book. Mary Oliver writes with so much detail and paints wonderful pictures and sometimes questionable pictures in your mind. I learnt about various authors and people from her essays. You have to be prepared to have a highlighter or something to mark down because she be spitting lines