ela_lee_'s review against another edition
3.0
A solid three stars. This is a unique book written in a very elegant, philosophical style by a nature-oriented solitudinarian. I can’t say I ever felt super invested in the story (if you could call it a story) and the writing was peculiar, slow, and difficult to follow at times, but I also didn’t want to stop reading.
The book is sprinkled with charming little lines regarding Raven’s passion and comprehension of nature, such as:
“Owning land is a big responsibility. Every step taken, path set, weed pulled, and tree planted fosters a hundred million or so consequences.”
“Magpies (along with their close relatives crows, ravens, and jays) are among the animal kingdom’s most intelligent members. Like people, if you persecute them, you can expect them to act persecuted.”
“I might have a week without seeing another person, but contact with a slug was all I needed to keep from feeling alone.”
“Sometimes I thought about houses where sofas faced televisions and wondered what it would be like to eat without looking out at calm colors, mountains, or clouds. Sometimes I simply wondered what it would be like to own a television.”
“All week long, we mistook boulders for bison and bison for boulders. I told them that lonely boulders disguised themselves as bison to attract attention. I said that so they would not stop looking closely at boulders. I also said bison disguises themselves as boulders because they want privacy. I said that because it thought it might be true.”
“During young adulthood, our future is as malleable as soft clay. Our imaginations continue to shape our future until we grow up, slip into the mold society readies for us, and harden. Once we step out of the mold, our hard clay cannot soften or reshape itself again. In the process of growing up and allowing ourselves to become recruited into this adult-centric world, our imagination contracts.”
“I knew my relationship with fox was more important than anything else in my life and I could see that my purpose would be to tell his story. And purpose, I now knew, was more important than profession.”
“Like me, Ishmael thinks that dividing the world into humans and non-humans is irrational. Instead, he believes that all members of the animal kingdom, including humans, fall into one of two categories: wild and domestic (with some humans falling into one category and some the other.)”
“Man-made fires demoralize me. They remind me that we are too many people, living in too small a space, and that I share a planet with bad people for whom we will never have enough space.”
“When you spend time with your pets, they become more like you. When I spent time with fox, I became more like him.”
The book is sprinkled with charming little lines regarding Raven’s passion and comprehension of nature, such as:
“Owning land is a big responsibility. Every step taken, path set, weed pulled, and tree planted fosters a hundred million or so consequences.”
“Magpies (along with their close relatives crows, ravens, and jays) are among the animal kingdom’s most intelligent members. Like people, if you persecute them, you can expect them to act persecuted.”
“I might have a week without seeing another person, but contact with a slug was all I needed to keep from feeling alone.”
“Sometimes I thought about houses where sofas faced televisions and wondered what it would be like to eat without looking out at calm colors, mountains, or clouds. Sometimes I simply wondered what it would be like to own a television.”
“All week long, we mistook boulders for bison and bison for boulders. I told them that lonely boulders disguised themselves as bison to attract attention. I said that so they would not stop looking closely at boulders. I also said bison disguises themselves as boulders because they want privacy. I said that because it thought it might be true.”
“During young adulthood, our future is as malleable as soft clay. Our imaginations continue to shape our future until we grow up, slip into the mold society readies for us, and harden. Once we step out of the mold, our hard clay cannot soften or reshape itself again. In the process of growing up and allowing ourselves to become recruited into this adult-centric world, our imagination contracts.”
“I knew my relationship with fox was more important than anything else in my life and I could see that my purpose would be to tell his story. And purpose, I now knew, was more important than profession.”
“Like me, Ishmael thinks that dividing the world into humans and non-humans is irrational. Instead, he believes that all members of the animal kingdom, including humans, fall into one of two categories: wild and domestic (with some humans falling into one category and some the other.)”
“Man-made fires demoralize me. They remind me that we are too many people, living in too small a space, and that I share a planet with bad people for whom we will never have enough space.”
“When you spend time with your pets, they become more like you. When I spent time with fox, I became more like him.”
fbarros's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
A book on loneliness, nature, and what sets us apart from animals. I loved the story, nature descriptions, and book mentions.
The only downsides? It could've been half the size, and I didn't connect with or empathize with most descriptions of animal emotions and worth by the author, especially at the beginning of the book.
Still, an enjoyable read that made me miss my late horse and camping.
The only downsides? It could've been half the size, and I didn't connect with or empathize with most descriptions of animal emotions and worth by the author, especially at the beginning of the book.
Still, an enjoyable read that made me miss my late horse and camping.
kfox2003's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
agmaynard's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Beautiful and unusual! A thoughtful steward of the land investigates and shares her wonder of the natural world. And somebody who rereads Frankenstein and Moby Dick! And the progress of the relationship built between herself and Fox. "But as for foxes spreading a little inspiration, casting spells on people, and chasing mischief, well, that sounds right to me."
markarubin's review against another edition
3.0
Didn’t actually finish this but I’m not going to. Wanted to like it more but just didn’t grab me.
hoosgracie's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lovely long essay on nature and friendships with nature.