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chloejoy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
blueberryhotel's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
i’ve been meaning to read annie dillard for so long and i’m so glad i finally did. this feels like the perfect place to start too. everyone was sharing her essay about a (different) total eclipse earlier this year around the eclipse, and now that i’ve read it i definitely see why. dillard’s hard to categorize — she’s so much more than a “nature writer”. she accomplishes that elusive, deceptively difficult task of connecting seemingly innocuous and transient moments with the grander human experience, the things we all share, and manages to do so without veering into preachy (even in an essay explicitly referencing catholicism!) i love when i read a book’s forward by a different author lauding the author i’m about to read and it gets me excited to start; the forward here definitely did that for me and describes dillard’s writing more comprehensively and illustratively than i can.
bernieanderson's review against another edition
5.0
She's just so good at what she does.
Read and re-read Annie Dillard. You can't really go wrong.
Read and re-read Annie Dillard. You can't really go wrong.
slow_spines's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
5.0
This is a collection of pieces taken from 8 previous works, and was my first encounter with Dillard. Wow!
There are pieces that range from a page long, to a 20 minute read. There are pieces concerned about our place in nature, pieces about how to understand ourselves. Pieces that read like natural history, pieces more like poetry, some like memoir - most are all of the above. Dillard describes metaphysical hinterlands: mundane, sublime, fictive, real - all swirled together in a poetic collage. These are a collection of thoughts, often spurred by the natural world in all it's red-toothed splendour. To call her unflinching would be inaccurate - she is positively embracing. She embraces it all.
There are occasions where the imagery is difficult. Paganism is the clearest example (though it is the case for most of the pieces here), but even when its not clear exactly what she wants to say, you know what she is trying to say. And I think it is the manner of her trying which is the real message. Dillard is a mystic, she uses her words beautifully, knowing full well that they are woefully blunt tools. Her excited child-like wonder, her poetry, her invocations of philosophers, theologists, scientists, her focus on the transcendent, her humour - it is all brought together in an invigorating bewilderment.
"Wake up!", she implores. "Look!", as she dangles Life before you, twirling its multifaceted brilliance before your eyes. She reminds you: _this_ is what life is - deeply mysterious, brutal, beautiful, funny, fleeting.
The style might not be to the taste of those who prefer their musings more sober, but it could be argued that transcendental and ecstatic moments, if communicated at all, should be communicated excitedly. And it is such a contagious excitement.
You should read this book. Read it outside amongst the bugs and birds.
There are pieces that range from a page long, to a 20 minute read. There are pieces concerned about our place in nature, pieces about how to understand ourselves. Pieces that read like natural history, pieces more like poetry, some like memoir - most are all of the above. Dillard describes metaphysical hinterlands: mundane, sublime, fictive, real - all swirled together in a poetic collage. These are a collection of thoughts, often spurred by the natural world in all it's red-toothed splendour. To call her unflinching would be inaccurate - she is positively embracing. She embraces it all.
There are occasions where the imagery is difficult. Paganism is the clearest example (though it is the case for most of the pieces here), but even when its not clear exactly what she wants to say, you know what she is trying to say. And I think it is the manner of her trying which is the real message. Dillard is a mystic, she uses her words beautifully, knowing full well that they are woefully blunt tools. Her excited child-like wonder, her poetry, her invocations of philosophers, theologists, scientists, her focus on the transcendent, her humour - it is all brought together in an invigorating bewilderment.
"Wake up!", she implores. "Look!", as she dangles Life before you, twirling its multifaceted brilliance before your eyes. She reminds you: _this_ is what life is - deeply mysterious, brutal, beautiful, funny, fleeting.
The style might not be to the taste of those who prefer their musings more sober, but it could be argued that transcendental and ecstatic moments, if communicated at all, should be communicated excitedly. And it is such a contagious excitement.
You should read this book. Read it outside amongst the bugs and birds.
savaging's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect. Beautiful. I love Annie Dillard's writing, and this compilation was perfect for someone like me, who has read too little of her works too long ago.
lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
I love the concept of this writers style - non fiction as novel. however it is the style of writing where I feel i am going to fall asleep and I cannot stay connected to the writing. The best part of this audio books was turning on the car and it coming on and the look on my kids faces trying to figure out what was being said. I did love much of her languages and phrases - one that stuck was "we locked eyes and someone threw away the key"... so poetic
philippakmoore's review against another edition
4.0
The Abundance is a collection of Annie Dillard's essays that have been previously published in other volumes - it's an ideal starting point for someone new to her work. She has a poet's touch and eye, and her writing is wonderful to read, it always gives me a new perspective on life and makes me think more deeply about the world. Her words on the creative life and the craft of writing are particularly resonant and enjoyable to read.