lucym80's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
4.25
trm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
5.0
allbookedup90's review against another edition
1.0
DNF in “March” section. Author seemed pretentious and I did not enjoy the writing style.
stormy_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
backpackfullofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
tylerand's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at 81%.
I knew from the start I should have put it down, but I was ready (and very excited) for another Green Thoughts-esque book. This is nothing like Eleanor Perenyi's beloved book, so if you are expecting the same, run now.
The book is divided by the months of the year. It starts off with short, staccato sentences which remind me of poetry in its very worst form. There were so many sentence fragments too, and it was very hard to follow. As a fellow gardener, it should have been beautiful, but it was just annoying.
In mid-February, to my relief, but not staying true to a writing style, the book takes a 180 and actually starts reading like a book. However, there is never enough about gardening.
This is simply the author's musings on gardening but also life in general and his depressing past. Each chapter only briefly contains any information about it's title sake, usually at the very beginning or end of a chapter.
His relationship with Mrs. Cashmere is bizarre. Sometimes he speaks as though he despises or resents her and others, it's like he's secretly in love with her or something.
The book feels like it could have been written 100 years ago, so it is very odd when he talks about tweeting a photo of a dahlia or doing a Google search. It's just jarring compared with the rest of the way the book is written.
He feels the need to point out that he is a heathen more than most religious people mention their denomination. He's a self-righteous hypocrite. He's always talking about how everything should be natural and, if the garden were his, what he would do (or rather not do) with it. Why did he choose the profession of taming nature if he is against it?
Lastly, moles DO have a purpose, and frankly, I am surprised that he of all people would say they "just are". Like worms and other underground dwellers, they aerate the soil. They also eat grubs.
It was in the chapter titled "Molecatcher" that I finally was persuaded to put down this book. Hamer says, "That evening, the horror that Peggy and I will one day be parted creeps up on me intensely as I lie on my bed and read of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her love of the sea, which took her brother as its own, but I keep feeling to myself. Peggy and I would both be weeping if I were to say anything..."
It was here that I was reminded of my own mortality and questioned why I was wasting the precious little time I have on Earth reading this book.
I knew from the start I should have put it down, but I was ready (and very excited) for another Green Thoughts-esque book. This is nothing like Eleanor Perenyi's beloved book, so if you are expecting the same, run now.
The book is divided by the months of the year. It starts off with short, staccato sentences which remind me of poetry in its very worst form. There were so many sentence fragments too, and it was very hard to follow. As a fellow gardener, it should have been beautiful, but it was just annoying.
In mid-February, to my relief, but not staying true to a writing style, the book takes a 180 and actually starts reading like a book. However, there is never enough about gardening.
This is simply the author's musings on gardening but also life in general and his depressing past. Each chapter only briefly contains any information about it's title sake, usually at the very beginning or end of a chapter.
His relationship with Mrs. Cashmere is bizarre. Sometimes he speaks as though he despises or resents her and others, it's like he's secretly in love with her or something.
The book feels like it could have been written 100 years ago, so it is very odd when he talks about tweeting a photo of a dahlia or doing a Google search. It's just jarring compared with the rest of the way the book is written.
He feels the need to point out that he is a heathen more than most religious people mention their denomination. He's a self-righteous hypocrite. He's always talking about how everything should be natural and, if the garden were his, what he would do (or rather not do) with it. Why did he choose the profession of taming nature if he is against it?
Lastly, moles DO have a purpose, and frankly, I am surprised that he of all people would say they "just are". Like worms and other underground dwellers, they aerate the soil. They also eat grubs.
It was in the chapter titled "Molecatcher" that I finally was persuaded to put down this book. Hamer says, "That evening, the horror that Peggy and I will one day be parted creeps up on me intensely as I lie on my bed and read of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her love of the sea, which took her brother as its own, but I keep feeling to myself. Peggy and I would both be weeping if I were to say anything..."
It was here that I was reminded of my own mortality and questioned why I was wasting the precious little time I have on Earth reading this book.