Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Richer Reading
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The book list ranges around through the best of John James Audubon, John Burroughs, Charles Darwin, W.H. Hudson, John Muir, Thoreau, and Gilbert White, but also includes more unusual suspects such as Gertrude Bell, Richard Burton, T.E. Lawrence (West includes his Seven Pillars of Wisdom "for its amazing and penetrating revelation of an amazing people and country.... Surely one of the greatest books of the twentieth century." p.93 - I completely agree, one of my favorite books, simply incredible, a classic, it's in my top 20 of all time!), Apsley Cherry-Garrard, and Freya Stark. I particularly like the previous owner's check marks all through the book, next to titles read. They cover nearly half the book - not bad for a lifetime's worth of reading suggestions. West lists around 250 titles. Though I'd heard of many of them, I came across only a handful I'd actually read. Well, 10 down, only 240 left to go!
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It sounds like you're back in the land of the healthy.
By coincidence, I am reading some essays of John Burroughs. I'd never heard of him, but stumbled across a slim volume a couple days ago; I just finished his essay "The Exhilarations of the Road"- his song of the joys of walking. This will have to be put next to Hudson's Afoot In England.
I've been slowly working my way through Cherry-Garrard and will get to Seven Pillars god knows when.
On a closer-to-home note, I'm reading an essay a day by Robert Coffin, from his Yankee Coast. A little south of you in Maine, but not by much. Wonderful pieces.
Another winner from HFW!
Finally, I recently finished C.E. Montague's The Right Place, and can't recommend that highly enough. A lovely and joyful book.
Dan
By coincidence, I am reading some essays of John Burroughs. I'd never heard of him, but stumbled across a slim volume a couple days ago; I just finished his essay "The Exhilarations of the Road"- his song of the joys of walking. This will have to be put next to Hudson's Afoot In England.
I've been slowly working my way through Cherry-Garrard and will get to Seven Pillars god knows when.
On a closer-to-home note, I'm reading an essay a day by Robert Coffin, from his Yankee Coast. A little south of you in Maine, but not by much. Wonderful pieces.
Another winner from HFW!
Finally, I recently finished C.E. Montague's The Right Place, and can't recommend that highly enough. A lovely and joyful book.
Dan
Hey Dan - I have a very nice Burroughs set in the shop right now, the Riverside edition, 1913. Fifteen volumes. It almost came home with me, but really, I have no shelf space for single books, not to mention another set. The only large sets I've indulged in are Scribner's Robert Louis Stevenson and a minor edition of Horace Walpole's collected letters. Burroughs is good, though - Thoreauvian for sure.
I really love Coffin - his book "Mainstays of Maine" (reprinted as "Maine Cooking: Old Time Secrets") is terrfic - he's a passionate writer in the best sense and his prose tumbles all over itself with its joy. I have "Yankee Coast" too, but my very favorite book of his is called "Book of Uncles" (which I think I put on my best books list last fall) - one chapter about each of his uncles, both real and wished-for, each of whom was known for some happening or some perfect skill. Some of the essays are very funny, some quite dark. A truly unique book. I was pricing it for the shop, I started to read it, I couldn't put it down, I took it home. Where it remains. Story of my life!
Feeling better, thanks. Can't wait to get my hands on some Montague...
I really love Coffin - his book "Mainstays of Maine" (reprinted as "Maine Cooking: Old Time Secrets") is terrfic - he's a passionate writer in the best sense and his prose tumbles all over itself with its joy. I have "Yankee Coast" too, but my very favorite book of his is called "Book of Uncles" (which I think I put on my best books list last fall) - one chapter about each of his uncles, both real and wished-for, each of whom was known for some happening or some perfect skill. Some of the essays are very funny, some quite dark. A truly unique book. I was pricing it for the shop, I started to read it, I couldn't put it down, I took it home. Where it remains. Story of my life!
Feeling better, thanks. Can't wait to get my hands on some Montague...
Glad to see you are back. I had something similar. It was so bad, I wished to die quickly. I discovered
honey/whiskey and mucinex. Did you
look at my owls. They have all left now. I miss them. I am reading a horrid, gory book by Tabitha King called Candles Burning.
honey/whiskey and mucinex. Did you
look at my owls. They have all left now. I miss them. I am reading a horrid, gory book by Tabitha King called Candles Burning.
Hi sparrow - your owls are tremendous... have you ever read Mary Oliver's poems about owls? She has many, in one she talks about their lamp-like eyes looking off behind you as if they were reading Blake, or the Book of Revelation.
Glad you're better now - I am a teetotaller but I resorted to Nyquil on two nights. Yuck.
I see Tabitha around town. I don't read horror or gore, I get nightmares (really). I can't even watch 24 or those ads for CSI, I get too anxious. God, I'm an old softy. When did this happen...
Glad you're better now - I am a teetotaller but I resorted to Nyquil on two nights. Yuck.
I see Tabitha around town. I don't read horror or gore, I get nightmares (really). I can't even watch 24 or those ads for CSI, I get too anxious. God, I'm an old softy. When did this happen...
No Sarah, I have not read Mary Oliver's poems about owls. But I have quite an affinity for owls. They seem to appear to me all the time. And I have warbled back and forth with them
This particular male or female (who can tell) used to come to my yard at night and just sit and watch me at night walking in the back. So, it was
predictable when I put up an owl house he would bring his mate. It was the most amazing experience. Especially the night I saw both owls bathing in the birdbath together. Almost magical.
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This particular male or female (who can tell) used to come to my yard at night and just sit and watch me at night walking in the back. So, it was
predictable when I put up an owl house he would bring his mate. It was the most amazing experience. Especially the night I saw both owls bathing in the birdbath together. Almost magical.
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