Book Description
Whether he is nurturing a single rare seedling into a blossoming tree or planning acres of exquisitely conceived royal gardens, John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England. But it is Tradescant's clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant, and in his role as informal confidant during garden strolls with Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court.
Tradescant's talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life -- his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country -- is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love.
From the details of garden design and innovation to the politics of a growing revolution which was to kill a king and turn a world upside down, Philippa Gregory once again makes history come alive through the people whose passions shaped that world.
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"Whether he is nurturing a single rare seedling into a blossoming tree or planning acres of exquisitely conceived royal gardens, John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England. But it is Tradescant's clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant, and in his role as informal confidant during garden strolls with Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court. Tradescant's talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life -- his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country -- is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love. From the details of garden design and innovation to the politics of a growing revolution which was to kill a king and turn a world upside down, Philippa Gregory once again makes history come alive through the people whose passions shaped that world. "
Customer Reviews:
Sexual Impropriety?.......2007-08-30
I have read several of Philippa Gregory's books; at least one from each series (the Tudor stories, Wide Acre and now Earthly Joys). And while I find her writing engaging and her characters intellectually attractive, I strongly feel that there must be something amiss in her psyche. That she can write so vividly about sexual-taboos makes me wonder what went on in her own life.
I glossed over the overtly sexual goings-on of the Other Boleyn Sister, The Constant Princess and The Queen's Fool, attributing it to the eccentricity of royal life. However, I threw Wide Acre away and refused to read the remaining stories of the series.
From the beginning of Earthly Joys I was waiting for the sexual deviancy at every page turned. I feel that the physical relationship between the gardener and the duke was unnecessary. The plot and John's character development would in no way have been compromised had she left out their tryst. Furthermore, I don't believe that the shipboard encounter advance either character; on the contrary I feel that her inclusion of sex in their relationship only weakened my trust of John's steadfast and honest character (and quiet frankly of Ms. Gregory's mental capacity).
I would have enjoyed this story so much more had she left out the physical relationship between John and the Duke. I will not be recommending this novel to anyone.
Boring, disappointing rubbish........2006-12-15
As an avid fan of all other novels by Philippa Gregory, I was terribly let down by this one. Unless you are a gardener or botanist interested in the origins of English gardening, there is nothing remotely interesting about this story. And even the historical facts, which are usually so masterfully intertwined with the plot in Gregory's other books, are given very little attention. The main focus is on the characters, but the characters never change or grow or learn from past experience. One theme is established at the outset of the book, and it just continues in the same dull vein until the end. Stuck with it because of how much I loved her other work, but I'm sorry that I wasted weeks of reading on this dud.
weird.......2006-11-30
Have enjoyed her other books. this book proves that "company men" live in all ages. Career is just more fun than familys.the book wanders like a vine, not a good first choice read.
earthly Joys.......2006-08-11
Philippa Gregory seems to have kept quite close to historical facts in accuracy, when comparing her fiction to a factual book on Tradescant's life.
It is a pacy read with emotional and erotic scenes;good descriptions of the finding of rarities and plants, modes of travel, social,religious,political feelings of the time.
The story brings history to life.
earthly joys.......2006-03-20
I have read all of Phillipa Gregory's books, and always eagerly await her next, but this was a miss. I was very disappointed in this stilted, boring book...I can only imagine that it is enjoyable to garden enthusiasts. Unlike Gregory's other novels, which have unexpected twists and enough action to keep one interested, 'Joys' drags on, with pages and pages devouted solely to plant descriptions. Gregory's attempt at some sort of 'love connection' between the gardener and his master is completely unromantic. I encourage anyone who likes this genre to read Phillip Gregory's work-just don't bother with this one.
Book Description
In The Last American Man, acclaimed journalist and fiction writer Elizabeth Gilbert offers a fresh cultural examination of contemporary American male identity and the uniquely American desire to return to the wilderness.
Gilbert explores what pushed men to settle the frontier West in the nineteenth century and delves into the history of American utopian communities. But her primary focus is on the fascinating true story of Eustace Conway, who left his comfortable suburban home at the age of seventeen to move into the Appalachian Mountains, where for the last twenty years he has lived off the land.
Conway's romantic character challenges all our assumptions about what it means to be a man today; he is a symbol of much that we feel our men should be, but rarely are. From his example, Gilbert delivers an intriguing exploration into the meaning of American manhood and-from the point of view of a woman-refracts masculine American identity in all its conflicting elements. Like Jon Krakauer's national bestseller Into the Wild, this book will find an enthusiastic audience among women, readers of American history, and those interested in nature and the wild.
Customer Reviews:
The Last American Man .......2007-09-12
The lifestyle and ideals of Eustace Conway go against the current of modern life, yet it is the fascination others have with his lifestyle (if not his ideals) that carries him along. Disciples (he calls them apprentices) are as important to his way of living as is Turtle Island, the place in which he lives. This book is about his failures with people as much as his untiring pursuit of union with nature.
Limited portrayal .......2007-09-05
Gilbert writes that she had "doubts about writing the book" but when someone said "wouldn't you rather make a mistake by doing something than make a mistake by not doing something?" she felt compelled to write Conway's story. And that's the sad part because had she listened to her own doubt she might have postponed writing this book until she became a little older and wiser. Although a gifted writer, I believe it would have been a different story. I can't help but think that because of her focus, Conway will be reluctant to allow another biographer such access. This is a man, who has lived an incredible life, little of which we are privileged to see in this portrayal.
How we like, in certain intellectual circles, to tear down people--to focus only on the defect not the accomplishment, not the journey--not comprehending that life unfolds in its own beauty. Very little, unfortunately, was written about the remarkable accomplishments this man undertook and completed. Traveling down the Mississippi River, hiking across Alaska, scaling cliffs in New Zealand and living with the Navajo of New Mexico, surviving in the wilderness--all are given short shift. Instead the focus of her book is on Conway's troubled relationships with family, later with staff at Turtle Island and through out the book, in great detail, with the women he tried to bond with along the way.
And then there's Gilbert's commentary--about politics, feminism, men's rituals, his family relationships--difficult at times to ascertain fact from tongue--in--cheek, admiration and pure condemnation. A powerful story tells itself--it doesn't need commentary. Let the readers draw their own conclusions. It sometimes felt as if Gilbert needed more pages turned out, thus the commentary--but come on--what a great story to tell, so many more things much more interesting to know . . .
Finally, people notice different things. Some pay more attention to feelings and things, others to nature, logic, art, science. Besides choosing different information to focus on (which often says more about ourselves than others), we also have access to different information. We tend to believe as if we have all the important information there is to know about another, but we don't and so what we choose to focus on is limited by what we see. Age often, but not always, expands what we are capable of seeing. And that's my main problem with this book.
Gilbert was young when she wrote it, most likely struggling with her own relationships, her own identity as a woman and thus the focus of her book. She repeatedly states, for example, that Conway's father was verbally abusive yet writes little concerning two extraordinary attempts of both father and son at reconciliation and yet, isn't this the more poignant story? Did she just have a deadline to meet? (And let me reveal my bias!)
Her portrayal is of a damaged man, not a man in the process of becoming. Becoming what? I don't know but from direct quotes of his conversations with her, a man willing to reflect upon his own life. This could have been a great biography and I'm not stating Gilbert shouldn't have delved into Conway's troubled relationships. I'm simply saying it is only part of the story, filled with commentary when the story could have been presented more powerfully and more simply merely by letting the story tell itself while including the extraordinary with the ordinary.
Modern Day Mountain Man.......2007-06-19
Fascinating read. You will come away admiring Eustace's work ethic and self sufficiency and will also question his intolerance for "us." Good lessons about American Utopian societies of the past and some of the lesser known facts about Mountain Men like Daniel Boone and Kit Karson. It is also "cold water in the face" to any dreamer who wishes to give everything away and start a new life in the wilderness.
Next generation Ed Abbey.......2007-05-31
In the end, Eustace Conway is no more or less human than the rest of us. He's got his own family issues and seems to be internally conflicted about what will bring him peace vs. what he should do. For those decrying Ms. Gilbert's awards, feel free to market the books you've written. The point of this book seems to be as much a reflection of her process to understand Mr. Conway as it is a description of his life. While her writing is more informal than "literature" (whatever that is), she effectively entices the reader to join in her journey. This book was enjoyable, as was Eat, Pray, Love. It provided a brief insight into living closer to the earth. Whether we agree is beside the point. Mr. Conway seems to be comparable to Ed Abbey in his view of the world, lust for life, difficulty in reconciling inner peace with changing other people's behavior, and inability to settle down with a family. We could all take away some of his respect for life (/nature) and our individual responsibility in recognizing how we each impact our environment. I'm looking forward to learning more about his efforts at Turtle Island.
Not what I expected.......2007-05-23
A friend suggested this book to me, because of my interests in nature. Although the book can be interesting, it did not hold my interest as well as I had expected. Not to mention the ending was completely the opposite of what I expected.
Average customer rating:
- a pleasant surprise
- The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About That Which Can Never Die
- Loved it!
- Loved it!
- Good things have roots in fallow ground....
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The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About That Which Can Never Die
Clarissa Pin Estes
Manufacturer: HarperOne
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ASIN: 006251380X |
Book Description
Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D., the internationally known poet, psychoanalyst, and author of the seminal classic Women Who Run With The Wolves (99 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, translated into eighteen languages, and a bestseller worldwide), touches our lives anew, rendering in the strong and lyrical voice for which she has become known a powerful series of her signature healing stories.
These elegantly interlocked tales of loss, survival, and fierce rebirth center around Dr. Estes's uncle, a war-ravaged Hungarian peasant farmer and refugee, a faithful gardener, and a storehouse of stories who was one of the "dancing fools, wise old crows, grumpy sages, and 'almost saints' who made up the old people" in Estés's childhood.
Told with graceful simplicity, deep feeling, generous humor, and profound optimism, The Faithful Gardener is, at its captivating core, the story of an open-hearted child who listened well to her old-country elders and who grew up to remember, to bear witness, and, as one of the premier storytellers of our times, to remind readers and listeners of all ages of "that magisterial life force within all things that strengthens us in times of turmoil or transition, that faithful force which can never die."
Customer Reviews:
a pleasant surprise.......2007-05-22
As usual, Clarissa Pin Estes writes with tremendous insight. Her use of personal history brings the book's content and (atypically) short length to life. I think it would be wonderful as a gift to share with one's loved-ones.
The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About That Which Can Never Die.......2006-11-10
A beautiful story that reminds us that the changes we fight against the most are the ones that take us where we want to go.
Loved it!.......2003-04-21
I listened to the tape and read the book. If you want to know the true nature of survival - especially in times like these - this is the book for you. Full of hope and evidence of the ability of humans to survive, thrive and love - no matter what. I was sorry the book was over. I am every time I read it.
Loved it!.......2003-04-21
I listened to the tape and read the book. If you want to know the true nature of survival - especially in times like these - this is the book for you. Full of hope and evidence of the ability of humans to survive, thrive and love - no matter what. I was sorry the book was over. I am every time I read it.
Good things have roots in fallow ground...........2001-01-13
The stories are like layers of an onion where each depends on the one before it to exist. The horrors of war are only hinted at by the author's uncle but the reader easily draws parallels between the transitions in life with a fallow field, a fir tree covered with decorations and the emergence of new life and promise from a piece of fallow ground. The book is easily read in an hour and I blinked away tears as I finished. Since the first reading, my front lawn has been returning to Nature, just as the author's did, and every season of watching new life emerge reminds me of the story and that good things are always beginning.
Book Description
Thoreau’s literary classic, an elegantly written record of his experiment in simple living, has engaged readers and thinkers for a century and a half. This edition of Walden is the first to set forth an authoritative text with generous annotations. Thoreau scholar Jeffrey S. Cramer has meticulously corrected errors and omissions from previous editions of Walden and here provides illuminating notes on the biographical, historical, and geographical contexts of Thoreau’s life.
Cramer’s newly edited text is based on the original 1854 edition of Walden, with emendations taken from Thoreau’s draft manuscripts, his own markings on the page proofs, and notes in his personal copy of the book. In the editor’s notes to the volume, Cramer quotes from sources Thoreau actually read, showing how he used, interpreted, and altered these sources. Cramer also glosses Walden with references to Thoreau’s essays, journals, and correspondence. With the wealth of material in this edition, readers will find an unprecedented opportunity to immerse themselves in the unique and fascinating world of Thoreau.
Anyone who has read and loved Walden will want to own and treasure this gift edition. Those wishing to read Walden for the first time will not find a better guide than Jeffrey S. Cramer.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful book, helpful comments.......2007-06-14
This copy of Walden is beautiful and the extensive notes are very helpful.
Beautiful and accessible.......2007-01-31
This edition of Walden is a joy to read, with lovely typeface and layout. I am not a Thoreau scholar, but found the annotations accessible and absorbing. The layout allows you to read Walden straight through or wander off into the annotated notes, depending on your mood.
A book that serves as a miniature vacation every time you open it.
One step further outside of Concord.......2006-02-02
Walden, since the age of fourteen, has always been a special place for me. Ironically, I did not disturb the leaf laden path through Thoreau's wood until seven years after, but at a young age I enjoyed the utopia this book offers. Interestingly enough the surface was read, and with little understanding of history, of which I know have a Masters degree, I did not know the context. With this Annotated version you are thrusted further into Thoreau's world than ever before. I suggest strongly to read the text, then start over with just the annotations. It takes you into the historical/political context of the book's purpose, and from that, into a world leading to civil war, that would traverse those growing pains into a time of reform. Truly a book before its time, yet speaks to the reform movement of the latter 19th c., and perhaps today.
To Live at Walden; A Visit with Thoreau.......2005-02-15
150 years ago, a philosopher went to live in the woods off a small Massachusetts pond, and write about his experiences and meditations. Today, his thoughts, opinions, and experiences inform and educate us, enlightening us to a world of possibilities. Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden, and now all of us have a chance to spend time there in this richly illustrated edition.
Jeffrey Cramer, Thoreau scholar, has meticulously put together this labor of love for the book, as is shown on each and every page. Writing a short, insightful introduction to this book, and carefully research notes in the margins of the book, add layers of understanding to an already powerful book.
I hadn't ever visited Walden prior to this book. As a Walden novice, it served as an excellent introduction to an amazing man and an amazing work. I'm sure that both novices and scholars will benefit from this wonderful literary escape from the world. Yet the escape teaches us more about the world than we might ever know. Thanks to Cramer, and thanks to Henry for crafting this word feast.
A Plethora of Riches.......2004-09-24
Jeffrey Cramer's annotated "Walden" weaves together the "woof" of Thoreau's philosophy and observances with the "warp" of all the influences upon him in his life, current and remembered. Cramer brings light to bear on the puns and allusions that would likely escape the reader of today. It is an uncommonly rich reading experience.
The book itself is the best designed I can remember in years. The annotations are side by side with the text; the type is crisp and clear; the book opens flat for easy handling; and it is printed on fine stock. Cramer and Yale University Press have given us a rare gift.
Average customer rating:
- A novel you won't forget
- A tale at once subsumed by race and yet never mentioning it
- Haunting tale of the essence of South Africans
- What's the point?
- Getting Caught Up in a War
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Life and Times of Michael K: A Novel
J. M. Coetzee
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0140074481 |
Book Description
In South Africa, whose civil administration is colapsing under the pressure of years of civil strife, an obscure young gardener named Michael K decides to take his mother on a long march away from the guns towards a new life in the abandoned countryside. Everywhere he goes however, the war follows him. Tracked down and locked up as a collaborator with the rural guerrillas, he embarks on a fast that angers, baffles, and finally awes his captors. The story of Michael K is the story of a man caught up in a war beyond his understanding, but determined to live his life, however minimally, on his own terms. J.M. Coetzee has produced a masterpiece which has the astonishing power to make the wilderness boom.
Customer Reviews:
A novel you won't forget.......2007-05-14
People just will not let you live a way of life they don't understand. Michael K, misunderstood by just about everybody, finds out in this dark but beautiful novel. Coetzee describes the struggle of someone who, being neither smart or beautiful, finds it impossible to withdraw from the world. Michael is a simple man with a hare lip who wants to be left alone and live life on his own terms. However, in the war-torn South Africa through which he ends up journeying, no hiding place is secure from bullying war fractions or unwanted beneficiaries.
The style is strong, plain, dark and very efficient in picking the right details to make any situation come to life. For all his faults, I was able to relate to Michael and suffer with him. And even though there was a lot of suffering, the book didn't depress me. I still don't know why.
The only pity is that the author added part 2 with the external viewpoint (at least I do not understand the purpose). It gives us interpretations that we can perfectly make ourselves, and a certain baroqueness - that is so pleasantly absent in the rest of the book- creeps into the prose. Otherwise a beautiful book on a great theme.
A tale at once subsumed by race and yet never mentioning it .......2007-02-08
Literary historians credit much of Ireland's rich literary tradition to its often tragic history. No surprise then that the nation of South Africa, likewise so rich in grief that it might as well diamonds, has produced so many extraordinary writers, two of whom, Coetzee included, who can boast a Nobel Prize. Which brings us to one of his many fine novels, the Life and Times of Michael K.
Telling the tale of a black man caught in the twisted and violent web of Apartheid might appear at first an obvious tale, but then again, so might the story of a child who turned to crime in London in the 19th century or one of a boy and his friend journeying down the Mississippi. It is in this vein which one must see The Life and Times of Michael K, one which captures a place and an age. Other reviewers have focused on the tale of the central character, Michael K, so I would instead look at another aspect of the novel. Despite writing about a place and a story where race surrounds every character and facet like smog, Coetzee never once tells us anyone's race. At first I found this strange, discerning it in its broad aspects but finding the absence the stated fact more than a little strange. It was then that a south African friend explained to me that while I could tell only the characters' races in the broadest sense, she could tell it easily, immediately, and down to which subgroup each belonged. Indeed, like an Englishman knowing the class of a countrymen by their accent, she knew this based on job, dress, and dialogue.
This then is to me part of the genius of Coetzee's novel, giving his reader a story that is at once subsumed by race and yet never mentioning it. True, as some complain, Michael K does not grow to a character larger than life, becoming some hero; no he is a simple man, living to the best of his common ability in a world where evil is so common that it deserves no mention.
I would be remiss not to mention Coetzee's gift for prose, his ability to distill a scene or a feeling down to a few words, like grain alcohol. Many Americans remain unfortunately ignorant of this writer and his country's other extraordinary authors, like Freed and Gordimer. This is a tragedy, which I urge every reader to correct.
Haunting tale of the essence of South Africans.......2007-01-16
Having read all the reviews on this novel, I have one thing to add.
I was born and raised and spent most of my life in the very places described in this novel. It is a perceptive, haunting "what if" account and captures the essence of the places and people. I have known so many people like the characters in this book -- and the underlying psyche of the people and places is so authentic, I still think of the images months later in the strangest, most mundane periods of my day to day life.
I loved it.
What's the point?.......2006-08-23
I didn't like this book and I do not see the point of it. Near the end, the main character, Michael K, questions whether the moral of the story is that there is time for everything. But if that is the moral of this story, then it wasn't clear at all. Michael K has nothing but time, but he doesn't do anything. He seems incapable of doing anything. He cannot cope with living in any kind of society; nor does he succeed in living on his own in the wilderness.
Read literally, the book is horribly depressing, because Michael seems to be mentally ill or mentally deficient (because he cannot provide for himself and he has no will to survive; he only knows that he doesn't want to live imprisoned), but no one is able to help him. Read symbolically, I just don't get it. If Michael is supposed to represent some greater meaning, as the doctor/narrator suggests in the second part of the book, what is that meaning? The book doesn't answer that question.
Getting Caught Up in a War.......2006-06-12
As much as I love Coetzee, this book was not one of his better outings. The novel follows the life of Michael K, a reference most assuredly to Kafka, and an apt one at that. Michael K is a man who lives a simple life as a gardener, helping his mother from time to time, until a war breaks out in South Africa. He and his mother try to escape to the countryside, but are unable to do so. What bothers me with this novel is that Coetzee becomes too caught up in his own critiques of war and of hardship. The story fails where another one of his novels, 'Waiting for the Barbarians' succeeds. This novel actually has a similar story arc to the aforementioned work, in that a man is slowly transformed over time to something almost unrecognizable in comparison to what he was before any war or conflict took place. His critique of beauracracy, especiall military, is evident, and he gets caught up in his need of expressing the necessity of freedom. I like Coetzee, and adore the fact he tries to capture and express stances on important issues, something more authors need to do, but the story still has to be good; if it weren't necessary to provide a novel that was entertaining and well-written, then one may as well write essays on a subject.
Book Description
From his celebrated seaside garden, a beloved poet-in his one-hundredth year-speaks about life, poetry, and the kindred spirit in all living things.
Throughout his life Stanley Kunitz has been creating poetry and tending gardens. This book is the distillation of conversations—none previously published—that took place between 2002 and 2004. Beginning with the garden, that "work of the imagination," the explorations journey through personal recollections, the creative process, and the harmony of the life cycle. A bouquet of poems and a total of twenty-six full-color photographs accompany the various sections.
In the spring of 2003, Kunitz experienced a mysterious health crisis from which, miraculously, he emerged in what he called a "transformed state." During this period, his vision of the garden-constant source of solace and renewal-propelled him. The intimate, often witty conversations that followed this time are presented here in their entirety, as transcribed. Their central themes, circling mortality and regeneration, attest to Kunitz's ever-present sagacity and wit. "Immortality," he answers when asked. "It's not anything I'd lose sleep over." 26 color photographs.
Book Description
A definitive biography of a contemporary literary icon whose life was a web of contradictions. Cahalan sets the record straight on "Cactus Ed," separating fact from fiction to show that much of the myth surrounding Abbey was self-created and self-perpetuated. This meticulous work gives readers the most complete picture to date of the writer's life-and a fuller, more human Abbey than most have ever known. The book contains 30 photographs, capturing scenes ranging from Abbey's childhood to his burial site.
Customer Reviews:
Meet the real Cactus Ed: Alcoholic Ed.......2006-05-26
It's true that Cahalan never uses the term, and Abbey himself certainly never fesses up to it, but it's clear that's the case, as a careful reading of this great biography shows, especially if you've read the bulk of Abbey's own work as well, as I have.
Clues? The womanizing and multiple marriages, whether or not Abbey was a misogynist. The immature and obstinate behavior (Example A: Abbey rolling a tire off the South Rim of the Grand Canyon). These alone, if seen in the context of someone's drinking, almost stamp them on the forehead as a stereotypical Type A male alcoholic. If they don't, the whopper storytelling part of his personality does.
But, of course, that's not all.
Although it turned out to be an incorrect diagnosis, normally, there's only one reason you get a diagnosis of pancreatitis without some other medical condition being indicated along with it. And, of course, Abbey's ultimately fatal esophogal varisces are traceable directly to alcohol.
Now, that said, in addition to never owning up to being an alcoholic, Abbey never quit, contrary to myth that even Cahalan doesn't appear to catch.
That's clear from Abbey's final years journals, from which Douglas Peacock, Abbey's model for Hayduke, quotes in "Walking it Off."
In early 1988, Abbey describes the effects of withrdrawal from the codeine he had been using to try to suppress chronic coughing that aggravated the varisces. He explicitly says beer does not ease his codeine withdrawal symptoms.
To the degree that Cahalan, without labeling or analyzing, does catch Abbey's alcoholic behavior, he described it well. Unfortunately, whether because of lack of experience in dealing with the breed or whatever, he unfortunately doesn't analyze Abbey.
The alcoholism is of a piece with other parts of Abbey behind his legendary self-spinning, a glimpse behind that sometimes Abbey gives us himself.
Abbey adamantly insisted he was NOT an environmentalist. Well, the Grand Canyon incident, among MANY others, prove that point all too well. Again, Cahalan sees the pieces, but doesn't do the dot-connecting as much as one might like.
What Abbey really was, as shown by things such as his fondness for 20h century classical music mentioned in "Desert Solitaire," was an existentialist philosopher with a heavy dollop of libertarianism on top. If he had fallen in love with another way of expressing and getting in touch with both existential and libertarian selves, he wouldn't have been out in Arches National Monument.
And yes, we would have been poorer for that, but not as much poorer as Abbey idolators would have us believe.
Abbey deprived the environmental world, the world at large, and many people around, of what could have been much more that he had to offer. But, that's because he was ultimately depriving his own self of -- himself.
But, again, Cahalan, while laying out all the pieces, doesn't quite put the jigsaw together.
That's the prime reason this otherwise excellent bio falls a star short of the top.
Leave it to Abbey.......2006-05-06
Reading about Abbey provided me with the realization that some people in this world really do have a "life" - without many constraints, guilt, or heavy-duty obligations that are often tagged on to an individual by nature of his/her duty to satisfy others. Cahalan presents Abbey as a human being in search of his soul while dispelling the myths of his misogyny. Made more interesting by the fact that Cahalan was my professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2003, I easily became immersed into the journeys of Abbey, who like myself, see no boundaries for where I travel or where I go in the future. A great piece of interesting literature!! From the sands of Abbey's Southwest to the sands of Kuwait, I have fallen victim! This inspires me to write my own account of the life of an American woman who finds her passion in the deserts of Kuwait.
A very interesting book about a great writer.......2005-09-18
Having never heard of Edward Abbey or any book he ever wrote (I picked up the book because it was the first on a shelf at the library) I was absorbed by this guy's life and tribulations. I even made it a point to start to read A Fool's Progress. I'm glad I took the time to read the book because it makes you realize that the guy was human, introverted and not the eco-rebel everyone thought he was. He was a writer. I love his mantra:
1) Write Right!
2) Write Good!
3) Write On!
Though he had his troubles with family life I thought his struggles with life, writing and being successful made for a good story.
Terrific book on Abbey's life and writing!.......2005-02-21
I had never even heard of Edward Abbey until Dr. James Cahalan's book was published. I live approximately 35 miles from Indiana and Home, Pennsylvania, and happened to catch an interview of Dr. Cahalan on my NBC affiliate in Johnstown.
This sparked an interest in Abbey and I immediately bought "The Fool's Progress." I struggled to get through 250 of the 513 pages of his "Fat Masterpiece."
I received Dr. Cahalan's "Edward Abbey: a life" as a gift and found it extremely interesting. The author provides very good insights into Abbey's life, his viewpoints and his writing style.
Reading this book has breathed new life into my interest in Abbey. Having read Dr. Cahalan's book has given me what I needed to now finish "The Fool's Progress" with a better understanding of the context in which the book was written. Also, as soon as I finished "Edward Abbey: a life" I bought "Desert Solitaire."
"Edward Abbey: a life" has given this casual (or maybe wannabe) Abbey fan the inspiration and understanding to become a true Abbey fan. In my opinion, this book is the perfect starting point for those fans wanting to explore the many facets of Edward Abbey's life, relationships and writing.
A biography that reads like a novel.......2004-09-30
Edward Abbey's life was so interesting that most any decently-written biography of him should be entertaining. Cahalan's biography is certainly that, but he also delves into Abbey's psyche through the presentation of details that are ignored in other biographies of Abbey. Thus, the reader is provided an image of Abbey that has a lot of "texture," and, I believe, is closer to a faithful picture of the real man, faults and virtues combined. Cahalan does a good job of remaining impartial, and tries to present the events just as they are, so that the reader is pretty much left free to make his/her own judgements about Abbey The Man. This doesn't mean that Cahalan's personal opinions about Abbey don't come out in the book (he is sympathetic to Abbey), but he lets the reader know when he is expressing an opinion, and when he is stating what is taken as fact.
Biographies of famous authors, especially revolutionary ones like Abbey, is a genre that I have started to really enjoy. It seems that, for me at least, reading about the events, and the author's reactions to them, that helped to form such an extraordinary individual is often more entertaining than the author's own writings! That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed most of Abbey's books (not all, though). The same goes for Jack Kerouac. Cahalan's biography and Ann Charter's biography of Kerouac are two fine examples of biographies that read like novels, but are in some ways better, because they report actual events!
Book Description
From the acclaimed author of
The Wilder Sisters comes this bittersweet, deeply moving story of four displaced women who unite to run a flower farm, heal their hearts, and real- ize the depth and necessity of friendship.
Phoebe Thomas has lived life as a spectator, confined to a wheelchair, in awe of her beloved Aunt Sadie and overshadowed by her financial wizard brother, James. But when Sadie dies, leaving her a flower farm, the world opens up to Phoebe in ways she could never have imagined. Taking in three roommates to help get the farm running, she finds herself, for the first time in her life, part of a close circle of woman friends. Each displaced from her home, these four women form an invaluable bond as they help one another learn to change their lives.
Set against the gorgeous backdrop of California's central coast, Bad Girl Creek is the inspiring story of how friendship and purpose can transform even the most compromised of women, as well as situations. With her rich, melodic prose and charming wit, Jo-Ann Mapson enchantingly chronicles female strength, family complexities, life crises, the use of humor as a curative power, and love in all its many aspects. Bad Girl Creek is a breathless and pitch-perfect tragicomedy of female friendship in the new American West.
Download Description
Phoebe Thomas has lived life as a spectator, confined to a wheelchair, in awe of her beloved aunt Sadie and overshadowed by her financial wizard brother James. But when her aunt dies, leaving her a flower farm, the world opens up to Phoebe in ways she could never have imagined. Taking in three roommates to help her get the farm running, she finds herself, for the first time in her life, part of a close circle of women friends. Each displaced from her home -- a result of job loss, a romantic break up, eviction -- these four women form an invaluable bond as they help one another learn to change their lives. Set against the gorgeous backdrop of California's Central Coast, Bad Girl Creek is the inspiring story of how life at its lowest can, with a little communal effort and kindness, transform to a brief idyll. Uplifting and deeply moving, Bad Girl Creek explores womens' strengths, family complexities, life's crises, the use of humor as a curative power, and love in all its many definitions. Jo-Ann Mapson's rich, melodic prose captures the exquisite beauty of the American West as well as the tremendous power of friendship among women.
Customer Reviews:
Bad Girl Creek.......2007-01-06
Jo-Ann Mapson leaves you wanting to read more about everyone in the book...which she does in the next two books in this series. She is one of the best at women's fiction.
Awesome Book, great author.......2006-11-02
This book is an awesome book, I found this author when i bought a book, on special from my local BJ's store, it was only $4.99 and being a book buff I couldn't pass it up and I am so glad I did. So I searched and searched for this author and am so glad I did cause this book and another one and the one I bought were all in a set of 3. You won't go wrong with purchasing this book, as well as Good Bye Earl and Along Came Mary they go hand in hand with one another.
Mapson novels should come with a warning label: ADDICTIVE .......2006-09-29
This was the novel that hooked me on author Jo Ann Mapson. I have read and loved all of her books. She writes about community and love and family in a way that few others can. Her prose is addictive! Her novels are the ultimate fiction escape.
great!!!.......2006-07-26
I'm only half way into the book but can't put it down. Makes me laugh out loud! Great characters, books like this don't come along often. Realistic but hopeful!
Totally Enjoyed!!.......2006-01-11
I really enjoyed the book. The characters were wonderful. Very human, complete with flaws. They all begin with those flaws, feeling themselves lost and adrift, but when they find each other, they find themselves and realize that they are all strong women. When I read the last page I knew there had to be a sequel. I haven't read it yet but will be picking that up soon. I hope Mapson continues with the same strong characters. I lent this to friends who have enjoyed it as well.
Customer Reviews:
The Man Behind the Work.......2007-09-03
For those who have the privilege of knowing him as a friend, this book
provides additional personal glimpses into the life of the man and his
passionate friendships, as well as revealing the nature of his work as
understood by his colleagues and associates in the fields of agriculture,
poetry, and the art of the essay. For those who have never met him, nor
perhaps ever heard of him, this gem of a book will give them some of
the essence of what he and his work stand for, and will make them want to
seek out the primary texts for themselves. An entertaining and well-
meant tribute to a man who has not only contributed greatly to American
letters, but has turned the ordinary toward the holy (as it was meant
to be) once again.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent
- Exquisite
- A real education
- Superb
- Wonderful
|
John Burroughs: An American Naturalist
Edward Renehan
Manufacturer: Black Dome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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John Burroughs' America: Selections from the Writings of the Naturalist
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The Art of Seeing Things
ASIN: 1883789168
Release Date: 1998-06-01 |
Book Description
John Burroughs (1837-1921) emerged from an obscure boyhood in the Catskill Mountains to write more than thirty books, create the genre of the nature essay, and become the preeminent nature writer of his day.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......1999-05-24
I first got turned on to Ed Renehan when I saw him on C-SPAN discussing the book he wrote about the family of Theodore Roosevelt, entitled THE LION'S PRIDE. After enjoying LION'S PRIDE, I purchased and learned a lot from Renehan's beautifully written account of John Brown and the Harpers Ferry raid, entitled THE SECRET SIX. Then, although I'd never heard of John Burroughs, I moved onto this excellent biography of a fascinating but neglected figure of American history, and am glad I did. Now I will turn to some of Burroughs's own writings, if I can find them!
Exquisite.......1999-04-26
Ed Renehan has put together an exquisite, instructive review of the long life of John Burroughs. The old lion emerges in all his splendor in these pages -- intellectual, literate (he knew Emerson and Whitman among others), worldly (he had a mistress who was a New York psychiatrist), and above all, a sympathetic observer of the natural world. We need his perspective as never before. -- John Hanson Mitchell, author of CEREMONIAL TIME, LIVING AT THE END OF TIME, and other books
A real education.......1999-04-07
Edward Renehan has restored John Burroughs to his rightful place in the history of American literature and conservation. -- Frank Graham, Jr., author of SINCE SILENT SPRING, THE AUDUBON ARK, and other books
Superb.......1999-04-02
"Renehan's biography does precisely what it sets out to do: it provides the thorough, responsible, readable biography which has so long been wanting in Burroughs scholarship." -- Ameican Nature Writing, 1993 edition
Wonderful.......1997-09-13
At the tag end of our scarred century, we grasp, almost in desperation, for a new purchase on nature. To assist in this restorative effort, we can look back on the work and the way of life of earlier naturalists who tried to hold our neglectful attention. Edward Renehan, with this affectionate, critical biography, has given us back John Burroughs, one of the best of that surprisingly contentious (and interesting) breed.
------ William S. McFeely, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning GRANT: A BIOGRAPHY, and other books.
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