An evening read-aloud for my husband and I.

Honestly, I have to admit that I found this collection of essays a bit insufferable.

It's not that I don't appreciate good writing, but for some reason, this particular collection just didn't click with me.

I'm not a huge fan, and I feel a bit bad about it, especially since I know there are many Dillard fans out there.

Maybe it's because the style of writing is not to my taste, or perhaps the topics covered didn't really resonate with me.

Whatever the reason, I can't help but feel that this was not the right book for me to read at this time.

However, I'm sure that there are many others who will love this collection and find it deeply moving and inspiring.

And who knows, maybe I'll give it another try someday and have a different experience.

For now, though, I'll have to look for something else to read that will capture my interest and imagination.

Nature's silence is its profound remark, and every flake of the world is a chip off that ancient, mute, and unchanging block. The Chinese believe we exist in the world of the ten thousand things. Yet, each of these ten thousand things cries out precisely nothing to us.

The mountains, like great stone bells, clang together like nuns in solemnity. But who shushed the stars? In the Palomar reflector, a thousand million galaxies are easily visible, and collisions among them do occur. However, these collisions are long and silent slides. Billions of stars sift among each other, untouched, too distant to be moved, always heedless and hushed. The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper that I struggle to make out, yet God knows I have tried.

At a certain moment, you say to the woods, the sea, the mountains, and the world, "Now I am ready. Now I will stop and be fully attentive." You empty yourself and wait, listening intently. After a while, you hear it: there is nothing there. There is only those things, those created objects, discrete, growing, holding, swaying, being rained on or raining, held, flooding or ebbing, standing, or spread. You sense the world's word as a tension, a hum, a single chorused note that is the same everywhere. This is it: this hum is the silence. Nature does utter a peep just this one. The birds and insects, the meadows and swamps, rivers and stones, mountains and clouds: they all do it; they all don't do it. There is a vibrancy to the silence, a suppression, as if someone were gagging the world. But you wait, you devote your life's length to listening, and nothing happens. The ice rolls up, the ice rolls back, and still that single note persists. The tension, or lack thereof, is intolerable. The silence is not actually suppression; instead, it is all there is.

I found this one to be much more uncertain. Or perhaps, at least the uncertainty wasn't as wonderous and freeing as it might have been. Maybe this is because it felt less connected and unified. After all, a collection of essays simply can't do what a whole book can achieve. In some respects, I think this makes it more realistic. And it was somewhat encouraging to read that Dillard isn't constantly swimming in the sublime every single day. We only get to see small chapters at a time, and I guess she experiences life in the same fragmented way.

This is also the most scathing and sarcastic work I have read of Dillard's. This time, she allows the skeptic and the scorn within her to run a little more freely. She is much more critical of the church, which was quite surprising. However, it makes sense when considering the time in her life when these essays were written.

Anyway, Annie Dillard is still an exceptional writer. Her work continues to captivate and challenge readers, even when she is exploring more complex and controversial themes.

Wow.

Guess who has a new favorite book and new favorite author now? It's me!

I just discovered this amazing book that has completely captured my heart.

The story is so engaging and the characters are so vivid that I can't put it down.

Every time I pick up the book, I'm transported to a different world.

The author's writing style is also very unique.

It's descriptive and detailed, yet still manages to be simple and easy to understand.

I find myself constantly highlighting passages and taking notes because there are so many beautiful and profound lines.

I can't wait to read more of this author's work and see what other wonderful stories they have to tell.

This new favorite book and author have truly made my reading experience even more enjoyable and fulfilling.

I highly recommend them to anyone who loves a good book.

This was truly amazing!!

I would highly recommend these essays to anyone. They have the remarkable ability to weave together a captivating story of nature and a life lived.

The writing is so engaging that I really connected with every single word. It's as if the author has a magical touch, using beautiful prose to paint vivid pictures in my mind.

Each essay takes you on a journey, allowing you to experience the wonders of nature and the depth of human emotions.

Whether you're a nature lover or simply someone who appreciates good writing, these essays are sure to leave a lasting impression.

So, don't hesitate to give them a read and let yourself be swept away by the beauty and power of the words.

You won't be disappointed!

2.5 Stars

*Disclaimer: I read the majority of the essays in the book, but only the ones required for school*

When I stop to think about it, books are supposed to serve two main purposes: to entertain us and to educate us.

Unfortunately, this particular book fell short in both regards for me.

While it may have had some redeeming qualities, overall, it failed to engage me on an entertainment level. The stories or ideas presented didn't capture my imagination or hold my interest.

Similarly, from an educational perspective, it didn't offer much that was new or thought-provoking. I felt that I didn't gain any significant knowledge or insights from reading the essays that were required for school.

In conclusion, while I understand that different people may have different opinions about this book, for me, it simply didn't deliver on what I expect from a good book.

Annie Dillard is truly one of the most remarkable and satisfying essayists that I have come across.

Generally speaking, I'm not particularly inclined towards reading nature studies. However, Dillard's essays have a certain charm and perfection that completely captivate me.

If I were to offer a single criticism, it would be that she often attempts to tie a theme or moral to her story in a way that sometimes feels a bit forced.

Nonetheless, her language is so exquisitely descriptive and her resolutions so elegant that I am more than willing to overlook this minor flaw.

In "Total Eclipse", she masterfully describes the experience of witnessing a total solar eclipse in a way that is both otherworldly and profoundly beautiful, with a hint of terror thrown in for good measure.

Her essay has made me long to experience a solar eclipse for myself more than anything else.

In the title essay, she starts by描绘 a man in his thirties who lives alone with a stone he is trying to teach to talk.

From this seemingly simple beginning, the essay gradually expands into a profound commentary on cosmology, theology, and the palos santos trees on the Galapagos Islands.

And yet, despite the wide range of topics covered, it all feels like a natural and seamless evolution.

This is the case with all of her essays.

Dillard's studies almost give the impression of free association, but like a perfect jazz solo, what initially seems random and disconnected ultimately finds its way back home in the most natural and harmonious way, as if it were all carefully scored.

So I have two expectations from a book: to acquire knowledge and to be amused. However, this book failed to meet either of these requirements.

Buckminster Fuller gave this book a highly favorable review. Nevertheless, it seems to be more like modern art presented in the form of words. Personally, I would much prefer to visit a museum for entertainment.

I stopped reading after going through just three stories. It simply didn't engage me or offer anything of value in terms of learning or entertainment.

Perhaps this book is not for me, as my tastes and preferences lean towards something more substantial and enjoyable. It's disappointing when a book doesn't live up to the hype or fulfill its intended purpose.

Maybe others will find something to appreciate in it, but for now, I'll be looking for a different book that can better satisfy my desire for both knowledge and entertainment.

My very first encounter with Dillard's work.

She truly has an amazing talent for using words in the most beautiful and captivating way.

However, I'm left with a bit of a dilemma. While there were certain snippets of prose that really grabbed my attention and held it firmly, I'm not entirely convinced that she has enough truly profound and meaningful things to say with those wonderful words.

As a result, although those individual moments were great, the book as a whole didn't quite have the same impact on me.

The reader who brought the book to life was quite skilled, but there was something about her that didn't seem to fit Dillard's work perfectly.

She came across as too much of a cool big city person, when this book really seemed to require the warm and homey voice of a small country town.

It made me wonder if a different reader might have been able to bring out the full potential of Dillard's words and make the book a more complete and satisfying experience.

Reading other reviews of Annie Dillard was far more pleasurable than delving into her book. In her work, she seemingly failed to make that stone talk, leaving me still grappling with the question of what exactly she and that stone were attempting to convey. I do sense a need to offer an apology as I, too, have a passion for writing. I relish in beautiful phrases that can stir deep human emotions. However, at a certain juncture, the reader should walk away feeling satisfied and fulfilled. If you were to ask my husband, he would express the same sentiment regarding my endeavors to pen down my thoughts. As a result, I have ceased allowing him to read my written pieces.

Annie Dillard's writing is truly a delight.

She has a voice that is both wistfully lyric and philosophical, which makes her observations and encounters a pleasure to read.

If the literary essay is a genre where imagination and analysis, emotion and fact collide head-on, then Dillard truly showcases the literariness of thought and exploration.

Her words have the power to make us stop in our tracks, ponder deeply, question our assumptions, and savour every moment.

She has the remarkable ability to teach her words to talk, to convey complex ideas and emotions in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

Reading Dillard's work is like embarking on a journey of discovery, where we are challenged to see the world from a new perspective and to appreciate the beauty and wonder that surrounds us.

Her writing is a testament to the power of the written word and the importance of literary exploration.

Found this one somewhere. In the past, I have found Annie Dillard's works to be a bit of a trial. The Maytrees was unreadable, but her memoir wasn't too bad. The BIG problem for me is her intensely twee/poetic prose.

This book is a collection of shorter pieces. I read the first one last night and it was... OK. I'll be reading one at a time.

"Chapter 2" ("An Expedition to the Pole") meanders for many pages between the author's experiences as a spiritual seeker in a local Catholic church (definitely NOT a cathedral) and piecemeal investigations of the history of polar explorations. Then she attempts a dream-like synthesis of the two. I have no idea what she's talking about. Oh well...

"In the Jungle" - a short piece set in Ecuador. AD must have taken a nature tour there. Sounds nice. So... it's no good hoping that the next story will NOT be over-written and NOT airy-fairy. Best to relax, accept and enjoy the good stuff.

"The Deer at Providencia" - Still in Ecuador and contemplating the unsolvable - suffering and death. Good stuff. In Africa, I watched a cow being butchered for a feast of which I partook. After its throat was cut, you hear it trying to breathe. In the words of David Helfcott, "It's a mystery."

"Teaching a Stone to talk" - Back to the airy-fairy. Ms. Dillard apparently is at home with someone who is LITERALLY attempting to do the title task. Oh well... any excuse for vague and flowery prose in the service of enigmatic observation.

"On a Hill Far Away" - a Tinker Creek "story." Is Ms. Dillard still a Jesus-squeezer? (no - she dumped Catholicism a while ago, after having become an adult convert) A la Mary Carr/Karr(?)... Emotionally wobbly... married three times.

"Total Eclipse" - while AD's description of the physical manifestations of totality are piercingly acute and wondrous, she goes predictably bat-bleep nutty with all the "spiritual/emotional" stuff she attaches to the experience. She gets a bit biblical too... ick!

"Lenses" - microscopes and telescopes.

"Life on the Rocks: The Galapagos" - I liked this one. Ms. Dillard continues to veer from fairly straightforward to out-of-control and I prefer the former.

"A Field of Silence" = back to airy-fairy land with the somewhat incoherent (to me) and flaky-prosed Ms. Dillard. More of her religiosity and other related craziness. God... angels... One is reminded of Faulkner. That man has a LOT to answer for!

"God in the Doorway" - Poor Annie = uber-sensitive girl. Miss White was crazy - no need to apologize! Where's the good sense? Once again I'm reminded of the guy in the Alaskan bush in the school bus = "Into the Wild" another personality in extremis.

Last night's two readings were good examples of the up-and-down nature of this book for me. "Mirages" had some interesting descriptive language, but overall the verbal/spiritual fireworks were just... too... much. The next bit, "Sojourner," an essay about mangroves, was much better (for me).

Finished up last night with "Aces and Eights," one of the best essays in this collection. Though AD did at times lapse into her trademark arch over-intellectualism, the story was actually a bit moving at the end. Oh that writing! When it's good it's very good and when it's bad (fussy-prissy, over-sensitive, over-precious - metonymic! catenary! - over self-aware) it's annoying to the point of resentment on my part. Keeps referring to her daughter (I assume) as "the child" - WHY? So... to be positive I say that Annie Dillard deserves credit for trying to write in a way that's true to her vision of the world. She tries to "tell it true." Oh yeah, she is/was a smoker too - UGH! Not a good sign...

- 3.5* rounds down to 3*