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carollewis's review
3.0
A beautifully written book. Oliver’s observations of nature and her surroundings are mesmerising. Loved the beginning and the end while the middle essays were hard to grasp for me.
zmorris1923's review
4.0
I'm going to say 3.5 for this. There were times where it did seem to drag on, and there were times when I sped through it, but generally it had a lot of good that I appreciated. I liked reading about her relationships to nature and literature, the way she looked at the world, how she focused on small things, cared for them--how she wasn't afraid to do things others would think odd and eccentric. I actually loved the story of the turtle eggs because it felt so natural--it put her in perspective. We're all just animals.
I also appreciated the essays on Emerson and Whitman. They made me want to read them again--I haven't read either since high school and I think my appreciation for nature needs a romanticism turn to it.
I also appreciated the essays on Emerson and Whitman. They made me want to read them again--I haven't read either since high school and I think my appreciation for nature needs a romanticism turn to it.
leakaroo's review
5.0
"All things are meltable, and replacable. Not at this moment, but soon enough, we are lambs and we are leaves, and we are stars, and the shining, mysterious pond water itself".
This book touched my heart many many times. I am in awe of Mary Oliver's writing and of how she sees the world. I can already see myself coming back to this book many more times in the future, and I feel like this may become my bible. As a lover of the ocean, the essays which spoke specifically about the ocean and sea creatures especially pulled me in, but I enjoyed pretty much every essay anyways. Section 2 and 4 were by far my favourites, where I felt every essay in those sections deeply moved me. My least favourites would definitely be the ones talking about past poets like Emerson and Poe as I was mainly here to read about her outlook on nature, however I still enjoyed them. I have to rate it 5 stars because the overwhelming majority of the writing hit me so hard.
This collection resonated deep with my soul and I feel like I'm forever changed. I will be reading more from Oliver going forward, no question about it <3333
This book touched my heart many many times. I am in awe of Mary Oliver's writing and of how she sees the world. I can already see myself coming back to this book many more times in the future, and I feel like this may become my bible. As a lover of the ocean, the essays which spoke specifically about the ocean and sea creatures especially pulled me in, but I enjoyed pretty much every essay anyways. Section 2 and 4 were by far my favourites, where I felt every essay in those sections deeply moved me. My least favourites would definitely be the ones talking about past poets like Emerson and Poe as I was mainly here to read about her outlook on nature, however I still enjoyed them. I have to rate it 5 stars because the overwhelming majority of the writing hit me so hard.
This collection resonated deep with my soul and I feel like I'm forever changed. I will be reading more from Oliver going forward, no question about it <3333