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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Listen, I tried, but I can't be the Mary Oliver devotee many are. Nature writing particularly is a genre I simply do not resonate with
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Incredible read, very peaceful. Read it in one sitting, I was captivated. I skipped the middle essays that were about other poets. I loved the story about the gull, and the earlier stories about water and nature.
“All the questions that the spider's curious life made me ask, I know I can find answered in some book of knowledge, of which there are many. But the palace
of knowledge is different from the palace of discovery, in which I am, truly, a Copernicus. The world is not what I thought, but different, and more! I have seen it with my own eyes!
But a spider? Even that?
Even that.”
What a joy to read! Mary Oliver’s prose is gorgeous, and I especially liked her thoughts on writing and authors. She’s so strange but I say that with the utmost fondness. And what writer isn’t, at least a little? The work feels like Anne Shirley dancing in the woods or a breeze running through a Miyazaki field. It feels like breathing deeply.
of knowledge is different from the palace of discovery, in which I am, truly, a Copernicus. The world is not what I thought, but different, and more! I have seen it with my own eyes!
But a spider? Even that?
Even that.”
What a joy to read! Mary Oliver’s prose is gorgeous, and I especially liked her thoughts on writing and authors. She’s so strange but I say that with the utmost fondness. And what writer isn’t, at least a little? The work feels like Anne Shirley dancing in the woods or a breeze running through a Miyazaki field. It feels like breathing deeply.
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
Every Mary Oliver poem is a win for humanity. Her way with words and her connection with nature is just a blessing. I'm a fan.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I loved the first section about creativity and writing and nature. I don't typically write much about nature, but this book did inspire me to write about my garden.
I liked a few of these poems, but most felt like ramblings.
relaxing
slow-paced
Reading this was honestly tough for me. Her writing is beautiful, yes. So many rich metaphors and deep thoughts but it often felt overwhelming. I wasn’t being guided into her world; it felt more like I was watching her process things in real time, and I couldn’t always keep up. I wanted to connect more, pero minsan parang I was just looking into someone else's world through a window, not really stepping into it.
The last chapter, Provincetown, stood out the most. It felt like a heartfelt goodbye letter to a place she truly loved. I appreciated how she honored the simple, quiet lives of fishermen, the warmth of the women, and even the hard changes that came with time.
But overall, the essays didn’t feel structured. Flight of ideas si Madam. It was more like private journaling. I admire her passion and her connection to nature, but the book just didn’t click with me. I gave it a shot, pero I’d rate it 2 out of 5.
The last chapter, Provincetown, stood out the most. It felt like a heartfelt goodbye letter to a place she truly loved. I appreciated how she honored the simple, quiet lives of fishermen, the warmth of the women, and even the hard changes that came with time.
But overall, the essays didn’t feel structured. Flight of ideas si Madam. It was more like private journaling. I admire her passion and her connection to nature, but the book just didn’t click with me. I gave it a shot, pero I’d rate it 2 out of 5.