2.7k reviews for:

Upstream: Selected Essays

Mary Oliver

4.07 AVERAGE

enucius11's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing

---

Not every essay hit, but the ones that did, hit.

bookswithbrittanica's review

1.0

---

1 star

DNF@ 60%

I love Oliver’s poetry, however, with the essay format of this, it just didn’t work for me. I was also quite aghast at some of the stories. She sucked on her nursing cat's nipples??? umm..and then essays later, proceeded to steal turtle eggs AND scramble them up!? I think I’ll stick to her poetry versus her selected essays. These essays were not written to be read one after the other, which also does this a disservice. The cover is gorgeous, but that’s it.

nuvolets's review

4.0

inspiring reflective

---

needs to be read aloud

sydreeder's review

5.0

hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

carolinavpinto's review

4.0

lighthearted reflective

jfelix2525's review

3.0

adventurous reflective relaxing fast-paced

evaniem's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

cam_torrens's review

5.0

---

An enlightening collection of essays that explores Oliver's relationship with nature, creativity, and spirituality. Reflecting on the people and experiences that have influenced her writing, Oliver shares insights into the transformative power of solitude and the natural world.

I found connectivity with Oliver when she spoke of the relationships between reading, writing, and nature. I've felt this before but never could articulate it. Oliver's words make the intangible, tangible.

Love it when she says: "I read my books with diligence, and mounting skill, and gathering certainty. I read the way a person might swim, to save his or her life. I wrote that way too."

maice01c's review

4.25

inspiring mysterious reflective

nia_guy's review

4.25

inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced