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raaahella's review against another edition
No, not worth a star even. It was contradictory and not a good writer.
mscarle's review against another edition
5.0
This one took a while, and progressed in fits and starts, which usually doesn't indicate anything higher than a 3* for me. Additionally, as much as I adore travelogues and outdoors-type books, I'm not much of an outdoorsman, and definitely not much of a "wild swimmer" - a crippling phobia of deep/open water ensures that's not a hobby of mine. All that being said (and it's a lot to be said) this was incredible. Beautiful, entrancing, frightening, enchanting in equal measure, it struck chords in me that I didn't know existed. A wonderful book, a bit ponderous at times it's true, but one that speaks to the beauty of the world (not just Britain) and the things we can find both in it and ourselves if we just take the time to look.
sarahpopham's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
brookebookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Charming, quirky, picturesque, and poetic. Local stories and histories sitting alongside tales from his obsession with swimming in every kind of “swimmable” location. Some made me want to dive in with him and others seemed terrifying or just icky. It was A LOT of swimming to read about, but his writing kept me (mostly) engaged. Like another reviewer here, I would have enjoyed seeing photos of some of the locations.
fat_girl_fiction's review against another edition
3.0
Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain by Roger Deakin
This review and rating is more a reflection of my likes rather than the book itself. Roger Deakin is a brilliant writer, there's no question in that. His writing is almost poetic full or rich similies and metaphors. The way he describes the rivers and the towns in which they reside makes the reader want to go there and visit. I unfortunately am not a fan of non-fiction, I struggle because of the lack of plot and 'the pull'. I wish I did enjoy travel writing, because if so this would be a definite five out of five. If I travel to any of the places mentioned in the book, I will be taking this book for me as a reference to the history and famous faces that go with the wild rivers, lidos and lakes.
This review and rating is more a reflection of my likes rather than the book itself. Roger Deakin is a brilliant writer, there's no question in that. His writing is almost poetic full or rich similies and metaphors. The way he describes the rivers and the towns in which they reside makes the reader want to go there and visit. I unfortunately am not a fan of non-fiction, I struggle because of the lack of plot and 'the pull'. I wish I did enjoy travel writing, because if so this would be a definite five out of five. If I travel to any of the places mentioned in the book, I will be taking this book for me as a reference to the history and famous faces that go with the wild rivers, lidos and lakes.
tanekaberi's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant wander about England looking for a place to have a swim and also talking about the places as well.
tdbrwn's review against another edition
The premise of swimming around Britain is a convenient peg on which to hang this charming travelogue about all things water. Deakin strikes an elegiac tone when he's writing about the history of river swimming in various pre-industrial edens and the declining communities of public pool-swimmers (increasingly caught in the net of apparently unrestrained capitalism). However, what might have been overly sentimental is always offset by Deakin's well-placed levity. The book is an always interesting tribute to a particular moment in our changing relationship with water.