Reviews

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

josee_hg's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

soifhe's review

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4.0

Only read one chapter as required for class in 2013 that was partnered with a vague essay prompt comparing a pistachio seed and the architecture of our surrounding campus. Meanwhile, my friend and classmate, Tati, read the entirety of this book so many times that her copy is falling apart. Rebecca Solnit has since been a character throughout my architecture education referenced while navigating through a city, feeling doubtful in studio, or listening to Tati deliver our class voted graduation speech. I am glad I traveled back and forth across the country holding on to my copy purchased six years ago and finally picked it up today to read. I smiled throughout the day thinking of the prof who introduced us to Solnit and who frequently closed his eyes while lecturing. Thanks Peter Waldman and Tati :-)

lsparrow's review

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3.0

I liked the ideas and the facts, especially the historical ones woven into these essays - although I often felt I lost track of the direction of the essays at times. Although definitely a writer who I would love to get a letter from - I think I would love those letters.

thesundevourer's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.0

ratnadipdas's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

ladylizardxvii's review

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4.0

This collection was, paraphrasing from another reader, a clearly marked path but not necessarily straightforward. Sonit's writing is somewhat hard to follow at times, but I was left with a distinct 'aha!' feeling at the end of each essay. Her essays are personal but relatable, and her conclusions are revelatory.

This is one of those books that I read right at the right time in my life. At the very end of the first essay after discussing the importance of leaving the door open for the unknown and getting lost on purpose, Solnit writes "What follows are a few of my own maps." I have been thinking about that line a lot since I read it because I think I am both working on my own maps and hoping that someday I will get them written down.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a small reading challenge, but know you'll come out with new knowledge at the end of it.

therealkathryn's review

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5.0

Sometimes you can tell from the start of a book that it's going to be one the you read and re-read. This is such a book. Solnit explores the idea and meaning of being lost in a number of ways. I don't feel I can adequately discuss it so I'll share a few passages I highlighted instead.

"Justice...stood at the gates of Hades deciding who would go in, and to go in was to be chosen for refinement through suffering, adventure, transformation, a punishing route to the reward that is the transformed self. It made going to hell seem different. And it suggested that justice is a far more complicated and incalculable thing than we often imagine." (p. 21)

"Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control over what you don't - and it surprises me, even in myself, how much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown." (p. 165)

This is not a structured book or one that follows a clear path. It meanders over personal history, muses on historical thought, rambles over many places. I particularly loved a section discussing a fanfic of the movie Vertigo. It's probably not a book for everyone but if this sounds remotely interesting to you, do give it a try.

leepeining's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.5

amanda884's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

3.5

tlctbr's review

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3.0

I really really wanted to love this book, and there were parts of it that were phenomenal. But it just didn’t resonate with me The way I was hoping. Maybe I’ll try it again in a few years.