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emilybh's review against another edition
4.0
‘The island is ringed with beaches of flawless sand, backed by huge dunes [...] the air smells of seaweed. The sea and its surf is never far away, a constant Atlantic soughing, a sense that the land is an interruption in a long conversation between water and sky.’
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I’m reading my way through Kathleen Jamie’s earlier work as I enjoyed Surfacing so much. The essays in this collection map different Scottish landscapes, from the Orkney islands to the skyline of Edinburgh, and consider human and natural rhythms, from salmon movements to shielings. Her writing is thoughtful and detailed, calm and wary of human traces whilst always aware of the presence and flights of animals.
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I’m reading my way through Kathleen Jamie’s earlier work as I enjoyed Surfacing so much. The essays in this collection map different Scottish landscapes, from the Orkney islands to the skyline of Edinburgh, and consider human and natural rhythms, from salmon movements to shielings. Her writing is thoughtful and detailed, calm and wary of human traces whilst always aware of the presence and flights of animals.
shauna_n's review against another edition
Essays were lengthy and boring. Found myself drifting off while reading. I also did not have enough to finish it before my exam, as the text was for my English class.
pinkalpaca's review against another edition
3.0
I was actually surprised at the writing. It was by no means dry, but I was expecting something a lot more lyrical coming from a poet. It seems the book satisfied other readers in this respect. The themes varied and were very interesting.
The Unread Shelf Project 2019
April: Read a recently acquired book
The Reading Women Challenge 2019
Prompt 19: Read a book about nature
The Unread Shelf Project 2019
April: Read a recently acquired book
The Reading Women Challenge 2019
Prompt 19: Read a book about nature
cleverdigit's review against another edition
4.0
Unpretentious interludes and observations of nature into ordinary life.
ehmvert's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Contemplative and enjoyable.
pezski's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
I'm not sure how to describe Jamie's essays, other than by superlative adjectives. She is usually noted as a nature writer, and many of the essays in this book do focus on nature, but not always. Each piece is contemplative, thoughtful, often profound musings; I hesitated at the use of that word as it suggests aimless thoughts but I think it apt. These are not narrative works in the strict sense: she does not describe and event or a journey so much as focus on certain aspects, and you realise she has circled and reiterated and extracted particulars to draw focus on some aspect of her life, and of the universal.
This is not a book to be rushed. Each essay needs to be savoured for its beauty, with a pause between to allow it to percolate into the brain and the soul
itsneverbecky's review against another edition
4.0
This was a particularly interesting read, given the times we’re currently going through. The author doesn’t just tackle land (or sea) -scapes but also towns, cities & traverses through human life. Her writing is captivating & you feel yourself feeling her joy or melancholy instantly, viscerally. A powerful read, but also accessible.
steventhesteve's review against another edition
5.0
Kathleen Jamie has an incredible ability to draw me in to her writing, to have me see the world from her eyes. I pick this book up and just a few lines in I'm walking a coastal path listening to the sea birds and the surf; I'm sat on a hill overlooking the rooftops of edinburgh, panning my eye across the architecture; I'm seeing the passage of time on the scale of millenia and weeks simultaneously.
Beautiful writing, can't wait to read Sightlines which is on my shelf!
Beautiful writing, can't wait to read Sightlines which is on my shelf!