Reviews

Waterlog by Roger Deakin

iuanto's review

adventurous informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Waterlog is the quintessential book about outdoor swimming. Written at a time when swimming outside (especially inland) was still considered eccentric, if not outright subversive, Waterlog kick-started a revival in outdoor swimming which continues today.
Deakin's prose is inspiring and romantic - often overly so - but, by his own admission, Waterlog was never intended to be a guide, let alone a definitive one.  It is, rather, a celebration of swimming, of being outdoors and of enjoying these things for their own sake. Sadly, enjoying our outdoor spaces still feels like an act of rebellion, much like it was for Deakin nearly thirty years ago.
If you're not already inspired to make the most of the wild spaces we have left, and reading Waterlog doesn't at least get you interested then I really don't know what to say to you.

lafee's review

5.0

Beautiful writing from the late Roger Deakin, who comes across as just the loveliest man, completely absorbed in his beloved hobby of outdoor swimming. Inspired by John Cheever's The Swimmer, Roger set out to wildswim through the British Isles; we are consequently treated to his musings on everything from pondweed to land rights, all hilariously and tenderly relayed with a singular passion that few of us are lucky enough to experience. With so many pools closing in the last few years this reads like an elegy in retrospect, and I do wonder what Roger would make of our current situation, and what steps he might take towards rectifying it.

martha_anne_h's review

hopeful relaxing

4.0

wafer's review

4.0

Deakin's swim throughout notable waters of the UK is one of the most unique travelogue reads I've gotten into. This log has such a wholesome, gentle quality that floats you along even if you can't swim (like me :c)

btaylorb's review against another edition

I was enjoying this but had it checked out for a long time and needed to return it to the library; going to switch to the audio edition. The joyful descriptions of swimming and bodies of water and wildlife are lovely so far and make me want to get into wild swimming. There are occasionally some tedious details about small town fishing clubs and fishing club drama that are verbalized in an extremely "dry British humor" which is not my thing (although it might come across better in audio), along with some more melancholy thoughts on how things like tourism and technology have eroded some of the charms of the swimming holes he visits. 

cassienolan's review

adventurous inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.0

Although Waterlog is a beautiful book, I really struggled to stay engaged and found that I had to force myself to read on. It is slow, but poetic and I think would appeal more to an English audience, as sometimes had too much detail of place for me to follow.

lydiabeingalive's review

funny inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

emvoor's review against another edition

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

3.75

I enjoyed Roger’s recounts of all his swims in the UK. It has inspired me to seek out some of these local spots. But at times, I found the narrative slow and repetitive. 

lucyreading's review against another edition

informative inspiring

kirsty147's review

5.0

I can barely swim a length, but I adored this book. Roger makes everything feel so alive that I'm right there with him when he's swimming. His recollections of swimming in seas, rivers, pools and lidos are peppered with historical facts and interesting tit-bits, along with a serene narrative of his inner-most thoughts.