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inaworldoftrees's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
It took a few pages to get used to the prose-feel of the book, but once I adjusted from what I came in expecting, I absolutely adored it. There were many new words to me, which I always appreciate in my reading. An incredibly entertaining read, and honestly just a fun book overall while also being very informative about spaces underground. Ultimately, the perfect travel diary-esque deep dive (pun intended) into the many spaces underground including mines, laboratories, crypts, rivers, caves, and even an underground city.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars
Probably my fault for not reading the summary closely enough, but I was expecting this to be more of a history of the various places—both real and fictional—that comprise the underland of various human cultures. And we do get a bit of that, through Macfarlane's tour through the Paris catacombs and his chapter on the nuclear waste disposal sites.
I wasn't expecting, however, how much of this would be actual travel writing. Not to say that it was poorly written—Macfarlane has such elegant prose, that even though it wasn't what I was expecting, I enjoyed many parts of this book—but I didn't get what I was looking for in it. Would be interested in reading some of his other books keeping this in mind. If you like either nonfiction travel writing or even memoirs, this might be a good read.
Probably my fault for not reading the summary closely enough, but I was expecting this to be more of a history of the various places—both real and fictional—that comprise the underland of various human cultures. And we do get a bit of that, through Macfarlane's tour through the Paris catacombs and his chapter on the nuclear waste disposal sites.
I wasn't expecting, however, how much of this would be actual travel writing. Not to say that it was poorly written—Macfarlane has such elegant prose, that even though it wasn't what I was expecting, I enjoyed many parts of this book—but I didn't get what I was looking for in it. Would be interested in reading some of his other books keeping this in mind. If you like either nonfiction travel writing or even memoirs, this might be a good read.
katyab's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. Feels like I've been around the world, and bounced from the start of time to the end of the universe. I've never felt so ... there. Might have been something to do with the lovely narration, but the writing itself was so precise and effective. He's got such a great way of showing the atmosphere of a place, and the character of the people he meets (and my goodness, does he meet some eccentric people!).
All the places he visits could be plainly described in terms of "tunnel", "cave", "glacier", "snow" etc., but he manages to make every single place distinct, interesting, and alluring in its own way. The catacombs are unlike the mountain passes, which are unlike the tunnels for storing nuclear waste. Every location is alive, even if it's a silent underground pool. Sometimes it's terrifying and claustrophobic, but in a way that makes you understand how tiny you are as a human in the world and the universe, but also how we as a race have made such an impact on our environment. It was sad, in a way, almost as if this is the last glimpse we'll get of all the wonderful, terrible ways of nature and rock and ice, before they vanish (or before we do, through our own damn hubris). All that, plus the fact that it ends on a really moving note about fathers and sons, and mortality.
I thought I would start disliking the way he jumps around a bit, but I actually found all those sidenotes and backstory and "did-you-know" moments to be really interesting and deepened the experience. The extra knowledge was (for lack of a less weird word) tasty! There's such an enthusiasm for learning that needed to be shared. I remember rewinding the audiobook multiple times because I was so keen on understanding the part about searching for dark matter! I wanted every detail I was given.
Off to buy a hard copy now!
All the places he visits could be plainly described in terms of "tunnel", "cave", "glacier", "snow" etc., but he manages to make every single place distinct, interesting, and alluring in its own way. The catacombs are unlike the mountain passes, which are unlike the tunnels for storing nuclear waste. Every location is alive, even if it's a silent underground pool. Sometimes it's terrifying and claustrophobic, but in a way that makes you understand how tiny you are as a human in the world and the universe, but also how we as a race have made such an impact on our environment. It was sad, in a way, almost as if this is the last glimpse we'll get of all the wonderful, terrible ways of nature and rock and ice, before they vanish (or before we do, through our own damn hubris). All that, plus the fact that it ends on a really moving note about fathers and sons, and mortality.
I thought I would start disliking the way he jumps around a bit, but I actually found all those sidenotes and backstory and "did-you-know" moments to be really interesting and deepened the experience. The extra knowledge was (for lack of a less weird word) tasty! There's such an enthusiasm for learning that needed to be shared. I remember rewinding the audiobook multiple times because I was so keen on understanding the part about searching for dark matter! I wanted every detail I was given.
Off to buy a hard copy now!
rjtifft's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
sharonbakar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Macfarlane explores the mysteries of the underworld: caves, mines, underground cities, ice chasms, burial sites; nuclear dump-sites. Who else would have thought of bringing such disparate places together? The prose is poetic and beautiful and I enjoyed his encounters with some most unusual characters along the way. Makes me ache with care for out precious environment.
jon288's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Beautiful, poetic, lyrical, intense. Really brilliant, much more compelling and interesting than I thought it would be. A first hand exploration of deep spaces and underworlds. The Paris Catacombs, under glaciers, in deep caves, neutrino monitoring, nuclear waste disposal, underground fungal networks
flodo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Completely extraordinary. It covers so many different places and themes and makes you see the land - and Underland - with fresh eyes. Such a beautiful writer.
jh1980's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
Frustrating book! Much of the content is incredibly fascinating but the style is tedious, smug and self-centred, trying to make grand points that would be better left to the read to discover.
rebecanunez's review
3.0
Al principio me costó un montón, pero después me enganche. Me resulto súper estimularte a la imaginación, muy visual.