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danileighta's review
5.0
Beautiful, lyrical, reminiscent of Martin Shaw, though more earthen. Whenever I read books like this, I end up in the woods and this was no exception. Hoping to do some of these walks, but mostly I just hope to feel the world as deeply as Shattuck clearly does.
mpatterson610's review
4.5
I picked this book up and then left it for a few months but upon returning to it to finish, I actually really loved it. There were definitely some standout lines and insights on friendship and love and nature. It was fun that I recognized a few places in the book
lopster9's review
5.0
This was a real gem of a book. The author writes a moving memoir of his walks along the beaches of Cape Cod, trekking up Mount Katahdin and Mount Wachusett, and canoeing along the Allagash. A perfect mix of history sprinkled with a little bit of wisdom, Six Walks deserves five stars.
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
emilyinherhead's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I will admit that I went into this book thinking I was in for just another example of white guy nature writing, based on even older white guy nature writing. I was wrong.
Ben Shattuck is aware of his position and his privilege, and he acknowledges them up front. He’s genuine and observant and thoughtful, his writing almost poetic even in its simplicity. He seamlessly transitions from things he notices on his journeys, to quotations from Thoreau, to musings about friendship and existence, and back again.
Ben Shattuck is aware of his position and his privilege, and he acknowledges them up front. He’s genuine and observant and thoughtful, his writing almost poetic even in its simplicity. He seamlessly transitions from things he notices on his journeys, to quotations from Thoreau, to musings about friendship and existence, and back again.
It comforted me to think that technology hadn’t taken away the satisfaction of a warm house on a winter day. Fish can still be caught, fires lit. No matter how crowded our lives feel, the old ways haven’t entirely disappeared. You can still reach back for some of them. (23-24)
Also, I somehow was not aware that he is Jenny Slate’s partner?? About halfway through the book, he mentions something about meeting Jenny, and how she describes this moment in her book, Little Weirds, and my jaw physically dropped. I had no idea! And suddenly I liked him even more. I read Little Weirds maybe a year and a half ago, and seeing parts of it referenced (parts that I distinctly remembered) gave my experience of Six Walks even more dimension. It was fascinating to read Ben and Jenny’s story, which I had already been introduced to from Jenny’s perspective, from the opposite side, and see the whole thing come full circle. The way Ben writes about their relationship is just so tender and spacious. I definitely did not get teary at any point. Nope.
I once described sleep as the “necessary dark territory we enter alone”—without thinking about how irrelevant that is the moment you wake up with someone you love beside you. (249)
I highly recommend Six Walks to folks who enjoy reading about and spending time in nature, who have questioned the path their life is taking or longed to change direction without knowing how, who like a genuine and down-to-earth love story, who often ponder what it means to be human and to exist in community with others. This is a book I’ll definitely be revisiting in the future.
trevorgrandin's review
4.0
What being married to Jenny Slate does to a man.
Mr. Shattuck, make room in your bed because I too am in love with you.
Beautifully written memoir about change, relationships, nature, and the fragility/strength of human life.
I’ll follow and read anything Ben does till the day I die <3
As a 23 year old man, I’m afraid of what life has in store for me but also insanely excited. This book solidified that excitement.
Mr. Shattuck, make room in your bed because I too am in love with you.
Beautifully written memoir about change, relationships, nature, and the fragility/strength of human life.
I’ll follow and read anything Ben does till the day I die <3
As a 23 year old man, I’m afraid of what life has in store for me but also insanely excited. This book solidified that excitement.