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cat_book_lady's review against another edition
4.0
4***
What an incredible, wholesome story recounted by an old man reminiscing about his time as a 9-year-old boy spending weeks with his grandparents on their farms during 1943. This nostalgic story is chock full of wisdom, nature (as only Wendell Berry can do), memories, meaning, and family. Looking back, Catlett peers into the future of technology with trepidation, wishing that the slowness of time could persist so that future generations could savor the value of friendships and the subtle hum of the refreshing, healing countryside.
This book, while deeply sentimental, I think may only be appreciated by the older generation of folks looking back to a simpler time. I can hear the crickets chirping, see the blanket of moonlit stars, taste the freshly baked pies, and smell the lofty bales of hay. I imagined hearing Andy’s mother reading Huckleberry Finn and King Arthur next to a fire, a voice that Berry still fondly imagines as he writes his own novels.
While I fervently wish that younger people could experience the beauty of this fading generation, it is in these gems of stories that the true atmosphere can be treasured and brought at least to their imaginations, and possibly persuade them of the value of being totally unplugged. Sit back and allow the time to slowly envelope you as you read, and immerse yourself in the beauty of ages past that will likely, if it hasn’t already, disappear. At the very least, Berry reminds us of the need for each other and the need for rich connection both with family and with nature.
What an incredible, wholesome story recounted by an old man reminiscing about his time as a 9-year-old boy spending weeks with his grandparents on their farms during 1943. This nostalgic story is chock full of wisdom, nature (as only Wendell Berry can do), memories, meaning, and family. Looking back, Catlett peers into the future of technology with trepidation, wishing that the slowness of time could persist so that future generations could savor the value of friendships and the subtle hum of the refreshing, healing countryside.
This book, while deeply sentimental, I think may only be appreciated by the older generation of folks looking back to a simpler time. I can hear the crickets chirping, see the blanket of moonlit stars, taste the freshly baked pies, and smell the lofty bales of hay. I imagined hearing Andy’s mother reading Huckleberry Finn and King Arthur next to a fire, a voice that Berry still fondly imagines as he writes his own novels.
While I fervently wish that younger people could experience the beauty of this fading generation, it is in these gems of stories that the true atmosphere can be treasured and brought at least to their imaginations, and possibly persuade them of the value of being totally unplugged. Sit back and allow the time to slowly envelope you as you read, and immerse yourself in the beauty of ages past that will likely, if it hasn’t already, disappear. At the very least, Berry reminds us of the need for each other and the need for rich connection both with family and with nature.
pat_walsh_19's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Every once in a while one needs to travel to Port William, as the title character does in this novel, and learn what one can from and about the characters who call the town and its surroundings home.
emilyhernon's review against another edition
4.0
Short and simple. Beautifully written from the perspective of a child, in such a short snippet of life. Wendell Berry never fails.
lirewoodis's review against another edition
4.0
A trip to Port William always does my soul some good. The narration of Andy Catlett was like a visit with an old friend who upon seeing brings an immediate smile to your face. This book was a reminder of how lucky I’ve been to be introduced to the fiction of Wendell Berry.
wordswithjustine's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a delightful, very short book. I enjoyed the nostalgia because it made me remember my dad, and I enjoyed another glimpse into the Port William characters.
frogl8dy's review against another edition
3.0
I like love Berry, but with all the problems in the world today I didn't find as much peace in this as I had hoped.
jamesbuscher's review against another edition
4.0
This short addition to the Port William stories follows nine-year-old Andy Catlett on a short trip just before 1943 tips over into 1944. It's a simple story, in that not a whole lot happens, but, as with most of Wendell Berry's writing, things don't necessarily need to happen. This is another glimpse into the place of Port William, as occupied by the people of Port William. Sometimes while reading this novel I wondered where it was going, but then on the final page, it all culminated in a beautiful moment of introspection. It wasn't a climactic moment or an especially dramatic one, just an honest one. Berry does this over and over again in his writing. Within his grounded realism, he delivers these moments of quiet magic. He finds transcendent meaning in the everyday and the ordinary. These moments keep me coming back to Berry's work.
bourbonandabook's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lindasdarby's review against another edition
3.0
listened to this book this time around and I should have remembered as much as I love Wendell Berry I don't love this book. there are a few parts that are so tender and thoughtful but it doesn't capture me as do some of his other stories.
elianachow's review against another edition
4.0
“Time, then, is told by love’s losses, and by the coming of love, and by love continuing in gratitude for what is lost” (157).