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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I thought this would be a book about a woman raising a wild hawk with some meditations about the relationship between humans and nature. I knew nothing about falconry before reading this often bloody and raw account of training a goshawk to hunt, and probably would not have cracked the spine if I had known about the graphic descriptions of how to keep a hawk well fed. But this is a thought provoking, nourishing and often devastating revelation of the author’s grieving process after the sudden death of her father, tangled up in contemplations about literature, human nature and history. Worth a slow and contemplative read, and a book I will remember.
Deliberated for a long time on what star rating to give this one. It took me a long time to read this - almost two months - and I put it down for long stretches without feeling particularly compelled to pick it up again. I frequently found myself reading passages without comprehending a word, and had to go back and reread them multiple times. I was originally planning to teach this in my freshman non-major class this Fall, but after facing such a slog to get through it I discarded it; if I had this much of a struggle finishing it, I know that my students just won't read it at all!
That being said: Macdonald is an exquisite writer, both precise and wide-ranging, moving from intense detail to symbols and themes that span centuries. She has an impressive knowledge of predatory birds and hunting with them, and she clearly did a lot of research both on the history of hawking/falconry in general and on T. H. White in particular in order to write the book. I can't say that I am as interested in T. H. White as the book is, but that's not her fault - he was clearly important to her childhood, and his life ties in beautifully with the themes she explores. Some of the passages of this book are incredible and profound - especially her ruminations on time, history, and the stories we tell ourselves about the past and our connection to it.
Don't read this book looking for quick-moving action, cliffhangers, or even much of a plot - but as far as grief memoirs and nature writing goes, it is lovely and thoughtful and belongs in much the same vein as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: to be read slowly, and pensively, without urging or deadlines if at all possible.
That being said: Macdonald is an exquisite writer, both precise and wide-ranging, moving from intense detail to symbols and themes that span centuries. She has an impressive knowledge of predatory birds and hunting with them, and she clearly did a lot of research both on the history of hawking/falconry in general and on T. H. White in particular in order to write the book. I can't say that I am as interested in T. H. White as the book is, but that's not her fault - he was clearly important to her childhood, and his life ties in beautifully with the themes she explores. Some of the passages of this book are incredible and profound - especially her ruminations on time, history, and the stories we tell ourselves about the past and our connection to it.
Don't read this book looking for quick-moving action, cliffhangers, or even much of a plot - but as far as grief memoirs and nature writing goes, it is lovely and thoughtful and belongs in much the same vein as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: to be read slowly, and pensively, without urging or deadlines if at all possible.
What is this book about?
Goshawks
Falconry
Grief
TH White
Merlin the wizard
Sadism and repressed homosexuality
Nature
It’s better than the sum of the parts. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I liked it very much.
Goshawks
Falconry
Grief
TH White
Merlin the wizard
Sadism and repressed homosexuality
Nature
It’s better than the sum of the parts. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I liked it very much.
I listened to this book about a young woman who acquires a hawk to train the same time her father passes away. The reader was the author and I thought she did an excellent job reading the book. The book, however, left me confused. There seems to be a parallel author study of T.A. White going on through the book. I get that he was a fellow raptor-trainer, but I don't get why he was such an important part of this book. In fact, as a slice of life, we can see this young girl's pain at the loss of her father and her frustration in training her first hawk. But, that is it. That is all there is. I didn't really see the point. The descriptions were wonderful. It was description after description. I still am wondering what the point was.
Wow, worth all of its accolades. A meditation on our relation to nature, the past, and grief, all written in beautiful prose. And now I know more about E.B. White than I ever thought I would.
Captivating look into a world I'm mostly unaware of. Love the brilliant descriptions.
I'm one of those--I disliked this book so much, I stopped after fifty pages. The story line is too bizarre and, despite Macdonald's awards, the writing is stilted. I could feel her anger and frustration come right off the page and that got in the way of her words. While I admire Macdonald for taking on the training of one of the most untrainable raptors out there, the premise just doesn't make sense.
I know many of you wrote glowing reports of this book, so I guess it's just me that can't get into Macdonald's story.
I know many of you wrote glowing reports of this book, so I guess it's just me that can't get into Macdonald's story.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Yes, H is for Hawk is about falconry, but it is so much more than that. It’s a memoir exploring grief and the struggle to move forward after a loss. Following the sudden death of her father, the author turns to training a goshawk she names Mabel as a way of coping. What unfolds is a reflection on mourning, solitude, and the complex relationship between humans and the wild.
As the author relays her experiences she relates them to T.H. White who wrote a book called the Goshawk. He was a troubled writer who similarly sought solace in training a hawk. She draws parallels between White’s relationship with his hawk and her own emotional struggles and difficulties connecting with the world.
Now, if you aren’t into birding or don’t like birds, you might not like this one. I found it interesting in part because I have a friend who does falconry and has two hawks. I’ve had the opportunity to see the hawks flying and fly to my gloved hand. They are fascinating creatures.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“If you want a well behaved goshawk, you just have to do one thing - Give 'em the opportunity to
kill things. Kill as much as possible. Murder sorts them out.”
kill things. Kill as much as possible. Murder sorts them out.”