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A review by savvylit
Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
"I could not be a poet without the natural world. Someone else could. But not me. For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple."
I consider myself a huge fan of Mary Oliver's poetry, so I was interested to read an essay collection of hers. The verdict? Oliver is just as talented an essayist as she is a poet. It was delightful to read more about her writing process, her deep connection to the natural world, and her appreciation for her hometown.
I absolutely loved each of the nature essays in this collection. Those alone would rate 5 stars from me. However, there is a short section of literary criticism in the middle of this book. In those essays, Oliver highlights several authors that she loved and found deeply influential. I do appreciate knowing how much inspiration and joy she took from these authors. Unfortunately, though, this section felt mostly disjointed from the rest of the nature-focused personal essays.
I consider myself a huge fan of Mary Oliver's poetry, so I was interested to read an essay collection of hers. The verdict? Oliver is just as talented an essayist as she is a poet. It was delightful to read more about her writing process, her deep connection to the natural world, and her appreciation for her hometown.
I absolutely loved each of the nature essays in this collection. Those alone would rate 5 stars from me. However, there is a short section of literary criticism in the middle of this book. In those essays, Oliver highlights several authors that she loved and found deeply influential. I do appreciate knowing how much inspiration and joy she took from these authors. Unfortunately, though, this section felt mostly disjointed from the rest of the nature-focused personal essays.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death