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A review by booksbythewindow
Ghostways: Two Journeys in Unquiet Places by Stanley Donwood, Dan Richards, Robert Macfarlane
For full review: https://booksbythewindow.wordpress.com/2022/06/01/ghostways/
Summary: Ghostways is a collection of two prose poems from Robert Macfarlane, along with illustrations from Stanley Donwood. The first, ‘Ness’, is an exploration of Orford Ness, an island off the coast of East Anglia that was used in the past for secret weapons tests. The prose poem moves back and forth between an eerie, ghostly scene of a weapons test, and the natural elements surrounding the island that are gradually taking over the place. ‘Holloway’ is a shorter prose poem, following the journey of Macfarlane, Dan Richards, and Stanley Donwood along the Marshwood Vale, a path that Macfarlane had previously walked with a late friend.
Overall Thoughts: It took me a while to be engaged in ‘Ness’ but once I had reached the second ‘In the Green Chapel’ chapter, the piece began to come together for me. There was something about the rhythm in the speeches of the characters in the chapters in the chapel that drew me in, particularly with the pararhymes throughout some of the dialogue. ‘Holloway’ appears to be the more well-known of the two prose poems in Ghostways, and it is cited as a generally strong example of the genre. There is obviously a great deal of emotion and reflection through this piece, brought from the re-treading of a path previously walked with a friend who has passed away. Macfarlane is clearly able to convey his emotions to the reader simply in his description of his interactions with the world around him as he walks the path with Donwood and Richards, invoking a companionable, reflective time with friends. This was a really interesting introduction to the world of prose poetry and Macfarlane’s work.
Summary: Ghostways is a collection of two prose poems from Robert Macfarlane, along with illustrations from Stanley Donwood. The first, ‘Ness’, is an exploration of Orford Ness, an island off the coast of East Anglia that was used in the past for secret weapons tests. The prose poem moves back and forth between an eerie, ghostly scene of a weapons test, and the natural elements surrounding the island that are gradually taking over the place. ‘Holloway’ is a shorter prose poem, following the journey of Macfarlane, Dan Richards, and Stanley Donwood along the Marshwood Vale, a path that Macfarlane had previously walked with a late friend.
Overall Thoughts: It took me a while to be engaged in ‘Ness’ but once I had reached the second ‘In the Green Chapel’ chapter, the piece began to come together for me. There was something about the rhythm in the speeches of the characters in the chapters in the chapel that drew me in, particularly with the pararhymes throughout some of the dialogue. ‘Holloway’ appears to be the more well-known of the two prose poems in Ghostways, and it is cited as a generally strong example of the genre. There is obviously a great deal of emotion and reflection through this piece, brought from the re-treading of a path previously walked with a friend who has passed away. Macfarlane is clearly able to convey his emotions to the reader simply in his description of his interactions with the world around him as he walks the path with Donwood and Richards, invoking a companionable, reflective time with friends. This was a really interesting introduction to the world of prose poetry and Macfarlane’s work.