This year I have challenged myself to read 60 books on a variety of
subject matter--fiction, non-fiction, philosophy, theology, the environment, pop culture, science, etc. For each book I plan
on posting a short-and-to-the-point review (1-2 paragraphs), a
recommendation and a grade. Hope you enjoy!
To see my progress or check my other reviews click the page link above entitled, "2012 Book Challenge"
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| 2011, HarperCollins |
Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors
Review
In my experience, there are books that tell a story about the natural world, there are books that remind you of your place in the natural world, and then there are books that bring the natural world to you in all its solitude and splendor; Fire Season is the last of these. Connors does not overly romanticize the out-of-doors, instead simply relating what he sees--everything he sees--with exactly the kind of prose that draws you into the story and keeps you enthralled until the very end. Never flowery, never overdone, and yet never distant or meaningless, this is a powerful account of the natural world through the eyes of one who lived it.
Recommendation
In an age that has separated man from nature with frightening efficiency and ruthlessness this is the kind of story that can recenter us. It is not overtly spiritual and yet it is spiritual; it is not overtly poetic and yet it is poetry. It is everything the modern reader needs and cannot get from the blogosphere and the 24-hour news cycle. It is, in short, one of my new favorite books.
Grade:
A
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