[books 2014] The Old Ways
Sep. 2nd, 2014 08:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inulro37. The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane
Some time ago I read Macfarlane's The Wild Places and although parts of it frustrated me, it was mostly interesting. Somehow I missed when The Old Ways came out; on the other hand by the time I became aware, I was able to go pull it off the shelf at the library instead of having to wait.
This is similar to The Wild Places. Macfarlane walks (and sails, in the Outer Hebrides) all kinds of traditional paths in the UK, mainland Europe and Palestine. Along the way he muses about a lot of things, and introduces the reader to characters, historical and living, who have walked and written about these places.
At times it was a bit too unfocussed and whimsical for me, but overall, again, the positive outweighed the negative. Mind you, I'm never going to not be interested in anything travel-related. The Outer Hebrides chapters (both on land and at sea) were definitely my favourite.
This book is gentle and humane and makes you look at the world in a different way, so a recommend, but you might have to be in the right mood to read it (I know I was; that's why it took so long).
Some time ago I read Macfarlane's The Wild Places and although parts of it frustrated me, it was mostly interesting. Somehow I missed when The Old Ways came out; on the other hand by the time I became aware, I was able to go pull it off the shelf at the library instead of having to wait.
This is similar to The Wild Places. Macfarlane walks (and sails, in the Outer Hebrides) all kinds of traditional paths in the UK, mainland Europe and Palestine. Along the way he muses about a lot of things, and introduces the reader to characters, historical and living, who have walked and written about these places.
At times it was a bit too unfocussed and whimsical for me, but overall, again, the positive outweighed the negative. Mind you, I'm never going to not be interested in anything travel-related. The Outer Hebrides chapters (both on land and at sea) were definitely my favourite.
This book is gentle and humane and makes you look at the world in a different way, so a recommend, but you might have to be in the right mood to read it (I know I was; that's why it took so long).
