Book Review: Silence: In the Age of Noise by Erling Kagge
Erling Kagge is a Norwegian explorer, writer, and publisher who was the first person to complete the Three Poles Challenge, namely to hike to the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest. I read this book as part of my continuing study of the nature of solitude, but I was hoping it would contain lengthy passages about Kagge’s adventures in the lonely places on Earth. In fact, his solitary walk to the South Pole is briefly alluded to and the other expeditions are barely mentioned. Instead, this book is a meditation on the value of silence. The text is accompanied by an array of beautiful photographs. Unfortunately, I borrowed an ebook version because my local library has been closed for months for renovations; I should have waited and borrowed the physical version because I have a feeling that the photographs, which are tiny on my Kindle, would be magnificent if they were full-sized.
Be that as it may, the book extols the value of silence in our modern era of ubiquitous noise. There are numerous gems to be found in the prose passages. For example, of the South Pole journey Kagge writes: “The secret to walking to the South Pole is to put one foot in front of the other, and to do this enough times.” “The challenge lies in the desire.” “The next hardest challenge? To be at peace with yourself.” Kagge makes it clear that on all his walks, long and short, he eschews extraneous noises such as music or podcasts. Inner peace can only be accomplished with the type of silence that penetrates deep into the soul. This resonates with me. I too never listen to music or podcasts when I take my daily walks or when I exercise. Silence is far too fecund to spoil with noise, no matter how artistic and nuanced that noise might be. I get some of my best ideas and solve major artistic conundrums while walking or working out in silence. I always carry a notebook on my walks, and often I have to pause during my yoga practice at home to run in to my desk and jot down a few ideas.
As I read this book I recalled some of my own significant periods of silence. There was the time I trekked up into the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal without map or guide; there was the time I sequestered myself on a remote beach in Goa, India, when I wanted to ponder my life’s journey; there was the time I stayed alone in a cabin at Cape Mendocino, California, the edge of the west. And now, of course, I live alone in an apartment in Seattle, my kids grown and gone, writing my thoughts and attempting to put a positive spin on my involuntary isolation.
Kagge points out that it’s not necessary to go to the remote parts of the Earth to find the fulfillment that silence provides. He says: “You have to find your own South Pole.” It’s also not always possible to find the perfect external surroundings to experience silence. He states: “I no longer try to create absolute silence around me. The silence I am after is the silence within.” To say that silence is a state of mind may sound somewhat cliché, but it is a cliché with a ring of truth. The demands of our daily lives do not always allow us the luxury of taking off for the remote parts of the world – but we can find silence around us nonetheless, wherever we are, if we actively seek it out. That’s the message of this book, and it is certainly a worthwhile message. Take the time to read Kagge’s thoughts and you may find that you have set yourself on a path to inner peace. If possible, though, pick up a physical copy of the book, so you can enjoy to the full the gorgeous melding of text and photographs.
