Vintage Lopez

by Barry Lopez

Vintage Readers are a perfect introduction to some of the greatest modern writers presented in attractive, accessible paperback editions.

“Lopez has such great narrative skill and uses his words so carefully the simple intensity is often nearly overwhelming.” — The Oregonian

Barry Lopez is an unparalleled explorer of the relationship between humanity and nature, one he limns in prose as beautiful as it is economical. His essays and short fiction have appeared everywhere from Outside to Harper’s and The Paris Review. He is the winner of a 1986 National Book Award for his bestselling Arctic Dreams .

Vintage Lopez is divided into two parts, nonfiction and fiction. It includes “Landscape and Narrative” ; the prologue to Arctic Dreams ; and such classic short stories “The Entreaty of the Wiideema” and “The Mappist.”

Also included, for the first time in book form, the essay “The Naturalist.”

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Nature, Environment

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 2004

About the author

Barry Holstun Lopez is an American author, essayist, and fiction writer whose work is known for its environmental and social concerns.

Lopez has been described as "the nation's premier nature writer" by the San Francisco Chronicle. In his non-fiction, he frequently examines the relationship between human culture and physical landscape, while in his fiction he addresses issues of intimacy, ethics and identity.

Reviews

[Eric North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Lopez' writing and desire to learn the histories of the land and people around him is inspiring. While he is incredibly intelligent and observant, his work is always saturated in affection for his subject and the lives of those he writes about. Worth reading several times over.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

TCL Call #: 813.54 LOPEZ B

Was an interesting read though I would definitely read the first chapter last if you are not familiar with Lopez as I was not. It smacked of some actor talkin about their "craft" which always is off putting unless you're familiar and think they rock.

[Gi Chao · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only regret is that I lost my copy. Oh well... Kung sino man ang kumuha ng librong 'to, sana 'wag na po kayong magnakaw ng sapatos at ituon niyo nalang po oras niyo sa pagbabasa.

[John Addiego · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Barry Lopez sampler gives a wonderful sense of both his fiction and nonfiction. The former was comprised of short stories that had an almost science fiction feel to them for me in their way of speculating about indigenes, rituals, solitude, myth and encounter. Some of the nonfiction opened the way for his philosophical gifts to come to life on the page. Lopez is a real hero and treasure for those of us who live on this beautiful and fragile land of the Northwest, even as his scope is so huge, from polar to desert landscapes, from high seas to deep forest. The best impulses of reverence for life and environmental responsibility, the curiosity and stewardship, are reflected well in this slim collection.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection enshrines several of Barry Lopez' most beautiful insights. I'd read many of the non-fiction selections included here in Arctic Dreams and About This Life, but this is the first of his fiction I've experienced. I very much enjoyed most of it, especially the Mappist and The Entreaty of the Wiideema. Teal Creek was the only story I had a hard time appreciating. There is one predilection Barry Lopez has, that for gruff, independent, very dignified woodsmen, which I simply haven't been able to empathize with yet. I believe this is a very nice collection of work, but I almost would say you should get all of the original collections these works are sampled from instead. Arctic Dreams in particular is something everyone should have the opportunity to read.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection contains some of Lopez's nonfiction essays as well as a few fictional short stories. However, his style and themes remain somewhat similar throughout, blurring what is fiction and what is not. I think his most stylistically poetic piece - on that stands out as fiction - is "The Woman Who Had Shells". The whole collection is a spectacular and engaging consideration of the relationship between humanity and nature, without preaching but offering up the many sides of the interrelation for us to create our own answers. I'll definitely be reading more of 'ol Barry.

[carl theaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry sure can write. As another reviewer suggested I read the
fiction stories first. He tells a compelling tale, descriptive
without being dense, and making interesting points by turning
the perspective.

I found the non-fiction stories interesting with details but
didactic and at times, finger-wagging preachy. As this is a collection,
the stories are out of context, so naturally if you are reading say,
'Outside' magazine you are going to expect a naturalist point of view
in that type of publication, so that is a downside of a collection.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Lopez is one of my very favorite writers. This book is a collection of different pieces , both fiction and nonfiction, from other works. That being said, there were still a number of essays or stories that I had not read before, so they were new to me. Lopez is just one of the best nature writers alive, but so much more than that too because there is a deeply spiritual component to his writing. He writes as a pilgrim in the world who gently points out what is being lost and what gives him hope. If you've never read anything of his, you simply don't know what you're missing!

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

TCL Call #: 813.54 LOPEZ B

Madeline - 3 stars
Was an interesting read though I would definitely read the first chapter last if you are not familiar with Lopez as I was not. It smacked of some actor talkin about their "craft" which always is off putting unless you're familiar and think they rock.

[César · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the best book to start off reading Barry Lopez, but the incredible essay "The Raven" makes up for not picking up Arctic Dreams!

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vintage Lopez by Barry Lopez (2004)

[Ray Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Ken Hada · Rating 5 out of 5]

We just lost this great soul. Fortunately he left a remarkable trail of insight. One of the world’s premier nature writers, this collection offers a handy sample of his style and themes.

[Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The shape of the individual mind is affected by lands as it is by genes.”