Gossamer Days: Spiders, Humans and Their Threads

by Eleanor Morgan

A lively and personal account of the strange, centuries long entanglement between humans and spiders.

What happens when one making animal meets another? Gossamer Days explores the strange web of spider-human relationships.

From gun sights to sticky tunics via acoustic lures, royal underwear and the mystery of the disappearing spider goats, Eleanor Morgan's intriguing and original book examines the strange, centuries long entanglement between humans and spiders.

Artist and writer Eleanor Morgan has spent a decade working with spiders and their silk. Her explorations have led her in search of one of the world's largest web weaving spiders, to the rooftops of Oxford University and to a garage in Sussex.

Her weaving and drawing with spider silk drew her to research the lost history of Europe's attempt to create a spider silk weaving industry and to the ancient and ongoing sacred use of spider webs in the South Pacific. Legends of schoolgirls tempting spiders with their singing inspired her own attempt to serenade a spider.

In this personal, lively and far ranging book, Eleanor Morgan transforms the way we think about spiders and the wonders of their webs.

Genres: Nonfiction

167 pages, Paperback

Published November 8, 2016

About the author

Eleanor Morgan has written for a variety of publications including The Guardian, Times, Independent, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, The Believer and others. She also worked as a senior editor at Vice UK. Eleanor is the author of the book Anxiety for Beginners: A Personal Investigation. She is currently training to be a psychologist.

Reviews

[Pia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, contemplative investigation into making creatures - both the spider and the human. Anecdotally rich, filled with beautiful artwork and photography, and the author has a lovely turn of phrase for a non-fiction book. Will absolutely make me consider spiders (and their webs) in a different light, and I already quite liked them.

[Emily Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an exquisite exploration of the intricate world of spiders and their webs, weaving together science, history, art, and mythology into a captivating narrative. The author masterfully delves into the biology of spiders and the fascinating process of silk weaving, while also examining humanity’s complex relationship with these creatures. From the harvesting of spider silk to the use of this extraordinary material by artists, the book reveals how spiders inspire creativity and innovation.

One of the most compelling aspects is the way the author draws parallels between the labor of spiders and the labor of human artists, highlighting the never ending labor of being a maker. The mythological connections are equally enchanting, offering profound insights into how spiders have been revered, feared, and symbolized throughout history.

The writing is lush and evocative, making even the smallest details of spider behavior feel monumental. It’s a book that invites readers to see spiders—and their artful webs—in a completely new light. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in nature, art, or the beautiful and often overlooked intersections between humans and the natural world.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An examination of the relationship between humans, spiders and the silk that they spin. The author looks at it from the viewpoint of history, art, music, folktales, and science. Some of the information is perplexing, and the book at points can seem repetitious and tedious, while at other times the information is absolutely fascinating.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I read a better book this year it’ll have to be bloody good. Morgan has a really inviting way with words that makes things with the potential to be boring or over complicated very interesting and simple, yet mysterious!

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the conflation of spiders as weavers/humans as weavers, spiders as the primal shadow of humanity occupying dark corners of our forgotten places and crafting primordial vibrational patterns. Spiders have my heart

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant!

[Gail Kennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely visit among the world of spiders and their webs and the human history and ambitions they have provoked. i'm left with a sense of wonder at their abilities.

[Maika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love spooders as much as I love spooders? Probably not, but possibly yes! If you’re at all interested in our arachnid friends, the silk they spin, the webs they weave, and what humans have done or simply attempted to do with that singular silken substance over the centuries, I highly recommend this fascinating book.