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The Lost Upland: Stories of Southwestern France
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In The Lost Upland W. S. Merwin vividly conveys his intimate knowledge of the people and the countryside in this ancient part of France (home of the Lascaux caves). In three narratives of small-town life, Merwin shows with matchless poetic and narrative power how the past is still palpably present.
On its original publication in 1992 Jane Kramer wrote, "These stories are a ...more
On its original publication in 1992 Jane Kramer wrote, "These stories are a ...more
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Paperback, 320 pages
Published
November 30th 2004
by Counterpoint
(first published 1992)
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Start your review of The Lost Upland: Stories of Southwestern France
A knockout! It sings...
Three terrific tales of life in rural southwest France. I read them during and just after a trip to the region and it helped immerse me even further in the culture.
The agriculture controversies in "The Shepherds" hit kinda close to home; it's nice to see that the US isn't the only place grappling with corporate vs. family farming.
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The agriculture controversies in "The Shepherds" hit kinda close to home; it's nice to see that the US isn't the only place grappling with corporate vs. family farming.
...more
The great poet's affectionate take on the culture and people of southwestern France. What characters! His portraits of the rustic French are nonpareil, as is his evocation of the landscape. This is a superb "travel" book and, of course, an elegy for a way of life too rapidly disappearing. A must-read for anyone visiting rural France.
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5 stars for "Blackbird's Summer", the third fiction here (which takes up half the book); 3 stars for the other two. First comment: it's a misappellation to call these fictions "stories". The first and shortest, "Foie Gras," is probably 25,000 words; the second, "Shepherds," must be around 45000 or so; and "Blackbird's Summer" is probably 70,000. The two shorter works are much harder to read, at least for me, because so much of their texts is taken up with detailed descriptions of places and thin
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Aug 20, 2009
Dunrie
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Janet Higbie
Recommended to Dunrie by:
Franziska Raspa
I found the book completely absorbing. Vivid, lyrical, nostalgic, generous, and funny....
A lovely profile of people - aging, changing, judging their neighbors, making friends. And, a lovely profile of a beautiful and ancient region.
I had to go online to see some photos of the causse, there is a flickr group "The Grands Causses" that has many photos of the stone houses. Helped me "see" the place.
I want to go! But of course, the book was written about several years experience there, so that would ...more
A lovely profile of people - aging, changing, judging their neighbors, making friends. And, a lovely profile of a beautiful and ancient region.
I had to go online to see some photos of the causse, there is a flickr group "The Grands Causses" that has many photos of the stone houses. Helped me "see" the place.
I want to go! But of course, the book was written about several years experience there, so that would ...more
Three long quiet stories about people living anachronistic lives in Les Causses: a sort of junk dealing eccentric, shepherds, and a wine merchant. The subjects are revealed to have deep knowledge of their surroundings. The pace is slow, and the attention is frequently on nature. The stories get better, with the last; the result is feeling like we've spent a good long vacation in a previously unknown place. This is a valuable thing, when most of us have put our travels on pause.
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I have picked up this book so much over the years, reading a little bit and then putting it down again. I really shouldn't give myself credit for reading it. I think I'm saving it for when I have more time.
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An interesting prose, nonfiction/almost memoir about a village in southwestern France.
This is beautifully written, but it's not a page turner for me. Too beautiful. Too challenging. I live the summers in the area he describes and he does a marvelous job of getting down the people.
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French people are so wacky!
Slooooow rambling reading, if well written. Great for a hot day when you don't want to move and have nothing to do
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