The Lost Upland

by W.S. Merwin

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 how the past is still palpably present.

Genres: Fiction, Travel, France, Literature, Short Stories

307 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

William Stanley Merwin was an American poet, credited with over fifty books of poetry, translation and prose.

William Stanley Merwin (September 30, 1927 – March 15, 2019) was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and prose, and produced many works in translation. During the 1960s anti-war movement, Merwin's unique craft was thematically characterized by indirect, unpunctuated narration. In the 1980s and 1990s, his writing influence derived from an interest in Buddhist philosophy and deep ecology. Residing in a rural part of Maui, Hawaii, he wrote prolifically and was dedicated to the restoration of the island's rainforests.

Merwin received many honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1971 and 2009; the National Book Award for Poetry in 2005, and the Tanning Prize—one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of American Poets—as well as the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings. In 2010, the Library of Congress named him the 17th United States Poet Laureate.

Reviews

[William2]

A knockout! It sings...

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 things, reducing the importance of the characters (which are vivid and memorable) and making the "stories" resemble Merwin's nonfiction about southern France more than fiction. "Blackbird's Summer," on the other hand, is superb--the characters are center stage throughout, with a much leaner evocation of place and time. As the "story" is clearly long enough to have been published on its own as a novel, I can only wonder what moved Merwin and the publisher to produce this 3-piece volume as it is. Certainly they are linked by place, but "Blackbird" is so powerful and fine on its own that I think it would have made a much more successful publication as an individual work--and perhaps it would be more widely noted now, more than 20 years later, and occupy a more important place in Merwin's career.

[Dunrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 be hard to replicate.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savored this his book in small moments over two years. It is transporting.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely charming and captivating stories of French peasant life in the Languedoc.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

French people are so wacky!

[Jean Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slooooow rambling reading, if well written. Great for a hot day when you don't want to move and have nothing to do

[Charlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting prose, nonfiction/almost memoir about a village in southwestern France.