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The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
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The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating discussion
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Becky
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Mar 02, 2015 06:34PM
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I just finished this book today. I enjoyed "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" so much more than "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek". While reading Pilgrim, I felt there were beautiful, poetic passages, but I also experienced far too many moments where I just didn't know what she was talking about.
"The Sound of a While Snail Eating" was just as moving, but it was slower paced - simpler. I thought it very much like Annie Dillard when the author considers our place on the planet along side mollusks. (We are just a recent arrival in their long history...)
I also enjoyed the way she weaves together snail lore and science from a wide range of sources. Who would ever think that such a small, "insignificant" creature could live such a rich and interesting life? And who would think a snail could provide so much companionship, hope, and a refreshing perspective during a long period of sickness?
This is definitely a book I would recommend and will possibly read again.
I read most all of this short book and enjoyed it. But as usual I found myself somewhere along the line skipping to the end (one of my bad habits) to see if she ever recovered. It was so sad knowing that she really, as of when the book was written, didn't regain her strength. It also found me reliving mentally some of my own health struggles that paralleled her immobility. This book speaks to many levels of our human frailty and strengths, as well as the beauty and grace of the lives of creatures that we take for granted.
Oddly enough, I read a large portion of the book while in the waiting room of my cardiologist's office. I found great solace in nature during my recovery from bypass surgery, and felt some kinship with the author, though her condition had a musch less hopeful prognosis. The book is a great read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... is the location of my review.
I haven't read this book yet; I just discovered it. But I'm stunned that there's a book about this topic-in a good way. I'm often home bound by pain and I've found comfort in little things like the company of a ladybug or a hover fly.
