Robert Macfarlane

[cliveh]

For those of you into walking may I recommend reading books by Robert Macfarlane?

 

[coigach]

For those of you into walking may I recommend reading books by Robert Macfarlane?

Thought his first, 'Mountains of the Mind' was great. Found his second 'The Wild Places' repetitive, a bit urban tourist, and infuriating too - the idea that wild landscapes only came to be appreciated through the Romantic poets overlooks the pre-existing Gaelic and Welsh traditions, and is a pretty colonial in outlook...

Writers I enjoy who look at walking in new ways are Rebecca Solnit, whose 'Wanderlust - a History of Walking' is tremendous and Nan Shepherd's 'The Living Mountain' which is a true classic. For something else entirely, try W. E Bowman's 'The Ascent of Rum Doodle', a farcical spoof of mountaineering which I've read many times and never fail to giggle at...

 

[pdeeh]

I like The Beano

 

[coigach]

I like The Beano

Is Robert Macfarlane a new addition to Bash Street...??

 

[cliveh]

Thought his first, 'Mountains of the Mind' was great. Found his second 'The Wild Places' repetitive, a bit urban tourist, and infuriating too - the idea that wild landscapes only came to be appreciated through the Romantic poets overlooks the pre-existing Gaelic and Welsh traditions, and is a pretty colonial in outlook...

Writers I enjoy who look at walking in new ways are Rebecca Solnit, whose 'Wanderlust - a History of Walking' is tremendous and Nan Shepherd's 'The Living Mountain' which is a true classic. For something else entirely, try W. E Bowman's 'The Ascent of Rum Doodle', a farcical spoof of mountaineering which I've read many times and never fail to giggle at...

Have you read "The old ways"?

 

[coigach]

No, but a recent flick through it in a bookshop looked reasonably promising...!