Setting Foot On The Shores Of Connemara And Other Writings (1997) - Plot & Excerpts
I've heard Tim Robinson called Ireland's modern Thoreau, a claim I can't really endorse. (Way less nature writing, more cartography and anthropology. A bit of oral history for good measure. Excellent writing throughout.) Although I didn't love this book, I loved parts of it and it's quite good. Robinson is at his strongest when he discusses landscapes; at his weakest, I think, with larger historical summaries. He is not a writer of history; he's a writer of land and its variety and meanings.This book is one of the few instances when I'd recommend not reading from start to finish, but selecting a few essays based on your interest (oral history, literary history, placenames and language, etc.) and getting a taste. I found a couple of the essays to be a bit of a slog - but I'm glad I stuck with it because some of the final essays are the best in the book. I personally recommend "Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara" and "Listening to the Landscape." Above all, avoid the mistake I made and read it when you have the leisure and patience to take your time. Tim Robinson conveys his inspiring philosophies beautifully - made me think for fun.
What do You think about Setting Foot On The Shores Of Connemara And Other Writings (1997)?
