I want to like Annie Dillard, I really do. I think the world is a better place because Annie Dillard thinks and writes in it.
But . . . the bugs. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is chock-o-block with looking at, thinking about, and describing bugs. Some other creatures too, both larger and smaller than bugs, but mostly bugs.
As much as I appreciate the conclusions Dillard draws about the natural world and the nature of God, her minute observations about critters and plants could barely hold my attention. I took pious pleasure in finishing the book, like I had done something that, while a little boring, had its interesting moments and made me a better person – kind of like going to church.
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I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek when I was in high school. I too felt a sense of satisfaction at finishing it-- even though I don't think I cannot recall much. I do remember feeling a little bored, but I remember she used such great words for things, I found myself writing down the words so I'd remember them. I think it was one of those books that made me think that maybe the books I'd been reading weren't as well-written as they could have been...
ReplyDeleteI inherited a used copy and mean to revisit it and see what I think now, 12 (?) years later.
Yes, I think A.D. is an excellent writer. And I admire her mind. I will eventually read all her books, but I have to space them out over the years.
ReplyDeleteI am getting ready to read this, having previously read and enjoyed An American Childhood. Thanks for the warning about the bugs. We'll see how well I cope.
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