A Year In The Maine Woods | Bernd Heinrich | Bernd Heinrich does it again

A Year In The Maine Woods | Bernd Heinrich | A quiet, enjoyable book about living with nature

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A Year In The Main...

	A Year In The Maine Woods Bernd Heinrich Da Capo Press, 1995 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 18 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Escapist fantasies usually involve the open road, but Bernd Heinrich?s dream was to focus on the riches of one small place?a few green acres along Alder Brook just east of the Presidential Mountains. The year begins as he settles into a cabin with no running water and no electricity, built of hand-cut logs he dragged out of the woods with a team of oxen. There, alone except for his pet raven, Jack, he rediscovers the meaning of peace and quiet and harmony with nature?of days spent not filling out forms, but tracking deer, or listening to the sound of a moth?s wings.Throughout this year when ?the subtle matters and the spectacular distracts,? Heinrich brings us back to the drama in small things, when life is lived consciously. His story is that of a man rediscovering what it means to be alive.

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Bernd Heinrich does it again

I've read several of Heinrich's books and have never been disappointed. Some reviewers compare him to Thoreau, favorably or not. While in certain places he does evoke thoughts of Thoreau, that is not what he is trying to do, contrary to what some reviewers seem to think.

As a word-class biologist and naturalist, Heinrich approaches his story of life in the Maine woods from two vantage points. First, as a scientist/naturalist, and then as a long-time resident of the area of Maine he calls home. The two themes are interwoven with a seasonal view of life in his cabin.

Unlike Thoreau, who was an amateur nineteenth century naturalist and literary philosopher, Heinrich has the advantage of being both a keen observer and a trained scientist, albeit one who grew up surrounded by nature before receiving his academic research training as a physiological ecologist. While some might find the detail he presents in places to be too much, those who really wish to learn about combining the powers of observation with scientific insights will be richly rewarded.

I must take exception to the reviewer who termed this book an "ego trip".
Heinrich is hardly parading his vast scientific knowledge for the sake of seeming erudite. The man has garnered numerous scientific and literary kudos, for both his research and nature writing, so I suspect he hardly needs to engage in an "ego trip" by trying to ape Thoreau. In fact, given his vast knowledge of biology, I would say that he strikes a good balance between telling a personal story and presenting scientific facts and insights in the context of his experience.

Having spent a few years in the area of Maine that Heinrich loves and writes about so well, I think that he does a wonderful job capturing both the nature and the lifestyle of rural Maine. If you are the type of person who enjoys taking walks in company of expertise, you will enjoy this book.

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A quiet, enjoyable book about living with nature

I really enjoyed this book -- it is a quiet, at times poetic, reflection on how one man lived within his environment for four distinct seasons. Heinrich reminds us of how richly varied and fascinating our world is and how much we miss every moment that we are too distracted to really see, smell, hear, and touch the natural world. The book inspired me to try to slow down a bit and take a closer look at the plants, animals, birds, and insects in my own back yard.

Love of the Natural World

A Year in the Maine Woods

Transport yourself into the natural world and be guided by an expert who writes with acute observation. It made me envy his journey. Almost is a virtual reality experience. The reader can smell the damp leaves, hear the raven, see the moose, etc. A book the reader will return to again and again to share the rich experiences of the author.

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Back to Nature

Heinrich writes about his observations of Maine's animals and plants from winter silences to spring's new growth. It ranges from lyrical descriptions of wild flowers to more than you want to know about decaying carcasses attracting carrion eaters.
I enjoyed reading it while parked in an RV in a Maine campground. My little window on the woods was so limited, making me appreciate his insights and trained eye. Sometimes he is philosophical, and at other times mundane (justifying why he doesn't wash his dishes more often).

A delightful book.

Bernd Heinrich a Zoology Professor at the University of Vermont has written many books on natural history or what is now called nature writing. This is the first I've read and have enjoyed it immensely. His style is a mixture of deep zoological knowledge of the animals and plants of the Maine woods and the pure love of being a human being who can appreciate and really live the surrounding natural world. This is what is needed by all people if they want to appreciate their world. Its a delightful book but does not possess the intensity of Jack Turner's "Abstract Wild" or Doug Peacock's Grisly writing. But it doesn't really need it, it is just a man living in the woods for a year through the beautiful summer pestered by black flies and the stunning autumn into a cold winter and the new life of spring. The book is also full of very well drawn animals and plants. The story starts with him driving to his cabin with his pet raven Jack who, being a raven, is independent minded and eventually leaves. Its too bad Jack was truly fascinating. There is much to do including the chopping of wood for the winter, taking care of his apple trees, raven watching to do. Its amazing how beautiful nature is when someone is watching with all his heart and mind. A delightful book.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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