Barry Lopez
Paperback | Pages: 496 pages Rating: 4.21 | 5876 Users | 418 Reviews
Point Of Books Arctic Dreams
| Title | : | Arctic Dreams |
| Author | : | Barry Lopez |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 496 pages |
| Published | : | October 2nd 2001 by Vintage (first published 1986) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Travel. Science. Environment. Nature. History |
Interpretation Conducive To Books Arctic Dreams
Barry Lopez's National Book Award-winning classic study of the Far North is widely considered his masterpiece. Lopez offers a thorough examination of this obscure world-its terrain, its wildlife, its history of Eskimo natives and intrepid explorers who have arrived on their icy shores. But what turns this marvelous work of natural history into a breathtaking study of profound originality is his unique meditation on how the landscape can shape our imagination, desires, and dreams. Its prose as hauntingly pure as the land it describes, Arctic Dreams is nothing less than an indelible classic of modern literature.Describe Books To Arctic Dreams
| Original Title: | Arctic Dreams |
| ISBN: | 0375727485 (ISBN13: 9780375727481) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Arctic Circle |
| Literary Awards: | National Book Award for Nonfiction (1986), Oregon Book Award for Nonfiction (1987), National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for General Nonfiction (1986) |
Rating Of Books Arctic Dreams
Ratings: 4.21 From 5876 Users | 418 ReviewsWrite-Up Of Books Arctic Dreams
Arctic Dreams was originally published in 1986 and won the US National Book Award for non-fiction. It is a compilation of around 10 essays, which can be read separately, each one focusing on a different subject, as Lopez focuses on the inhabitants, visitors and four-legged, two-winged migrants of a frozen territory in the North.Reading his work is a little like being mesmerised by a compelling narrator in a nature documentary, for it is not just the images of the animals and the landscape thatIf you've never read any of Barry Lopez' work, here's a quick inaccurate description: He writes about the visible world with the mind of a scientist and the heart of a poet. His descriptions of the arctic, its geography, animals, people is so precise that it reaches beyond physical to that invisible realm that exists between the world and our emotional and spiritual prehension of it. Read his chapter on narwhals, for example, (those unicorn-like whales that seem to have come out a fairy tale)
This is a beautiful book. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the permafrost, the arctic blooming season, polar bears, musk ox (which are not oxen), narwhals, and other animals. Because the book was written many years ago, it includes the misinformation that lemmings commit suicide when they are too abundant, which has since been shown to be false. Lopez spent much time in different parts of the arctic -- Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and more. He undertook difficult tasks that he disliked --
I'm adding this book to my list of favorites. This is an amazing exploration of every aspect of a landscape that I previously had no interest in -- and now I'm completely captivated. Besides making me think the muskox is one of the most amazing animals on the planet, Lopez also made me ponder some deeply philosophical questions regarding the nature of happiness and beauty, and my connection with place and my landscape. It's a long and dense book, but well worth the read.
The Arctic.... We think of it as a location. It's an inconsequential cap perched on the crown of the familiar Mercator projection of the world. It's a glacial mass anchored in a frigid sea. It's a circular expanse with the magnetic north pole at it's center. It's the area above 66°33' N (the Arctic Circle). As Lopez points out, the magnetic pole is slowly drifting; and there are areas in Scandinavia lying north of the Arctic Circle inhabited by at least one species of lizard and of snake, thanks
I've known about Arctic Dreams since its publication. My reading it now, 33 years later, stems from my becoming convinced Barry Lopez's newest book, Horizon, is one I want to read. Because he was untasted, I thought it wise to get a feel for the man's writing and ideas before committing to the bigger read and, also important, the bigger purchase. I'm pleased with the result.Arctic Dreams is impressive. Even understanding it's his masterpiece, I'm still astonished at the perceptive, lyrical prose
I read this book a long time ago. Halfway my military service training camp I broke my foot. I spent endless days waiting in the military hospital for treatment and check-ups. Lopez' Arctic Dreams pulled me through that nasty period. It was balm for my soul. A lifelong fascination for boreal territories was the result. Soon after my military service I traveled to Greenland where I trekked to the Inlandsis with a friend. Truly unforgettable memories ...
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