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Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape
Arctic Dreams Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape Author:Barry Lopez A portrait of the Arctic that celebrates the landscape, wildlife and people of the vast and mysterious region. Above all, it is a story of light - solar and lunar rings, halos and coronas, the aurora borealis, and the distant mountain that is actually a looming and convincing mirage.
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.
Bethany M. reviewed Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape on
Barry Lopez provides an insightful look into the world of the Far North. The book was focused more upon the anthropological and human geographical aspects of the region rather than the physical aspects, which was surprising. Lopez provided beautiful imagery of the arctic throughout the novel and gives some really interesting perspectives on the native Eskimo culture. A particular quote on the Eskimo people was "On a day-to-day basis, they have more fear...They are afraid because they accept fully what is violent and tragic in nature. It is a fear tied to their knowledge that sudden cataclysmic events are as much a part of life, of really living, as are the moments when one pauses to look at something beautiful." Lopez has a very poetic style of writing, but at times gets a bit carried away with his in depth descriptions on the landscape. However, through this poetic writing style he really captures the awe and wonder of the land.
Lopez is brilliant and absolutely readable but, at times, one must really buckle down and drag one's butt through some tedious information in order to get to the gems.
An excellent book covering the Natural History of the Arctic. From the fauna to the indigenous people Inuit and others. All in great detail in a John Muir style for much of it. Also covered in good detail is the history of the explorations. Very detailed is the natural history of the animals. Good Book for anyone wanting to know about the lands on and above the Arctic Circle.
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