Non-fiction review: Enchantment, by Katherine May
This was my 3rd book by Katherine May. I definitely wasn't as touched by this as by of The Electricity of Every Living Thing and especially by Wintering. There was good stuff here, though, as you'll see.
Title: Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age
Author: Katherine May
Publication Info: 2023, Riverhead Books. 212 pages.
Source: Library
Publisher's Blurb:
Many of us feel trapped in a grind of constant
change: rolling news cycles, the chatter of social media, our families
split along partisan lines. We feel fearful and tired, on edge in our
bodies, not quite knowing what has us perpetually depleted. For
Katherine May, this low hum of fatigue and anxiety made her wonder what
she was missing. Could there be a different way to relate to the world,
one that would allow her to feel more rested and at ease, even as
seismic changes unfold on the planet? Might there be a way for all of us
to move through life with curiosity and tenderness, sensitized to the
subtle magic all around?
In Enchantment, May invites the
reader to come with her on a journey to reawaken our innate sense of
wonder and awe. With humor, candor, and warmth, she shares stories of
her own struggles with work, family, and the aftereffects of pandemic,
particularly feelings of overwhelm as the world rushes to reopen.
Craving a different way to live, May begins to explore the restorative
properties of the natural world, moving through the elements of earth,
water, fire, and air and identifying the quiet traces of magic that can
be found only when we look for them. Through deliberate attention and
ritual, she unearths the potency and nourishment that come from quiet
reconnection with our immediate environment. Blending lyricism and
storytelling, sensitivity and empathy, Enchantment invites each
of us to open the door to human experience in all its sensual
complexity, and to find the beauty waiting for us there.
My Review:
As noted, I didn't like this book as much as I liked Wintering. I've done some thinking about why, and found two reasons. One is simply that I don't relate as much to the debilitating stress she experienced due to lockdown (possibly because I'm a hermit by nature, and more likely because I was too deep in my own grief and loss to notice the state of the world around me, and also because in the US we didn't really lock down, unlike the UK). The other thing I think put me off is that she seems almost to be discovering (for the 3rd time?) the importance of nature and being in nature.
May's discovery of the healing power of nature isn't what I have a problem with. Not even (really) her apparent need to rediscover it time and again. I think the book lost me precisely because I already know that. When I read in Wintering about the power of being still and listening, that was something I needed to hear (and in fact was learning and doing even as I read about it). But no one needs to tell me to go for a walk or visit the ocean when I'm getting stressed. It's my first line of defense against depression. (Ask me about the effects of breaking my foot and being unable to hike...).
In other words, this is actually a pretty good book that may be just what many people need. It just didn't speak to me so much.
May does talk more in this book about practices that move you more into silence and awareness, and having that message repeated doesn't hurt.
My Recommendation:
This may be the book you want or need. For my money, read Wintering. And no, rock-stacking isn't a harmless spiritual practice (little out-of-context howl against one thing that grated on me).
Comments
Post a Comment
Let us know what you think! We love to hear from our readers!