The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Fabulous, a triumph, and it will remain a favourite forever.'' CHRIS PACKHAM ''A miniature masterpiece.'' THE INDEPENDENT ''Charming and absorbing.'' THE TIMES In celebration of its fifteen year anniversary, and including a new foreword by Helen Macdonald, this multi-award winning account of a close encounter with nature will delight readers everywhere. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Elisabeth Tova Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence in a flowerpot alongside her bed. She enters the rhythm of life of this mysterious creature, and comes to a greater understanding of her own confined place in the world. In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, she shares the inspiring and intimate story of her connection with Neohelix albolabris - a common woodland snail.Intrigued by the snail''s world - from its strange anatomy to its mysterious courtship activities - she becomes a fascinated and amused observer of the snail''s curious life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating reveals how much of the natural world we overlook in our busy daily lives, while affirming the extraordinary life of even the tiniest of species.A remarkable journey of survival and resilience, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating shows how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence and deepen our appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.>

Vorwort
In celebration of its fifteen year anniversary, this multi-award winning account of a close encounter with nature will delight readers everywhere.

Autorentext

Elisabeth Tova Bailey's essays and short stories have been published in the Missouri Review, Northwest Review and the Sycamore Review. Winner of the John Burroughs Medal (US) and the William Saroyan International Prize for Nonfiction, she has also received several Pushcart Prize nominations. The essay on which this book is based received a Notable Essay Listing in Best American Essays. She lives in Maine, US.

Klappentext

'Fabulous, a triumph, and it will remain a favourite forever.' CHRIS PACKHAM'A miniature masterpiece.' THE INDEPENDENT'Charming and absorbing.' THE TIMESIn celebration of its fifteen year anniversary, and including a new foreword by Helen Macdonald, this multi-award winning account of a close encounter with nature will delight readers everywhere. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Elisabeth Tova Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence in a flowerpot alongside her bed. She enters the rhythm of life of this mysterious creature, and comes to a greater understanding of her own confined place in the world. In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, she shares the inspiring and intimate story of her connection with Neohelix albolabris - a common woodland snail. Intrigued by the snail's world - from its strange anatomy to its mysterious courtship activities - she becomes a fascinated and amused observer of the snail's curious life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating reveals how much of the natural world we overlook in our busy daily lives, while affirming the extraordinary life of even the tiniest of species. A remarkable journey of survival and resilience, this beautiful book shows how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence and deepen our appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

Zusammenfassung
'Fabulous, a triumph, and it will remain a favourite forever.' CHRIS PACKHAM 'A miniature masterpiece.' THE INDEPENDENT 'Charming and absorbing.' THE TIMES In celebration of its fifteen year anniversary, and including a new foreword by Helen Macdonald, this multi-award winning account of a close encounter with nature will delight readers everywhere. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Elisabeth Tova Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence in a terrarium alongside her bed. She enters the rhythm of life of this mysterious creature, and comes to a greater understanding of her own confined place in the world. In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, she shares the inspiring and intimate story of her connection with Neohelix albolabris - a common woodland snail. Intrigued by the snail's world - from its strange anatomy to its mysterious courtship activities - she becomes a fascinated and amused observer of the snail's curious life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an affirmation of the healing power of nature, revealing how much of the world we miss in our busy daily lives, and how truly magical it is. A remarkable journey of survival and resilience, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating shows how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence and deepen our appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

Inhalt

Foreword by Helen Macdonald
Prologue

Part I - The Violet-Pot Adventures

Field Violets
Discovery
Explorations

Part II - A Green Kingdom

The Forest Floor
Life in a Microcosm
Time and Territory

Part III - Juxtapositions

Thousands of Teeth
Telescopic Tentacles
Marvellous Spirals
Secret Recipes

Part IV - The Cultural Life

Colonies of Hermits
Midnight Leap
A Snail's Thoughts
Deep Sleep

Part V - Love and Mystery

Cryptic Life
Affairs of a Snail
Bereft
Offspring

Part VI - Familiar Territory

Release
Winter Snail
Spring Rain
Night Stars

Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Appendix: Terraria
Selected Sources