The consolations of the forest
Subtitle: alone in a cabin on the Siberian Taiga
By: Sylvain Tesson ; translated from the French by Linda Coverdale
Contributors: Coverdale, Linda, translator
Publisher: Rizzoli Ex Libris
Published: 2013
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 243
ISBN-13: 9780847841271
Subjects: Natural history; French essays; Homes and haunts; Description and travel; Wilderness areas
Work titles: Dans les forêts de Sibérie
Description: "A meditation on escaping the chaos of modern life and rediscovering the luxury of solitude. Winner of the Prix Médicis for nonfiction, The Consolations of the Forest is a Thoreau-esque quest to find solace, taken to the extreme. No stranger to inhospitable places, Sylvain Tesson exiles himself to a wooden cabin on Siberia's Lake Baikal, a full day's hike from any 'neighbor,' with his thoughts, his books, a couple of dogs, and many bottles of vodka for company. Writing from February to July, he shares his deep appreciation for the harsh but beautiful land, the resilient men and women who populate it, and the bizarre and tragic history that has given Siberia an almost mythological place in the imagination. Rich with observation, introspection, and the good humor necessary to laugh at his own folly, Tesson's memoir is about the ultimate freedom of owning your own time. Only in the hands of a gifted storyteller can an experiment in isolation become an exceptional adventure accessible to all. By recording his impressions in the face of silence, his struggles in a hostile environment, his hopes, doubts, and moments of pure joy in communion with nature, Tesson makes a decidedly out-of-the-ordinary experience relatable. The awe and joy are contagious, and one comes away with the comforting knowledge that "as long as there is a cabin deep in the woods, nothing is completely lost" -- from publisher's web page.
Notes: Translation of: Dans les forêts de Sibérie.
Table of contents: title: A sidestep --; title: February: the forest --; title: March: time --; title: April: the lake --; title: May: the animals --; title: June: tears --; title: July: peace --; title: Translator's notes.