If that even makes sense. Perhaps I’m wishing for a book that doesn’t or cannot exist. I want to read something that is relaxing while stimulating and satisfying curiosity. I dont want something juvenile. It’s ok if it’s deep and thought provoking, but doesn’t have to be. It should not have conflict.
When I imagine such a book, I think of beautiful descriptions of a forest and the things that live there. The weather. The scenery.
I just had the thought that what Im describing is poetry, but poetry is something which I’ve struggled to enjoy.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
When I imagine such a book, I think of beautiful descriptions of a forest and the things that live there. The weather. The scenery.
The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, it is about a nearish future colonisation of Mars, and Mars is as much a character as any of the humans. He spends a lot of time talking about geology and how they go about the project of terraforming. It does have conflict, and it can be exciting, but a lot it is just people work to solve problems.
Another rec would be The Emerald Mile, by Kevin Fedarko, which is just awesome. It’s about the grand canyon generally, and in particular about the rafting scene there.
I haven’t read the books, but the show is exactly what you described. Try All Creatures Great and Small.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
I’m currently reading Orbital by Samantha Harvey—it’s a meditative, conflict-free novel following the inner thoughts of six astronauts during a routine day aboard the ISS, as they watch the world turning under them and contemplate humanity.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I read it years ago and was taken aback by how calming the read was, while at the same time opening my mind to what was at the time for me, completely new thought processes.
Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Not exactly what you’re looking for, but it came straight to mind. There’s conflict, but it’s primarily internal. The vibe I remember is reminiscent of your description.
Sometimes one needs to sit at the bottom of a well.
Ya not sure it’s what I need at the moment, but it looks very interesting and I’ve added it to my to read list.
Bill Bryson might interest you.
Yes! Bill Bryson is great!
Ironically though, his book about walking the Appalachian trail completely killed any desire I had to walk it myself. He made it sound absolutely miserable lol
Did the first/last 100 mile stretch in Maine in September. We were wet or above the cloud line for 2 of the three weeks. It was rough.
It is
Couldn’t agree with this more. For me Bryson is the pinnacle of comfortable, informative reading. I find him very easy to listen to so the audiobooks he narrates may be fitting for OP as well.
NovelAI?
Poetry is exactly my thought, so out of curiosity, is there something in particular about it that is unappealing? I teach lit, and poetry gives a lot of people panic, but if you don’t have to analyze it for a paper or something, it’s really a lot of fun. Because Robert Frost writing about New England and something like falling asleep after apple picking can be sublime.
I’ve enjoyed some poetry, especially during several college courses I took where I had to read it. My problem, and this is going to sound really stupid, is that there’s something about rhyming and broken line formatting of a lot of poetry that puts me on edge.
It’s like a subtle feeling of nails going across a chalkboard to read line after line of rhyming verse. Lines stopping suddenly followed by hanging indents feels like being in stop and go traffic. It’s something I try and get past every few years but without success. It feels like work and not reading for pleasure. My thought was it probably has something to do with ADHD.
Maybe I should give Leaves of Grass another go.
My suggestion — and you probably won’t like it — is to read it out loud. The secret to poetry: you actually just blast through those line breaks, indents, etc. and don’t stop until there’s punctuation and then treat it appropriately. It’ll feel super cringey and uncomfortable, but this will make the actual eye motion and reading part a lot easier with a little practice! Sure it looks structured and weird on the page, but it’s generally not meant to be read that way. It should sound more like natural language, and honestly, once I learned to ignore everything but punctuation for a first read through, it clicked so much faster.
Last time I tried to get into poetry I bought a copy of The Best Poems of the English Language compiled by Harold Bloom. I’ll try reading aloud from it to my partner. If she complains, I’ll tell her a lit teacher gave me an assignment.
Lord of the Rings scratches that ich for me, I can jump into any chapter and read or listen for a while and know the story well enough that I never feel lost
It should not have conflict.
LOTR… really?
I mean, maybe some chapters here and there, but LOTR is ABOUT conflict.
LOTR is about walking with some conflict sprinkled in
Lol
The books are a lot different than the movies. Lots of people who liked the movies find the books boring because Tolkien is fucking awful at writing battles. Half the time you’ll be reading two characters having a casual conversation for several pages, only to remember “oh yea, there’s supposed to be like a massive battle going on”
I’m not usually into that kind of book, so the only thing I’ve read that comes close is The Slow Regard of Silent Things. I wouldn’t suggest any of Rothfuss’s other books, for so many reasons, but this novella is a day in the life of a woman who doesn’t interact with anyone and has no conflict. Many people hated the book because nothing happens, but I really enjoyed how satisfyingly quiet and calm it was. It’s also a short read, so if you don’t like it then not much is lost.
It has been added to my list. Thank you!
Alan Watts?
I’ve really enjoyed recordings of his talks. Might not be what I’m looking for but thanks for reminding me about Watts. I need to revisit some of his stuff.
I don’t have any suggestion off-hand, but I understand your request and actually have been reading so much less the past couple years just to avoid the heightened emotional tones that seem so pervasive. I want to read to learn and understand but I don’t need calls to action or tugs on my heartstrings or the sort of smug outrage and moralism that is everywhere – those come from all the rest of life.
Yes, exactly. Nonfiction can sometimes scratch that itch for me, but it’s not exactly what I want either.
