John McPhee remains the master of the long essay

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	• The Pine Barrens John McPhee Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1978 - 157 pages average customer review:based on 24 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

John McPhee remains the master of the long essay

I've read many McPhee books, and found that this early effort is just another example of his mastery of the form. He can make just about anything fascinating, because he himself projects an endless curiosity, love of diverse humanity, and a writing talent that is matched by very few (e.g. Trillin). This is an examination, twenty-five years ago, of the wilderness area in the south of New Jersey, of all places, its history, geography, and its people. Who cares? You will, after you've read this book.

A beautiful, rapturous book

I'm a big fan of McPhee (I think the "Curve of Binding Energy" is his best work) and this is one of his absolute best. I lived in New Jersey for most of my life but was unaware of what the Pine Barrens had been. McPhee's description of the natural wonders of the place is compelling and I was utterly fascinated by his stories of the pre-colonial settlers there. After reading the book, I've taken the long drive down Route 202 to visit and it is an other-worldly place to this day. Just as he described it years earlier, I found myself swimming in crystal clear, deep burgundy spring water, turned red by the rich iron deposits in the soil.

Do yourself and favor and read this book.

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A wonderful book

I live out west now. I just returned to the east for a visit. I drove down to the NJ Pine Barrens and I camped out one night in the Plains (the dwarf forest), no doubt in violation of millions of New Jersey rules and regulations. The benign peacefulness of the place, the smell of the pines, the sound of the wind, all swept over me. I used to live in Manhattan. I'd often make the 2 1/2 or 3 hour drive to hike and canoe and camp in the Barrens. I love that magical forest, the dark bogs, the open plains, the pure rivers, the endless sandy roads. John McPhee's book truly captures the atmosphere of this very special place in the world.

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A real find!

This book is a wonderful account of McPhee's encounter with the largest essentially undisturbed wilderness this side of the Boundary Waters in Minnesota/Ontario. It is a deeply incisive account of his observations and encounters with this beautiful region and its badly misunderstood people. Its simple and engaging style and deep compassion remind me a lot of another great author, whose name is forever associated with those Boundary Waters, Sigurd Olson.

I stumbled onto this book in a local (non-NJ) bookstore, and it's a real find. If you enjoy modern anthropology and natural history, you really owe it to yourself to read this book.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5

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