I first encountered The Living Mountain in the wake of failing to reach the summit of Ben Nevis. I found Nan Shepherd's encouragement to simply be with mountains so heartening, and it spurred to me wander and dawdle in places, and let go of the idea of reaching peaks as the ultimate goal. Wonderful stuff.
Dru, you've captured the heart of the book.... just being 'in' the mountain is enough. Thank you for commenting, and thank you for subscribing to Place Writing!
A favourite book of mine too, introduction aside (usually I am a fan of Macfarlane). It undoubtedly feeds into my own meanderings not far from the Cairngorms.
Thank you for your comment and reading recommendations, Michela, I appreciate it. I'm not familiar with the Cairngorms so Shepherd's book, for me, is like reading a cross between fantasy and memoir. I'm a big fan of Little Toller too, and I'm hoping that now they've decided to ditch X they'll come over here and join us at Substack. I'm looking forward to reading your 'place of ease'. 😊
A great recommendation. My own copy has a different cover but also has the introduction by McFarlane. Good though it is (and he's no mean exponent of place writing himself), I agree with you it's a bit oversized in comparison with the book itself. And perhaps would have been better placed at the back. But it's understandable the publisher wanted to attach a known name as Shepherd was somewhat forgotten by modern readers.
A couple of others that come to mind. One an absolute classic and made a big impact on me years ago is The Shining Levels by John Wyatt, about a year as a forest worker in the Lake District. Published 1973 at a good time to catch me at an impressionable age (I nwas also collecting all the Wainwright guides).
And then something much more recent, The Gathering Tide by Karen Lloyd (2016), which is about somewhere even closer to me, Morecambe Bay. Perhaps the writing isn't quite as fine as Shepherd or Wyatt (it's a high bar) but it's a fine gentle evocation of a very distinctive landscape.
Thanks for your comment, Jon, and I'm pleased you also find Shepherd's words evocative. I'll take a look at your recommendations for further reading; I don't know either of these books.
Have you see the short film Upstream, which took its epigraph from The Living Mountain? A visual poem of the Cairngorms, completely transporting, at least for me. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/upstreamthefilm
That’s excellent advice to skip Robert Macfarlane’s introduction and go straight to the text (leave the mansplaining until later 🤣). I’ve often walked in the Cairngorms, but saw them in a new light after reading Nan’s words.
Underland by Robert Macfarlane also gave me the same visceral sense of place. In the first chapter he descends a pothole in the Mendip Hills. This struck shrinking fear into me as I’ve seen its entrance, a narrow triangle around tree roots with a stream plunging through into the depths. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could squeeze themselves down there without being soaked and panicking at the confinement.
Recently I read Flow, by Amy-Jane Beer. I enjoyed much pleasanter sensations with her river swimming, where I felt myself in the water with her.
I have to confess I bought this copy and the introduction put me off and completely agree with you. I enjoy his writing but this woukd have been far better as an Afterword. However, having read your analysis I shall certainly try again as I feel certain I will love it.
I have pulled it off the shelf! I do remember feeling exasperated at what I felt was a very self aggrandizing introduction, quite unlike his other writing.
One of my all time favourite books too. Such a beautiful meditation on embodied connection with place and quietly taking notice.
It's the sort of book you can pick up and take anywhere, to enjoy the words for themselves. It is indeed a 'meditation'.
I first encountered The Living Mountain in the wake of failing to reach the summit of Ben Nevis. I found Nan Shepherd's encouragement to simply be with mountains so heartening, and it spurred to me wander and dawdle in places, and let go of the idea of reaching peaks as the ultimate goal. Wonderful stuff.
Dru, you've captured the heart of the book.... just being 'in' the mountain is enough. Thank you for commenting, and thank you for subscribing to Place Writing!
A favourite book of mine too, introduction aside (usually I am a fan of Macfarlane). It undoubtedly feeds into my own meanderings not far from the Cairngorms.
One thing to pull from Nan’s introduction that may resonate is the idea of a place of ease, which I expand on here https://michelagriffith.substack.com/p/find-your-place-of-ease
I would also recommend Flow by Amy-Jane Beer (title overlap coincidental) and also Phillip Edward’s’ At the Very End of the Road. If you’d like to get a better feel for the latter, there’s a nice extract over at the excellent Little Toller Books https://www.littletoller.co.uk/the-clearing/at-the-very-end-of-the-road-by-phillip-edwards/
Thank you for your comment and reading recommendations, Michela, I appreciate it. I'm not familiar with the Cairngorms so Shepherd's book, for me, is like reading a cross between fantasy and memoir. I'm a big fan of Little Toller too, and I'm hoping that now they've decided to ditch X they'll come over here and join us at Substack. I'm looking forward to reading your 'place of ease'. 😊
Oh I do hope LT come here!
A great recommendation. My own copy has a different cover but also has the introduction by McFarlane. Good though it is (and he's no mean exponent of place writing himself), I agree with you it's a bit oversized in comparison with the book itself. And perhaps would have been better placed at the back. But it's understandable the publisher wanted to attach a known name as Shepherd was somewhat forgotten by modern readers.
A couple of others that come to mind. One an absolute classic and made a big impact on me years ago is The Shining Levels by John Wyatt, about a year as a forest worker in the Lake District. Published 1973 at a good time to catch me at an impressionable age (I nwas also collecting all the Wainwright guides).
And then something much more recent, The Gathering Tide by Karen Lloyd (2016), which is about somewhere even closer to me, Morecambe Bay. Perhaps the writing isn't quite as fine as Shepherd or Wyatt (it's a high bar) but it's a fine gentle evocation of a very distinctive landscape.
Thanks for your comment, Jon, and I'm pleased you also find Shepherd's words evocative. I'll take a look at your recommendations for further reading; I don't know either of these books.
Have you see the short film Upstream, which took its epigraph from The Living Mountain? A visual poem of the Cairngorms, completely transporting, at least for me. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/upstreamthefilm
No, Sue, I've not seen this film. Thanks for mentioning it, I'll definitely give it some time.
Big fan of this one, which I came to through MacFarlane (in Landmarks)—agreed on reading Introductions afterward as a general policy, though!
It's a treasure I think Anne.
I like your general policy idea!
That’s excellent advice to skip Robert Macfarlane’s introduction and go straight to the text (leave the mansplaining until later 🤣). I’ve often walked in the Cairngorms, but saw them in a new light after reading Nan’s words.
Underland by Robert Macfarlane also gave me the same visceral sense of place. In the first chapter he descends a pothole in the Mendip Hills. This struck shrinking fear into me as I’ve seen its entrance, a narrow triangle around tree roots with a stream plunging through into the depths. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could squeeze themselves down there without being soaked and panicking at the confinement.
Recently I read Flow, by Amy-Jane Beer. I enjoyed much pleasanter sensations with her river swimming, where I felt myself in the water with her.
Thanks, Felicity. When a writer can transmit physical sensations to readers with their words they've cracked it. I aspire to being able to do this!
I find myself shivering at times while reading Shepherd's words. Brrrr!
I also enjoyed Underland. Hope to read Flow soon.
I have to confess I bought this copy and the introduction put me off and completely agree with you. I enjoy his writing but this woukd have been far better as an Afterword. However, having read your analysis I shall certainly try again as I feel certain I will love it.
Oh do try again, Deborah. I'm sure you'll enjoy Shepherd's carefully observed evocation of place.
I have pulled it off the shelf! I do remember feeling exasperated at what I felt was a very self aggrandizing introduction, quite unlike his other writing.
Do let me know how you get on with it.
Nan Shepherd features on current RBS £5 note (Scottish version of UK currency)
https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/subjects/banknotes/current-issue-banknotes/current-royal-bank-of-scotland-5-pound-note.html