Robert Macfarlane is an author who probably needs no introduction on the Ramblings; his books are much lauded, he’s well known for his concern about, and work for, the environment, and he’s made a number of appearances here. However there are still many I’ve not read, so I was happy to stumble on “Landmarks” in a charity shop, though it did take me a little while to get to it! However, timing is all, and the book made the perfect end of summer reading, polyread alongside Muriel Spark! “Landmarks” was perhaps not quite what I was expecting; despite that, however, it was a marvellous and thought-provoking read which threatens to send me off on a Macfarlane/environmental reading binge!!
First published in 2015, “Landmarks” followed Macfarlane’s trio of works on landscape: “Mountains of the Mind”, “The Wild Places” and “The Old Ways”. This book also explores the land and the world around us, but through the lens of the language we use, and in particular the words we use or lose. It’s described as “a field guide to the literature of nature, and a vast glossary collecting thousands of the remarkable terms used in dozens of the languages and dialects of Britain and Ireland to describe and denote aspects of terrain, weather, and nature”, and each individual chapter explores the landscape, or aspect of it, through different writers. Macfarlane focuses on mountains, woods and water, northlands, edgelands and other features of the land, exploring the ways different authors have engaged with those areas and the language they’ve used to describe it.
So, for example, the chapter “The Living Mountain” deals with Nan Shepherd and her wonderful book of that name, as Macfarlane follows in her footsteps, and relates his experiences in the Cairngorms while providing fascinating commentary on Shepherd’s writing. “The Woods and the Water” is concerned with Roger Deakin and what is known nowadays as ‘wild swimming’ (when I was younger it was just swimming…); “Stone-Books” was a particularly interesting chapter, covering as it does the writing of Jacquetta Hawkes and her epic work “The Land”. I kept coming across little synchronicities, like the chapter “North-Minded”; I am, of course, from the North and very fond of it, and I have a book by the author featured in this chapter, Peter Davidson, called “The Idea of North” – it’s been lurking unread on Mount TBR for far too long…
The stern curve of a mountain slope, a nest of wet stones on a beach, the bent trunk of a wind-blown tree: such forms can call out in us a goodness we might not have known we possessed.
Underpinning all this is, of course, the narrowing down of our linguistic richness. The opening sections of the book are triggered by the removal from the Oxford Junior Dictionary of a vast number of words which will be familiar to many of us of an older age about nature; children and young people no longer have that wide range of words in their vocabulary, which reflects the more restricted world so many of them live within, tethered to entertainment screens of many sorts. In fact, Macfarlane would later release a beautiful book called “The Lost Words” in conjunction with artist Jackie Morris, and a copy lives in my place of work; it’s a gorgeous item in its own right, and also records so many terms which are slipping out of use. And “Landmarks” operates in the same way, creating a ‘word hoard’ of those local or regional or obscure words and phrases that if not recorded will be lost to us. So in between each chapter, Macfarlane creates a glossary; words relating to flatlands, or wetlands, or woodlands and so on; fixing for all time, or as long as his work survives, some marvellous language which can be saved from oblivion. ‘Nab’ or ‘strob’; ‘clitter’ or ‘gryke’; all are evocative words, and thankfully preserved here.
Intriguingly, after the first publication of “Landmarks”, Macfarlane was flooded with correspondence from readers sharing other words with him for his hoard; obviously, only a fraction of what he collected is preserved in the book, so I can only hope that the rest of his collection is safely preserved in some kind of archive which will keep this language safe for the future. As George Orwell recognised, language gives a power; if we cannot describe something, how can we understand it, help it, fight the bad and promote the good. In a world where we are systematically damaging nature, hopefully something like “Landmarks” will help us to engage with our planet more, help its landscapes to survive and bring back lost language. As you might have guessed, I was totally absorbed in “Landmarks” and absolutely loved it; it’s a memorable and inspiring book, and will continue to make me look at the world around me anew. I really *am* tempted now to go on a Robert Macfarlane and related reading binge…
MarinaSofia
Sep 16, 2022 @ 07:07:48
Wild swimming, indeed! Remember lots of playing in rivers and lakes as a child…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 11:19:26
Oh yes! Me too – we swam wherever we could, rivers or sea or whatever there was. Not something I would be keen to do nowadays, thanks to the Tories… 🤢
madamebibilophile
Sep 16, 2022 @ 07:19:40
This sounds wonderful! I keep meaning to read more by this author, he’s so interesting and accessible in his nature writing. The glossaries are very tempting – I’ll keep an eye out for this and an opportunity to expand my vocabulary!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 11:17:32
He writes so beautifully, and the explorations of language and landscape in this one are wonderful. And the glossaries are fascinating – so many words I’d never heard!!
Janette
Sep 16, 2022 @ 10:38:20
This sounds brilliant. I’ve got a copy of The Lost Words but haven’t read anything else by him. I read Windswept – Why Women Walk earlier this year which included a chapter on Nan Shepherd so definitely interested in reading this one too.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 11:16:46
It’s so good, and also very bad for the wishlist – I’d read and loved the Shepherd, but there are so many other wonderful sounding books he covers….
Margot Kinberg
Sep 16, 2022 @ 12:07:46
My original field of study was language, so this one definitely sounds up my street. It’s fascinating how and why we use language the way we do, and it reflects so much. I love the idea of using different chapters, different writers’ work, etc., to explore that. What a great charity shop find!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 20:47:27
Oh, that’s interesting, Margot. This certainly is a really fascinating look at language and how essential it is to us – particularly the local variations which are getting lost nowadays. Also, how impoverished the language of our children is, reflecting the lack of contact with nature. It was definitely a good one to pick up in a charity shop!
WordsAndPeace
Sep 16, 2022 @ 14:33:12
Great presentation!
I have only read The Lost Spells, so so gorgeous at the level of words and art, but there are a lot of his books I want to read, so I should start my own binging!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 20:46:08
Thanks! And do have a binge – he’s worth it!
Cath
Sep 16, 2022 @ 16:58:04
I have this one still to read but my favourite so far is Mountains of the Mind, closely followed by Underland. Wonderful writer.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 20:45:49
He is. Mountains of the Mind is one I’d like to get to soon!
heavenali
Sep 16, 2022 @ 17:50:28
There is something calming and cathartic about good nature writing. This sounds wonderful, and you know how little non fiction I read. I read The Old Ways by Macfarlane and certainly found it very thought provoking and beautiful.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 20:45:30
There is – it’s the kind of writing which reconnects you with the landscape and the world, and in my case makes you wish you could rush out into it!
JacquiWine
Sep 16, 2022 @ 18:00:44
Like Ali, I find certain types of nature writing quite comforting and restorative at times, especially when I’m stressed. Helen Macdonald and Melissa Harrison are probably my favourites, but Macfarlane seems to be in a similar vein. I think you mentioned elsewhere that this might not be the best one to start with. Can you remind me which one you’d suggest? (I have a feeling you mentioned Underland and The Old Ways, but probably best to check!)
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 16, 2022 @ 20:44:56
Totally agree – it really can be therapeutic reading. As for which Macfarlane to start with, I’ve only read Underland and The Old Ways and think Underland in particular is stunning! And I know Ali loved The Old Ways more than me, so either would probably be good choices!
Julé Cunningham
Sep 16, 2022 @ 21:22:19
The Lost Words really is a special book, I especially love Jackie Morris’s art and the way it works with the words. Thinking about Orwell’s quote makes it even sadder that so many ‘small’ languages are being lost, so much more goes with them…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 17, 2022 @ 16:27:48
Definitely – we don’t seem to care much about individuality or our cultural heritage nowadays, with everything becoming so homogenized…
1streading
Sep 18, 2022 @ 11:38:38
I’d seen this book but didn’t really know what it was about. I love both the idea of focusing on a nature writer in each chapter, and the rescuing of words relating to landscape which we are in danger of losing. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but Robert MacFarlane definitely intrigues me.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 18, 2022 @ 11:59:21
I must admit I didn’t quite know what to expect from the book either, but because it was a Macfarlane I picked it up. His work is usually classified as nature writing but I think it’s a whole lot bigger than that, taking in our world and our human condition. The particular angle of this book is fascinating, and it’s a clever way to approach language and its loss. I’ve only read a few of his works, and I definitely want to read more!
Liz Dexter
Sep 18, 2022 @ 17:15:26
I need to save this review as have Landmarks TBR myself!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 19, 2022 @ 12:31:32
Ah! Will be interested to hear what you think of it! 😀
Rounding up my 2022 reading! 😊📚 | Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings
Dec 31, 2022 @ 07:00:56
“There are many ways to die in the mountains…” #MountainsoftheMind @RobGMacfarlane | Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings
Aug 23, 2023 @ 07:01:55
“To reach a wild place was, for me, to step outside human history.” @RobGMacfarlane #thewildplaces | Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings
Nov 15, 2023 @ 07:02:01