Book Review: Wildwood

The first few chapters of Wildwood by Roger Deakin were like a call to action for me. I enjoy being around trees; even climbing them when the opportunity arises and planting far too many for our tiny garden. I enjoy looking at wood, inspecting and enjoying the patterns of the grain. The first few chapters were telling me to get out into the woods, to sleep in my bivvy and listen to the nearby rookery, just as Deakin does in this book.

Deakin inspired me to want to make a potting bench out of some wood that's been in our loft since before we arrived: project pending.

I don't like to be negative, but unfortunately this just wasn't a book for me. Well not all 400 pages of it anyway. Tedium set in for me after the first and wonderful 100 pages, yet I forced myself on. But then quotes were interjected between Deakin's prose more frequently, then more and more friends were added to the list that became too numerous to remember. It seemed like Deakin was just adding as many situations as possible, and as many facts as possible, no matter how losely connected with wood they were.

I faced that awkward moment most bibliophiles reach at one point or another, where you're not enjoying a book and need to decide whether it's worth persevering and forcing your way to the end, or simply putting the book back and walking away. After checking the reviews on Amazon, I chose the latter.

I find it a shame that Deakin felt the book had to be 400 pages long. I'm sure 200 pages of the best bits would have sufficed. As Walt Disney said "Always leave them wanting more". Unfortunately for me, this wasn't the case.

I realise that my comments may be a little controversial to many a Deakin fan out there. As I started struggling with the book, these thoughts were controversial to me too. I like Deakin. I first heard of him on Alice Roberts 'Wild Swimming' programme in 2010 and have yet been unable to read Deakin's 'Waterlog' book because there are so many reserves on it at the library.  I expected that this book would be a good as the book that's always reserved. Even though I've not enjoyed this book, I will still try to get my hands on Waterlog.

I know that Deakin was a great man, that's why I wanted to read this book. And for that reason, I feel that you should too.


Own or Loan: Loan
Read Again:  No
Recommend: Yes
Overall out of Five:2