Remembering: A Novel (Port William)

Wendell Berry is a marvelous writer and storyteller. This novel is simply stupendous and has some of the best moments in great writing that I have ever encountered. The chapter where Andy is describing the experience of being in an airport and flying back to his home ranks as one of the very best moments in great writing that I have experienced. He is definitely on a par with the greatness of Faulkner and in some ways he exceeds him and I never thought I would say that about anyone having been a huge Faulkner fan for well over 50 years. Berry is his own benchmark of greatness. The only problem with Berry's work is that it ends all too quickly. I have just about read every novel and story of his that I can find and I am still hungry for more. Berry is an absolute master and it is just a pure joy to read his great writing. This particular novel is a real standout!!

As the reader walk hand in hand with Andy Catlett through his "dark of night of the soul" experience , one gains a clear, enlightened view of where our culture has been and where it is going in terms of relationships, community, ecology, and core values . The book resounds with spirit on both the personal and cultural level. Wendell Berry is the Isaiah of sustainable farming.

I highly recommend this as a look at what mechanization has done to agriculture. I especially recommend Chapter 5 "A place know and dreamed." It is a beautifully written look at the difference between the large, corporate farms and the small family farms. As a land owner of 60 acres which my wife inherited from her parents, I enjoyed and understood how his place was in need of tender, living care. It is so easy to let the land go to weeds when you work another job. I also understood how a person can know the land, all it's hills and valleys, all it's good soil and rocky soil. It was a beautifully written chapter. If you live in the city and want to know what it is like to have a small farm, read this book.

I'm not sure what it was about this book, but I couldn't get through it. I enjoyed Jayber Crow, am enjoying Hannah Coulter now, and like the concept of the Port William series. I thought A Place on Earth was good once I figured out how to navigate it's shifts. But this one just didn't resonate with me though it should have.

Just loved it. W. Berry has a great ability to develop the characters at such a real emotional level. The main character is this book is broken but finds redemption in the only place that a person can - through forgiveness. The journey is always so personal but universal. Great story!!! I think it does a nice job of sharing the challenges of the characters lives and sharing with us all how important our love for family is.

While I found this short novel hard to get into, it was well worth the patience. After I finished reading it, I went back through with a highlighter and marked sections that I never want to forget. It was a breath of fresh air, or should I say, a reminder of "good pastures and cattle coming to the spring in the evening to drink."

I bought this for a Christmas present for a dear friend. She loves this author and she was thrilled to get this book.Because I trust her judgement, this author is wotth following. Thank you for selling it.

I love the writing of Wendel Berry. This too is an excellent book with beautiful writing. My reason for giving it a 4 instead of a 5 is because I don't think everyone will appreciate the story. This is not an action or mystery plot, but it has lift lessons for the discerning reader.