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The Desert
The author expresses his love for the desert in this account of his three-year journey
233 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
J.C. Van Dyke
74 books4 followersJohn Charles Van Dyke (1856–1932) was an American art historian and critic. He was born at New Brunswick, New Jersey, studied at Columbia, and for many years in Europe. He was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 1877, but never practiced law.
In 1878, Van Dyke was appointed the librarian of the Gardner Sage Library at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and in 1891 as a professor of art history at Rutgers College (now Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey). With his appointment, the Rutgers president's residence was converted to classroom and studio space for the college's Department of Fine Arts. He was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1908.
Van Dyke wrote a series of critical guide books: New Guides to Old Masters. He edited Modern French Masters (1896); Old Dutch and Flemish Masters (1901); Old English Masters; and a series of histories covering the history of art in America.
Van Dyke was the son of Judge John Van Dyke, and great grandson of John Honeyman, a spy for George Washington who played a critical role at the battle of Trenton. He was also the uncle of film director W.S. Van Dyke.
In 1878, Van Dyke was appointed the librarian of the Gardner Sage Library at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and in 1891 as a professor of art history at Rutgers College (now Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey). With his appointment, the Rutgers president's residence was converted to classroom and studio space for the college's Department of Fine Arts. He was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1908.
Van Dyke wrote a series of critical guide books: New Guides to Old Masters. He edited Modern French Masters (1896); Old Dutch and Flemish Masters (1901); Old English Masters; and a series of histories covering the history of art in America.
Van Dyke was the son of Judge John Van Dyke, and great grandson of John Honeyman, a spy for George Washington who played a critical role at the battle of Trenton. He was also the uncle of film director W.S. Van Dyke.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 29, 2015
A classic - a must read primer for lovers of the desert southwest.
June 23, 2013
John Van Dyke's book is THE seminal book on desert writing. He is specifically talking mostly about the Mojave, Colorado, and Sonoran deserts his observations can be applied to most deserts around the world. He is by profession an art critic, and brings that critical eye to the experience of being in and traveling through the desert. This is the second time I've read this book revisiting it after a couple of decades and am still amazed at the power it has. It is referenced in other "desert writers like Edward Abbey and Joseph Wood Krutch. I recommend The Desert to anyone who loved arid lands but also to those who are seeking a new way of viewing things.
September 30, 2022
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected I would, despite Van Dyke's predictable and troubling attitudes towards Native Americans. He writes beautifully about all aspects of the deserts of southern California, southern Nevada, and Arizona. My favorite thing about his writing is how he sometimes widens his focus from the small and tangible to the cosmic and nearly incomprehensible. I don't know for sure, but I suspect this book was an influence on Barry Lopez.
May 21, 2021
This is a beautifully written book, more like a volume of poetry, that extolls the exquisite landscape, flora, and fauna of the desert. There are chapters and sections devoted to geography, weather, fata morganas, clouds, and even dust. What's charming to me is that this book is over 100 years old so it's a real treat to read about the same land and what it was like back then. For example, Mr. Van Dyke discusses in detail the Salton basin and how it became, through mankind's stupidity, the fabulous Salton Sea resort town. It's now a ghost town full of dead fish.
It's not a book to read quickly, but rather in small snippets to appreciate the use of language and love of the land. If you've never seen the desert, this book will fill the void until you can see it for yourself.
I had no idea that a jackrabbit is actually a jackass rabbit, named for the large ears that resemble the adorable long ears of donkeys.
Here are some memorable quotes:
"If we could but rid ourselves of the false ideas, which, taken en masse, are called education, we should know that there is nothing ugly under the the sun, save that which comes from human distortion. Nature's work is all of it good, all of it purposeful, all of it wonderful, all of it beautiful."
(I'll have to use that as a response the next time sometimes rolls their eyes and says "Hmph, I could never live there, ew" when they learn I live in the desert.)
May 10, 2024
The descriptions are so vivid and beautiful!
September 4, 2015
van dyke didn't actually take the brutal desert trip he writes about in this book. he wasn't a rugged frontiersman but an aesthete. his brother owned a ranch that bordered the mojave and van dyke relied on info from him and from books to write the desert. in other words, he dreamed it all up in his head. which made it all the more special for me.
January 13, 2020
This interesting book provides a sensory perspective on the southwestern deserts from an artist's point of view, the author was professional art critic. Much of the book covers the interplay of light, shadow, color, perspective, mirage, reflection, refraction and how they along with the lay of the land affect desert vistas, birds, bugs, mammals and reptiles and plant life. In addition to the visual there are also other sensory aspects touched on a bit, sounds and feelings. There is some natural history and geology as well, some of it useful, but often the author becomes speculative, fanciful, and sensory as he weaves his own philosophy of nature into his description of the desert.
One of the things I appreciated was the author's viewpoint of nature's beauty: "We may prefer the sunlight to the starlight, the evening primrose to the bisnaga, the antelope to the mountain-lion, the mocking-bird to the lizard ; but to say that one is good and the other bad, that one is beautiful and the other ugly, is to accuse nature herself of preference-something which she never knew. She designs for the cactus of the desert as skillfully and as faithfully as for the lily of the garden."
There are few stories or long in-depth detailed scientific descriptions as there are with other desert writers but the author shares a common philosophy with many of them, the prime quote from the book is probably "The desert should never be reclaimed."
One of the things I appreciated was the author's viewpoint of nature's beauty: "We may prefer the sunlight to the starlight, the evening primrose to the bisnaga, the antelope to the mountain-lion, the mocking-bird to the lizard ; but to say that one is good and the other bad, that one is beautiful and the other ugly, is to accuse nature herself of preference-something which she never knew. She designs for the cactus of the desert as skillfully and as faithfully as for the lily of the garden."
There are few stories or long in-depth detailed scientific descriptions as there are with other desert writers but the author shares a common philosophy with many of them, the prime quote from the book is probably "The desert should never be reclaimed."
July 28, 2023
A beautiful aesthetic work. As is pointed out in the introduction, Van Dyke was not a biologist and gets many facts about the plants and animals he describes wrong. I also found his brief descriptions of Native Ameicans to be a bit dehumanizing, as if they animals part of the landscape. However Van Dyke's background in art history shines through by describing the various natural scenes with a poets eye. If you're looking for an accurate description of the wildlife of the desert go somewhere else, but if you want beautiful descriptions of desert scenery there's probably not a better book from this era.
September 11, 2024
Published in 1901, The Desert is one of the first books that wrote about, and espoused the beauties of, (you called it) the desert. Traveling through the American Southwest, and specifically the Mojave, (an experience that probably augmented his post as art advisor to industrialist Andrew Carnegie), Van Dyke points out the vivid and stark beauty of his surroundings, or what he calls “the sublimity of the waste.”
April 6, 2022
The stark beauty of the desert is brought to life by this extremely talented author. While written over 100 years ago it couldn’t be more contemporary in it’s timeless poetic prose. This offers the reader a literary as well as learning treat. You need not travel to the desert to feel the heat, see the beauty, and find the magic from the comfort of your favorite reading spot.
September 1, 2017
Van Dyke understood the desert. He took the time to really see it. Most of what he experienced is gone now. There are precious few dry places you can visit now only on horseback where your reach is limited by the water you can carry. John C. Van Dyke can still take you there.
March 1, 2023
Ok book considering it was written in 1901 and the author did not even visit most of the places he describes and got some things just plain wrong--e.g. Gila monsters are harmless. But an interesting, lyrical description of the Arizona desert and canyon country.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews