Sean Barrs 's Reviews > The Overstory
The Overstory
by
by
Sean Barrs 's review
bookshelves: contemporary-lit, nature-ecology-enviroment, 5-star-reads
Aug 10, 2021
bookshelves: contemporary-lit, nature-ecology-enviroment, 5-star-reads
The Overstory is very green, very vibrant and very important.
You could even say that it is a celebration of the natural world and the power she possesses, but that would be a drastic oversimplification. The novel equally explores (but perhaps not celebrates) human nature and our failures to act and care in the face of ecological collapse. So few people are willing to do anything and extend empathy beyond their immediate lives. And here you have the crux of the novel: environmental frustration.
The natural world has called certain people to defend her; they feel compelled to change destructive behaviours: they have been awakened to nature’s desperate plight and they are ready to act positively for much needed change. And they are met with ridicule, greediness and people too ignorant to understand the importance of trees in our lives.
“The most wonderous products of four billion years of life need help.”
Trees are silent sentinels witnessing the passing of generations, as human families are characterised in tree years through parts of the story. In this the pervading power of the natural world is contrasted against the fragile nature of human existence. Our environment has evolved drastically, but we haven’t. We still have many innate animal behaviours that are completely unsuited to the modern world. We are ill adapted to our concrete environments. There’s a reason why we feel a sense of peace and tranquillity when we visit a forest or an open landscape. It’s where we belong.
The need for change is fuelled by a strong undercurrent of scientific progress and academic discovery, but that can only achieve so much. It is the act of storytelling itself that becomes the best tool for change:
“The best arguments in the world won't change a person's mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.”
The book is a heavy hitter. Powers creates a huge cast of characters with overlapping stories in order to bring these themes home. It’s a book that is easy to become lost in but is pulled together by its central and unifying motif of ecological concern. It is a marvellous piece of writing though it is undeniably difficult in places. It is challenging and it will make you think, but most importantly it is best described as a book that drastically wants us to consider how important trees are.
We really need them. We can't survive without them.
__________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________
You could even say that it is a celebration of the natural world and the power she possesses, but that would be a drastic oversimplification. The novel equally explores (but perhaps not celebrates) human nature and our failures to act and care in the face of ecological collapse. So few people are willing to do anything and extend empathy beyond their immediate lives. And here you have the crux of the novel: environmental frustration.
The natural world has called certain people to defend her; they feel compelled to change destructive behaviours: they have been awakened to nature’s desperate plight and they are ready to act positively for much needed change. And they are met with ridicule, greediness and people too ignorant to understand the importance of trees in our lives.
“The most wonderous products of four billion years of life need help.”
Trees are silent sentinels witnessing the passing of generations, as human families are characterised in tree years through parts of the story. In this the pervading power of the natural world is contrasted against the fragile nature of human existence. Our environment has evolved drastically, but we haven’t. We still have many innate animal behaviours that are completely unsuited to the modern world. We are ill adapted to our concrete environments. There’s a reason why we feel a sense of peace and tranquillity when we visit a forest or an open landscape. It’s where we belong.
The need for change is fuelled by a strong undercurrent of scientific progress and academic discovery, but that can only achieve so much. It is the act of storytelling itself that becomes the best tool for change:
“The best arguments in the world won't change a person's mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.”
The book is a heavy hitter. Powers creates a huge cast of characters with overlapping stories in order to bring these themes home. It’s a book that is easy to become lost in but is pulled together by its central and unifying motif of ecological concern. It is a marvellous piece of writing though it is undeniably difficult in places. It is challenging and it will make you think, but most importantly it is best described as a book that drastically wants us to consider how important trees are.
We really need them. We can't survive without them.
__________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________
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Reading Progress
August 5, 2021
–
Started Reading
August 10, 2021
– Shelved
August 10, 2021
– Shelved as:
contemporary-lit
August 10, 2021
– Shelved as:
nature-ecology-enviroment
September 19, 2021
– Shelved as:
5-star-reads
September 19, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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Derrick
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Sep 19, 2021 11:11PM
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Thank you - it seems to be his most critically acclaimed and popular work. I've not read any of his other yet. Might try some more if time permits!
This is similar to Peter Wohlleben's philosophy of appealing to the emotions (something his books are criticized for). He suggests that simple facts and science do not appeal to our sentiments of sympathy and compassion, thus limiting the inspiration for action.