Seeds: One Man's Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees That Inspired Famous American Writers from Faulkner to Kerouac, Welty to Wharton – A Humorous Literary Nature Memoir

by Richard Horan

"Seeds reads like the best of a roundtable discussion amongst John Muir, Bill Bryson, and David Sedaris. From the fields of Gettysburg to the home of Kerouac, Horan takes an unlikely premise and weaves it into a story that's poignant, insightful and unexpectedly humorous. This is more than a book about seeds—it's about literary heroes, forensic forestry, and self-discovery." —Spike Carlsen, author of A Splintered History of Wood The Orchid Thief meets Botany of Desire meets Driving Einstein's Brain in Richard Horan's Seeds , the chronicle of one man's quest to understand the influence and impact of trees in American life and literature—and his mission to collect seeds from the homes of Kerouac, Welty, Wharton, Kesey and twenty other authors, to preserve the literary legacy of American forests for generations to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Writing, Travel, Books About Books, Memoir, Adventure

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2011

About the author

"

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times quite enjoyable, at times very frustrating. Perhaps there was a bit too much serendipity in the quest. I did enjoy learning more about some of this country's famous writer's and their homes but too often that seemed to be upstaged by the author's antics as he gathered the seeds he sought or visited with friends. Instead of being the vehicle for learning more, Horan became the subject. It seemed as though this book wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be nor was Horan sure of his role.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but the author's voice kept getting in the way. Rather than focus on the writers and their homes and surroundings, the focus is on him collecting seeds. At times, the voice is too self-satisfied when a more distant tone was more called for (the Walden Pond episode, for example).

Early on he says that "no trespassing" signs won't stop him, yet later they do; we also get quite a lot on how he responded to the work of Robert Frost, but his personal response to Krishnamurti is not there (we do get quite a bit about his response to Krishnamurti's house and the docent there).

I'm also hoping that his publisher has explored the legalities of his taking seeds from Mount Vernon after it was made clear to him that this was not permitted. And then there's the question of moving seeds from one state to another (if I can't bring firewood from my parent's house 200 miles away, how can he bring seeds - including invasive species - thousands of miles?).

ARC provided by publisher.

[Sarah Joyce Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

*It is important to note that my review is based on the uncorrected proof.

Seeds covers author Richard Horan’s trek across America in an attempt to collect seeds from the trees of some of his favorite authors. When I was first made aware of this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. The concept sounded fascinating. For the most part, it is a great book and provides a lot of interesting information. However, there are some things that are problematic.

The book seems to alternate between two voices – Horan’s personal voice and his more professional journalistic voice that provides the factual information. It gives the narrative a feel of inconsistency. Also, there were numerous times where Horan interrupted the narrative flow and scenes with asides within parentheses that began with: “Later on I learned…” The reader is pulled completely out of scene to be given this unnecessary information and then forced to try and re-assimilate back into the scene. Nearly every sentence contained within parentheses in the book could be deleted without altering it in any way.

Horan frequently described the people he came in contact with in a condescending manner. It is off-putting to the reader. This book would have been much better if Horan had stayed with one voice consistently throughout, preferably the one that stated the facts as they were rather than the one who randomly interjected personal opinion and unnecessary asides. When Horan interjects his personal opinion it feels as if he doesn’t trust the reader to come to the same conclusions as he did. The facts he provides are enough to bring those same feelings to the reader without his personal opinion which can be quite jarring at times. The details Horan gives are also inconsistent throughout the book. Sometimes he provides minute unnecessary details about every single thing that occurred at a particular moment and sometimes he provides details in a way that feels forced and list-like. Other times he doesn’t provide enough detail and leaves the reader to make assumptions.

I did not like the “Back Home” chapters. They were also inconsistent. For example, Horan’s wife joins him at one point and the reader has to assume that he has been home to pick her up, but there is no “Back Home” section prior to her appearing. I understand the purpose of those chapters and their placement, but the information would have been better blended into the already existing chapters or in a separate chapter at the end of the book. I would also have liked to see at least some of the pictures Horan is constantly mentioning in the book. It would have been great if they were dispersed throughout the book or in a section at the end.

All that being said, I loved the information provided in Seeds and taking the journey with Horan. I especially loved his assertion that trees are living, breathing beings that have witnessed historical events long before we were here and – if we stop being so uncaring – will be witnesses to the future long after we are gone. I think it is fascinating that trees have witnessed so much important history, that they keep many secrets we will never know, and that they have served as constant companions to many of our favorite authors. Another aspect that works really well is that it’s clear Horan is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter of which he writes. This adds a level of legitimacy to the book. The reader knows Horan chose to do this because he loves it not just as a stunt to get a book deal.

I read Seeds slowly and was excited to return to it each day to continue on the journey with Horan. I loved learning the history behind some of my most beloved authors. If you can get past the author’s personal opinions and unnecessary asides, I believe you will enjoy reading Seeds too.

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I believe it is easy for a writer to be carried away by his own thoughts and reflections. It was the publisher who should have told Horan when to stop on the personal anecdotes and steer him in the right direction.

The basic idea behind this book was a great one. Since the lifetime of a tree is longer than that of a human’s, Horan’s approach to trees is that they are beings that have relationships with those people who lived around them. Some of these people being great historical people and we can get closer to these greats by getting to know the trees in their life. This is a wonderful concept and I was really enchanted by it. Still am. It gives depth and beauty to the life of a simple tree.

The book follows Horan’s journey as he travels the country visiting different homes of great Americans writers. Once there, he seeks a tree that must have known said person and gathers its seeds. His goal is to have a menagerie of tree-children of the trees that knew great American writers. But the problem with this book is Horan is too preoccupied by his process.

As much as I loved the idea, Horan’s extra personal tidbits (such as getting a screw in his tire and having to drive around town to find a car place to fix the problem but not being able to find a place open, etc. etc.) strayed too far from the point. This would have been a great book if he had spent more time discussing the writers themselves rather than rambling through his own anecdotes or taking up the chapter by describing so-and-so who was traveling with him. In some chapters, he barely discusses the author at all. The book would have benefitted from more insightful reflections about the author and deeper research. For example, rather than only describing what the particular author’s place of residence looks like now, he could have compared what it was like when the author lived there, how the author’s life was then, and then comparing how it has changed since. This would have been more insightful, informative, and enlightening and would have better honored the Americans he clearly wanted to honor.

I appreciated Horan’s easy style of writing, it had a nice flow that kept me reading, but in the end, his own voice got in the way of what could have been a great book. As much as I was interested in the project he was undertaking, I was mostly interested for the authors and their lives, not for his decision to take one highway rather than another.

**I received this book in a First Reads Giveaway

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeds is a lifelong reader's tribute to American authors. For Horan, visiting the author's homes and the places that may have inspired them is a pilgrimage. His account of the trees and landscape that he finds is a special sort of literary travelogue. In many ways, Seeds seems like a book perfect for the author who describes himself as "a transient most of my life, I have a knack for bonding with any given locale. I need only wander around a place for a little while to feel a keen sense of belonging. As a teacher, I've learned that someone's environment has as much to tell us about that person as does his or her friends and family." Sure enough, Horan takes us to some unexpected places.

I particularly enjoyed the account of his visit to L. Frank Baum's childhood home in Northern Syracuse, New York. There is a Wizard of Oz Memorial Oak Grove in North Syracuse where L. Frank Baum had played as a child and was an inspiration for his enchanted forest. A weak and sickly child, Frank spent much of his childhood on his own. At twelve, his family moved to Roselawn Estate in Mattydale, New York. Roselawn was located near the first plank road ever built - a street made entirely of wood, Plank Road was made of hemlock and had an unusual golden color. It was used to transport salt from the nearby lake to southern parts of New York state.

Horan describes the thick woods 2 miles away from the Roselawn Estate which had been owned by friends of the Baum family and is now the Wizard of Oz Memorial Oak Grove. Seven acres in size, it is the most historic old grove in the eastern U.S. Horan comes across a 150 year old giant red oak that is over 100 feet tall and three times the size of a mature oak. Horan describes the plaques on several of the ancient oaks and maples, each with dedications to artists, writers, and people that have changed the world: Walt Disney, Anne Frank, John Lennon, Mahatma Gandhi, William Shakespeare, Martin Luther King,John Lennon, John Muir, Edgar Alan Poe, and L. Frank Baum.

When Horan visits Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald's beautiful old home - which has been transformed into a museum and rental apartments -he writes about the gigantic and majestic pecan tree nearly 100 feet tall and what it must have been like for Fitzgerald working and taking a break by the tree. When he visits to Montgomery, Alabama and the street where Truman Capote and Harper Lee lived, he tells us about the oak that that inspired Boo Radley's tree where he left gifts for Atticus Finch's kids.

When Horan visited Pearl S. Buck's estate, he collected seeds from bamboo and silver maple. He explored the estate, including her grave site. In the description of her home and museum and of the spot in Danby, Vermont, Horan conveys much of Pearl S. Buck and the time in which she lived and wrote. It's difficult to cover Buck's unusual life, particularly through through her possessions and her land. Her books and her life have left a longstanding impact on the world - she lived and described a critical point in China's history. Her books are the best way to know Pearl S. Buck, but hopefully, Horan's visit to her home encourages young people to want to discover her stories.

I found Seeds an unusual and fascinating read.

ISBN-10: 0061861685 - Paperback $14.00
Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (April 19, 2011), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeds is a chronicle of Richard Horan’s journey to gather tree seeds from the homes of the authors, philosophers, and social figures who’ve inspired his life. His journey offers snapshots of the lives of fascinating artists and places, as well as an inspired and conscientious message of the value of our tall, green companions.
Seeds introduces us to the small towns, bustling city streets, and reclusive country homes that artists like Kerouac, Baum, Miller, Thoreau, and Jackson once resided in. I was also fascinated to learn about non-literary figures and inspirational locations as well, such as the philosopher Krishnamurti and the artists’ retreat Yaddo. What makes this book thoroughly readable though is Horan’s ability to paint vivid pictures of the places (and the history of those places) that he visited, as well as of the colorful ensemble of friends and relatives who accompany him, and of the characters whom he encounters on his journey.
There is a quote from Horan (and I wished I had followed my inclination to mark it!) in which he asks himself something to the effect of: How can I possibly capture the heart of this journey in words? Horan realizes his ambition by inviting the reader along for an adventurous ride across the U.S. in which we see the sights, hear his thoughts, sit in on his conversations; in essence, experience the journey ourselves.
As a fellow lover of both trees and literature, I fervently enjoyed this book. Horan recalls early on a time when he visited his old elementary school and was drawn to the trees he had played in as a child. He says, “I parked the car and entered the four-acre woods. Nothing had changed but me. Standing there beholding the same wonderful trees of my childhood, I felt a glow of belonging, of embrace” (13). His words caused me to realize just how passionate I am about the trees of my past, of how much I value and cherish trees in general, of how I can stare at them for hours, full of peace. I also found his ruminations on the authors and figures he chose quite fascinating. It’s given me a deeper appreciation for many of the works of literature that I treasure so. I found Horan to be a delightful host to this colorful journey. He and his traveling companions are thoroughly likeable, and offer up some poignant conversations and insights. Furthermore, I enjoyed this book b/c it reminds me of the vacations that my own family takes, in which we find much more delight In searching out natural beauty and historic places rather than frying on a piece of sand eating trans-fatty junk and rotting our brains with chick-and-dick-lit.
I hope the others will read this book and discover the heart of it as I did. I recommend this book for fellow lovers of literature, nature, and all things meaningful.
P.S. This was a “first-reads” book. Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to preview such an exciting work! Thank you Goodreads for your fabulous giveaways!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published by Harper Perennial of Harper Collins Publishing in New York, “Seeds” by Richard Horan describes one man’s inspired journey to collect seeds from trees that existed during the lifetimes of literary and historical figures of great importance.

Beginning with Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain and William Faulkner, Horan describes not only the natural surroundings of the land on which these historic giants once inhabited, but offers personal details of the people as well.

Throughout the course of the book, Horan travels to the childhood home of Muhammad Ali, as well as to visit the trees among which John Muir first began penning his words in defense of the natural world. He hikes around Walden Pond while pondering the work of Henry David Thoreau and contemplates the poetry of Robert Frost while walking among the woods which inspired his poetic lyricism.

In total, Horan travels to over forty locations describing the natural elements in connection with events such as Gettysburg, and people such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Jack Kerouac, Eudora Welty and Hellen Keller. Horan’s arboreal knowledge is both refreshing and inspiring, as are the details he writes concerning the very figures which have inspired his personal journey, as well as his career. The accounts of the often leery, sometimes helpful individuals Horan met whilst rummaging through mulch and undergrowth in search of sugar maple keys, catalpa seedpods and acorns was often rather funny.

The writing style is quite relaxed, making the reader feel as though one is sitting down over tea listening to the author recount his experiences while traveling. The author provides personal details of both himself and his family, which can be rather amusing or distracting depending on whether the reader has experienced similar circumstances.

For more book reviews, please visit www.theornamentedline.wordpress.com.
Horan’s honest and open-booked approach, however, lends itself well to readers with limited knowledge of tree and plant species. At no time does Horan talk down to his reader, rather his excitement and fascination with literature, history and the environment are inviting and inspiring.

Just as Horan describes the scenery at each location, so too does he give you an honest and at times, critical view of the museums and home tours set up at the homes of those figures deemed important enough to have foundations in place to preserve their legacies. Horan often describes his waning interest in the home tours, or the manner in which a historical site has been, in his opinion ill-preserved.

Certainly “Seeds” will inspire many to pick up new or old copies by the authors featured throughout Horan’s work. Whether his readers are inspired enough to plan their own journey, or wish to live vicariously through Horan’s words, his readers will also begin collecting their own seeds of knowledge.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

If "writing a book is like climbing Mt. Everest," as the author remarks in his acknowledgements, then the tiny fragment of us who have actually experienced the world's highest mountain top can nod our heads in approval. This may or may not include Horan himself. Horan may not have witnessed the life cycles and growth habits of many of the trees he visits in his book, and he may not have delved very deeply into researching the famous folks he talks about, but one thing is for certain: he successfully fills many baggies full of tree seeds to take home.

Horan's goal, as it seems, is less about gathering information and experience on trees and people than it is about taking something from them (the seeds) for himself. The self-proclaimed postcard nut, who wishes there was a tree that grew postcards instead of seeds so that he could name it after himself, stops at almost nothing to collect seeds. (Albeit, he does stop at the gift shop on occasion.)While scouring the forest floor with a golf club, looking for acorns in March, he explains "I had chosen a seven iron because I figured a seven would give me enough angle and leverage to slice into the leaves..."

On another occasion, "Doing what I was doing- gathering eucalyptus seeds for planting-would have been considered tantamount to arson in some Californian communities. In no time my baggy was full, and we were walking slowly across the grounds..."

As if his consideration for the ecosystems he tours is not lacking enough, he also spreads misinformation about trees themselves: "And because sycamore is the only common tree (along with field maple and lime) with insect-pollinated flowers, it is a vital source of pollen and nectar for bees- and a major allergy season irritant." Thousands of tree species,some of them major food crops, rely on insects for pollination. Furthermore, it is not these species but the ones that rely on wind for pollination which cause allergy irritation.

Horan gives the same loose regard to the people in his book. It's no surprise that he is always disappointed when he sees a park ranger without a quintessential wide-brim hat, or when he is less entertained by a tour of Thomas Jefferson's estate than by watching an HBO sitcom in his car in the parking lot.

What is surprising is that in the end, Horan is able to grow the seeds into seedlings. He also makes a connection with someone who is genuinely interested in raising them to create an arboretum. Though his book was not a great read, Horan's quest seemed to end in some degree of success.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

ah, author horan has a brilliant idea to travel to important writers in the usa and collect seeds/nuts from the trees that could have touched the lives of those living by them. his #1 target were mature trees when the author lived in the house, so at melville's house in pittsfield mass. 1850-1863 he finds some huge white pines (and he thinks perhaps they were planted by melville, but alas, it's just a passing thought and horan does not delve into the the siviculture of the thing, like why white pines?, how big are they now?, could melville have planted them?, if not who did? or were they natural? how well did his seeds germinate? did he get some saplings and if so where did they get planted?, all these questions are glossed over as horan relates more about the moments he is in melville's yard, what he did in the yard, and a bit about melville and his writings)
so, not a bad book, a cool idea really, but i wish he'd written a different one. fun though and i learned some things about important writers.
note: horan's wife DID find a american chestnut nut at melville's house which is pretty exciting, even if the tree was devastated by disease, it was still making fruit. a fast read and has a website ongoing because other people are intrigued by the ideas in book and want to carry on, collecting and planting new trees.

also, he does have a nice little bibliography and fun other stuff in the back of the book like author houses he didn't get to visit and an interview with betty smith's daughter and tree quotes

opps, web site seems quiescent http://www.literaryseeds.com/

[Petrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan gave me this book and it was a perfect fit for me--a book about plants and American writers. The author undertook various journeys to visit the homes and writing places of a number of authors--and to collect seeds from the trees growing on site or nearby. He imagines the various writers being influenced by the trees they looked at, sat under, and possibly even planted. He also threw in a few Jazz musicians and historical people such as Washington and Jefferson for good measure.

He visited some authors I have loved, some I haven't read, and some I think In should read now. The ongoing mystery is "what is he going to do with all the seedlings he is growing in milk cartons and pots all over the house?" Nice thread of tension. It was also interesting to discover that he was a ADD or ADHD child who went on to become a college professor and writer, as well as a lover of trees, and literature. I'm all for success stories!

As Brian would say, "Great book for people who like to read boring books." No gun fights, sword fights or car chases, but nice observations, and illustrations of the seeds of various trees.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this seemingly interesting project of collecting seeds from trees associated with famous American authors. His prologue seemed very respectful of trees, which are one of my favorite lifeforms. After all, Horan is an English teacher, book reviewer, etc.

However, as I began to notice, the book is more about HIM than the seeds OR the authors. Plus many of the seedlings from the seeds simply died since he didn't know what to do with them. If Brian Sayers, president of the New York State Arborists, had not taken over what was left of the collection, I'm wondering if Horan could even have had this book published.

Certainly he deserves credit for gathering the seeds, a journey that takes him all over America. But when he gets arrested for trespassing at Helen Keller's house, once again the focus is totally on him.

I do believe he meant to honor the writers chosen--but the book gives a very shallow view of the writers AND the trees, concentrating on his collecting of the seeds without any real grasp of what GROWING those seeds would entail.

[Dona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cool idea for a book--in fact, wish I'd thought of it first. Travel around the United States, visiting homes and other sites that were once associated with famous authors and collect seeds from foliage that was probably around during the authors' lifetimes. Then germinate and plant the seeds yourself, creating a kind of tribute forest. But Richard Horan is a total cheeseball. He's got that high school teacher earnestness going on. (I know because I sheepishly recognized it in myself as I was reading.) He actually wrote this kind of gushing fan fiction paragraph in the style of Kerouac at the end of one of his chapters, "I"ll think of Jack Keroauc, youhng Jack Keoruac, with a football under his arm, a rucksack on his back, and the holy glow of a saint." Um, this is the kind of stuff I might write in my journal and then burn or put in a lock box for no one else but me to revisit, not actually try to have published. Even his ponytailed dust jacket picture, taken by his daughter, says, "Hey, don't take me seriously!"

[Yvensong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I got pretty much what I expected from the book. Some fun antidotes about his travels, interesting tidbits about the people and/or area that he visited, and information about the trees that he harvested seeds from. On the whole, I enjoyed the journey with him with one exception. There were moments when he seemed a bit condescending toward some of the people he met up with, which rubbed me the wrong way, and robbed me of full enjoyment of the journey.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a horticulturist, and I enjoy reading, this book was a real gift for me. The incongruity of the project seemed a stretch throughout the book. But the author kept at it, visiting the homes or locations where primarily authors got their inspiration by living near a special tree. Horan took bits of the soil in order to root the seeds. The project at home must have been daunting! Who has room for a forest in little containers? There's just so much windowsill space! I won't spoil it by revealing the end. You'll have to read this wonderful book. I loved it and didn't want it to end.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I am a tree lover AND a book lover, this book intrigued me. It is one man's quest to collect seeds from trees of famous writers (and some musicians and others) homes. He travels across the country to do this and tries to capture the feeling the writer must have felt growing up in their homes with these trees. Along the way he tells great little stories about the authors and about the trees.

A nice little book.

[Christine Bowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a writer, reader, and pagan I picked up this book with unbridled interest, and while it was not everything that I expected, it was still a great read. I was able to enjoy this while on my vacation traveling from TX to Cali and often found myself looking up into the trees with curiousity and wonder after finishing each new chapter. This book has given me ideas of my own and I look forward to utilizing his list of places to go for seeds!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The spirit of this book is right up my alley, as the author searches for tangible connections to writers (and a few historic figures/places) who've touched his life. I would say this is not just a work of literature, but also a lifelong project. I learned a lot about the lives of these authors and that I need to read more!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book was the conversation at the end of the book with Betty Smith's daughter. Any reader who is sentimental about "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" would enjoy this part.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. It made me happy. So I'm giving it 5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. I envy his project.

[william gentilesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

A quest to preserve a slice of american history well told. Enjoyed reading . A persistent sense of vanishing Americana..

[AzuLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great !! It is truly inspirational . This man is a awesome author makes you understand life. To pick up after yourself for the respect of the whole universe. Also, he is reminding you who is the oldest of us, the tress and how important is to plant seeds and be nice to mother nature. He takes you back in time to all those relics, the art from all the spiritual authors like himself! He also makes it cool to just go! And travel. True genius! God bless Richard Horan...

[Molly L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great idea! I found the beginning more imaginative and the end felt repetitive. I will check out the website, though.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea for the book was great, although the title is inaccuarate. It isn't really about trees that inspired famous writers, it is about trees somehow associated with those writers, and other famous historical figures. The trees might be on the property where the person's home was located, for example. Still, it is quite enjoyable to visit those places and to think about the idea that trees that live for a hundred or more years become witnesses to a lot of history. He made interesting selections and the geographical locations and types of trees are nicely varied.

There are many negatives, though. Horan can be very annoying and reading about the antics of him and some of his friends with odd nicknames (Mothballhead, Day-by-Dave, the Colonel) is uninteresting. He must have missed the part of creative writing class where the students are told to "show, not tell" because he states a lot of conclusions without describing how those conclusions were reached. For example, Louis Armstrong is the greatest musician of all time, and Flannery O'Connor is the best damned short story ever. His prose rarely approaches the levels of the writers who are being described. I thought that he threw around terms like "sacred" and "saint" a bit too freely.

He also seemed remarkably unprepared for his project and apparently did very little research before setting out on his journeys. He gets to a town and then blunders around to find a writer's house, or he shows up at a museum after it has closed, or he arrives to gather seeds at a time of year when there are no seeds to gather.

I grew tired of hearing about his teaching experiences and his ponytail, and his opinions were not interesting or particularly insightful. I agree with the other reviewers that this fascinating subject would have been more enjoyable if it had been explored by a better writer.

[Anubis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Horan's book is a fascinating read and his dedication to preserving history by collecting seeds of the trees associated with great writers or famous people and events is admirable. I could have done without some of the asides, which were at times distracting, but for the most part I enjoyed his writing style. However, I couldn't quite understand why he took such offense at having to pay the occasional entrance fee or take a tour of the various estates before collecting the seeds that hold his whole narrative together. While nobody would ever assume Horan's going to make a fortune from this book (and yes, sometimes entrance fees for museums can be a bit steep), this was supposed to be a journey of love and he certainly could have given a bit more credit to the men and women who maintain the grounds and preserve the legacy of the people he comes to honor. He has so many disparaging things to say about some of the museums, but it is because of preservation societies and dedicated individuals that many of these places (and trees) haven't been destroyed by neglect or development. Although I found myself inspired by the book, by the end it felt like it was less a labor of love than a burden for Horan (for instance, he visited the home of William S. Burroughs, a writer he didn't seem fond of but was obligated to visit because Burroughs is in the canon). Thankfully, his project will continue through an online community, allowing it to become a more complete, rounded work that I look forward to reading.

[Sara Habein · Rating 2 out of 5]

(This is one of those times I wish I had half-stars because this is more of a 2.5)

I'm with Horan on the interesting nature of his project, and the potential it has for reforesting the descendants of old trees, as well as reminding us that some moments cannot be contained to a "sterile" museum. However, I wish Seeds were a better book. He needed to either go the straight history route, or — as I suspect straight history would be difficult for him to write — he needed to be more complete with the memoir side of his project. Though he says that these people were important to him, we don't know a lot about why. Bits and pieces, sure, but like I said, it's all very on the surface. I know what it's like to be engrossed in a fun, personal project, and so I want to know all that very personal stuff. So it's not that Seeds is a bad concept for a book; it's that I wished the approach and execution were different. As it stands, it is a decent library check-out, but likely a disappointing purchase.

(My full review appears on Glorified Love Letters)

[Julie]

This book was a great idea that failed to reach its potential. It was over-written, and his descriptions of some of the places made it seem like he'd never read the authors' books. It was particularly sad to me when he misrepresented a place I knew and loved. I really wanted this to be a better book than it was.

[Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book would be more on what trees inspired the famous authors, instead the book became more about the author and his quest. I actually found that I was more interested in the story of the quest over the famous authors, but still only mildly so. I did enjoy they way this book ended so keep plugging along until you get to the end.

[Sherry]

I received my First Reads giveaway copy in the mail this week. Being one who loves trees, I feel a profound influence in my own life from the trees that have surrounded my living. I am very interested to read what Richard Horan has to say.