Caught in Fading Light: Mountain Lions, Zen Masters, and Wild Nature

by Gary Thorp

A personal exploration of wildness, territory, and the elusive nature of our lives In this concise, richly contemplative book, Gary Thorp records his singularquest to see a mountain lion, or cougar―the "cat of one color"― in the wild hills and mountains of northern California, where he lives. Using the traditional form of Japanese writing known as nikki bungaku (literary diary), Thorp recounts his meditations and adventures, from taking a one-day class on tracking animals, to visiting a mountain lion in the zoo, to his numerous forays into the hills during the day and night. The pursuit of one thing invariably leads him to discover many The tracks of a solitary mountain lion, for example, evoke a marvelous world of photographic imagery, literary events, dancing foxes, ocean voyages, and blind poets, all gathered together just beyond the limits of human vision. Thorp explores what it means to seek something you might not find and ponders the difference between seeing only darkness and being blind, offering as well bright glimpses into the Zen tradition. Combining an elusive and challenging pursuit with a centuries-old way of uncovering life's ultimate answers, Caught in Fading Light will give readers a new way of seeing, and will captivate nature lovers and Zen practitioners alike.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Zen

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so poorly written that I couldn't finish it. At the sentence level, the prose is not great, but nor is it terrible, however reading paragraphs is where it all falls apart. The ideas just don't hang together from one sentence to the next eg. "And, somehow, thoughts of mountain lions obliquely led me to a consideration of the fine arts of Japan." Wait, what? Although at least in this example the author acknowledges his segue. Generally he just marches from binoculars to learning to Gary Snyder to cougar biology without even taking a breath. Beyond that, very few of the chapters have any narrative structure and the book doesn't hold together at all. If you threw all the chapters up in the air and placed them in the book as they fell, it wouldn't lose anything in cohesion. The ideas are trite eg. "Part of the delight of looking for something is not knowing when it might turn up," and the very few interesting ones are introduced with so little context you might as well be reading fortune cookies

Also, don't be fooled by the title of the book into expecting some sort of tense climax with the cougar finally caught in fading light, or the author caught in fading light. There's no fading light at all except the gradual loss of the will to live as you read, "I remembered, then, another story..." for the hundredth time.

[Hippiemom · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a struggle to finish this book. Pretentious as well as dull.

[Gary Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let my three-star review deter you. This is an interesting and entertaining read. The modest rating is due to two things: its brevity and the fact that I don't think I really learned anything new about either mountain lions or zen. But this journal of his quest to see one of these elusive creatures in Northern California is worth the quick read despite its shortcomings.

[Amanda Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting way of trying to find a wild cat in the hills of California. Zen and mindfulness is also discussed, one slight criticism is the lack of any photos in the book.

[John Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous exploration of what it means to search for something, and how searching for one thing can change your perspective on everything else you do. The book explores metaphysical, natural and personal phenomena in journal entries that are mesmerizingly trim and poetic without being presumptuous. Lots of "Zen journals" and "books of exploration" aim for this mark and don't come close. Read one that gets it all right, and leaves you feeling grateful to Gary Thorp for taking us with him.

[Cecil Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Thorp's little book on his quest to see a mountain lion in his own backyard in California has been one of my favorite reads in a number of years. Not only is an extended meditation on the elusive cat, but it is at once an example of Zen practice in action, a consideration of our place in nature, and really just a piece of good writing. Highl recommended.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just started reading this book and I find myself drawn into the readers quest to find meaning in his life through his search and understanding of the mountain lion. I come back to this book every year to reread and to understand my own life better.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great meditative work on striving for what you may never reach. Well written, and even better to read if you're visiting the northern California coast!

[Lizanne Whitlow]

Mountain lions.

[Rick Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read book about one man's efforts to see a mountain lion. Along the way, the goal changed from a concrete, observational one to a more nuanced, philosophical one. Provocative reading.

[Gail Kennon]

interesting.