What do you think?
Rate this book
野果：183種果實踏查，梭羅用最後十年光陰獻給野果的小情歌
只有上帝才能讓草莓變得更完美， 但上帝也沒有這麼做， 因為草莓已經很完美了。 梭羅用生命最後十年光陰 獻給野果的小情歌 ＊逝世137年後，大師之作重見天日 ＊中文版精心繪製7張滿版插圖，與46張珍貴黑白圖 1851年春，梭羅以表格列出每一季要觀察的植物和自然現象，他閱讀植物學家的著作，師法自然觀察技術，展開他長期的記錄，梭羅曾說：「我的天職就是不斷在大自然中發現上帝的存在。」1859年秋，梭羅提筆開始寫《野果》，然而臨終前仍未能完成野果的調查工作。 這本書從一年的五月雪融開春為始，到十一月寒冷冰凍來臨前，共收錄183種北美野果，從花期、結果日、成熟期，地理分布、姿態樣貌，及至各類昆蟲、魚鳥與植物間的自然關係，更重要的，還有那果實滋味，他都娓娓道來。 梭羅與野果共舞十年，若不是肺病早逝，恐怕要付諸一生。梭羅在書中不做《湖濱散記》的哲人，而化身成和藹細心的田野踏查者，有著豐富知識又識得情趣的植物學家。梭羅關注的雖是生長於北美新英格蘭區的果實，然而透過他對果實的研究，感受他所投入的漫長時間，感受到他的柔軟，與對大地的濃濃愛意。 什麼ą
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1999
20 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 19, 2014
As with everything I've read by Thoreau, this book is extremely rich with profound meaning. Filled with quips, digressions, and observations all worth their weight in gold, Thoreau uses this book to expound on an idea he defends elsewhere in "Walking" - that of going out into the world, unencumbered by idle thoughts, and simply living in it. Tasting its fruit, observing its patterns, and drinking it all up gratefully. It's hard to express how Thoreau does this so beautifully, but he does, every time. After Walden this is my favorite work of his.
December 5, 2015
If all you know about Thoreau is Civil Disobedience and Walden Pond, you may be in for a surprise. This book contains numerous examples of Thoreau’s expertise as an observer, naturalist, environmentalist, and advocate of forest preservation. “Wild Fruits” was transcribed, from a bale of Thoreau’s papers, by Bradley Dean. Reproductions of a few pages of Thoreau’s handwritten manuscript are included to show the horrible handwriting that had to be deciphered.
Here’s a couple of “takes” from the volume:
• Biting into a wild November apple, expecting it to have a rich taste, Thoreau finds it “sour enough to set a squirrel’s teeth on edge and make a jay scream.”
• Climbing a “small” 20-foot white pine, intending to collect cones, Thoreau’s hands are covered with pitch from the cones. He wonders how squirrels keep their paws and whiskers clean when they gnaw the cones. Elsewhere in the book, Thoreau describes rubbing bayberries between his hands to clean off the pitch.
Over a number of years (1852-1860), Thoreau kept meticulous phenological records of the dates of many plants’ yearly progress – leafing, flowering, fruiting and seeding. Fast-forward to our own century; Richard Primack, Abraham Miller-Rushing, Becca Stadtlander, Caroline Polgar, and Amanda Gallinat have collaborated on studies comparing Thoreau’s average dates with those of known vegetation in the Concord area. Findings: (1) Since Thoreau’s time a substantial amount of native plants in Concord have either disappeared or become rare; (2) In comparison to 2004-2012, average dates are 11 days earlier (caused in part by Climate Change, increased pavement and citification, pollution, and increased deer population); (3) Leaf-out of 43 woody plants that were compared in 2009-2013 averaged 18 days earlier than in Thoreau’s observations.
Here’s a couple of “takes” from the volume:
• Biting into a wild November apple, expecting it to have a rich taste, Thoreau finds it “sour enough to set a squirrel’s teeth on edge and make a jay scream.”
• Climbing a “small” 20-foot white pine, intending to collect cones, Thoreau’s hands are covered with pitch from the cones. He wonders how squirrels keep their paws and whiskers clean when they gnaw the cones. Elsewhere in the book, Thoreau describes rubbing bayberries between his hands to clean off the pitch.
Over a number of years (1852-1860), Thoreau kept meticulous phenological records of the dates of many plants’ yearly progress – leafing, flowering, fruiting and seeding. Fast-forward to our own century; Richard Primack, Abraham Miller-Rushing, Becca Stadtlander, Caroline Polgar, and Amanda Gallinat have collaborated on studies comparing Thoreau’s average dates with those of known vegetation in the Concord area. Findings: (1) Since Thoreau’s time a substantial amount of native plants in Concord have either disappeared or become rare; (2) In comparison to 2004-2012, average dates are 11 days earlier (caused in part by Climate Change, increased pavement and citification, pollution, and increased deer population); (3) Leaf-out of 43 woody plants that were compared in 2009-2013 averaged 18 days earlier than in Thoreau’s observations.
October 2, 2008
I received this book as a gift(2004)from a mentor/co-worker while teaching at GHS. She reveled in my love of the outdoors down to the very last leaf and/or berry. This book travels with me throughout the year. The binding is now broken,pages are dirty and the margins filled with notes,thoughts,ideas, etc.
December 15, 2020
植物真惹人愛。讀書時我差點忘卻自己身處石屎森林，簡直按捺不住出門在林間草間遊蕩的衝動。於是真的在上週末帶著書去草原，把藍色、白色和綠色盛滿了眼眶。 梭羅熱愛大自然，他不斷地提醒讀者：大自然給了我們如此多的餽贈，如果不去觀察、去採摘、去品嘗，那我們就像闖進花園的公牛一樣，暴殄天物。他的萬物平等理念也貫穿始終，使讀者深受感染：懂得尊重任何他者的生命，會讓人更熱愛自己的生命。 【挑刺】長長的副標題、後勒口上的賣點提煉、圖書簡介的文案撰寫，配上美麗的封面設計及插畫，這本書的包裝在吸引當代讀者上做到了極致。只是遠離了這本書最重要的氣質：梭羅對大自然的敬愛。 20823
Read
July 17, 2014A catalog of when he saw each plant flower, in successive years, I just couldn't make it through this one....
Read
September 20, 2021Well-written. Hilarious in his extreme idealism.
Read
October 29, 2023This is now a perpetual enjoyment. Definitely something I wish I had read to my kids.
November 1, 2013
Wild Fruits Thoreau's Rediscovered Last Manuscript
1850's This lost manuscript is mostly about Thoreau and his time studying the plants he lives near.
Everything from when they first come out in the spring, the crop they produce and the taste and the history of the plant itself and how it was used in the past.
Wish I had the actual book as it might come with pictures of the actual plants that I could then identify here locally but this is a book on tape.
1850's This lost manuscript is mostly about Thoreau and his time studying the plants he lives near.
Everything from when they first come out in the spring, the crop they produce and the taste and the history of the plant itself and how it was used in the past.
Wish I had the actual book as it might come with pictures of the actual plants that I could then identify here locally but this is a book on tape.
January 8, 2015
I love historical botany and botanical histories. It was really fun to read him describing his observations of places I'd been to in New England, as well as read his descriptions of plants I myself often find in the forest. Also, this manuscript is full of historical phenological observations - notes on which plants bloomed when, how much, in what year. Beyond the plants, he also says brilliant things about nature and humanity that we can still relate to
November 20, 2007
a field guide more than anything, though it does contain some little story and folklore snippets.
December 15, 2008
Thoreau's notes on edible wild foods (mostly fruit)and seeds. Interesting details...
When I lived on a farm, I kept notes like these about both the wild and cultivated plants.
When I lived on a farm, I kept notes like these about both the wild and cultivated plants.
Read
November 14, 2015(only half!)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews