Circle of the Seasons

by Edwin Way Teale

Shares the author's daily observations of nature over the course of a year, and includes explanations of natural phenomena

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science Nature, Science

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Edwin Way Teale was an American naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Teale's works serve as primary source material documenting environmental conditions across North America from 1930 - 1980. He is perhaps best known for his series The American Seasons, four books documenting over 75,000 miles (121,000 km) of automobile travel across North America following the changing seasons.

Reviews

[ladydusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this in 2022. I had gotten a little behind over the last couple of weeks, so today I caught up and just finished it. In general, this is pretty sciency for my reading, but I'm glad I added some nature reading to my Mother's Morning Basket time and am looking forward to another selection in 2023. There were general passages and profound ones here. Things to think and things to shrug off, but always written in an engaging fashion.

His Milburn Pond is similar enough in many ways to my Delaware Ohio for when flowers bloom and birds arrive and squirrels attack my bird feeder that the commonalities were delightful most days.

Definitely recommend.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book! The author is a naturalist who writes about his observations of the natural world around him, drifting at times into poetic and philosophic musings about the world. I admire his ability to walk and sit and simply watch nature in real time. I hope to do this myself someday, if I can relax enough!

The book is written like a journal, with an entry for each day of the year. Dempsey and I read it together in conjunction with the school calendar's year, starting in September and ending in August. Thus, we got a rather different feel than was intended by the book. But to give you a taste, here is a quote from the December 31 entry: "Conditions of life change overnight. The thing we see today, tomorrow is not. But in the endless repetitions of nature--in the recurrence of spring, in the lush new growths that replace the old, in the coming of new birds to sing the ancient songs, in the continuity of life and the web of the living--here we find the solid foundation that, on this earth, underlies at once the past, the present, and the future."

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Teale has transported me into the microscopic world of insects, provided the human-eye view of his gardens and swamps and fields, and opened my own levels of observation. As with his four-seasons series and other books, this journal of natural observations is a delight. Teale writes so well and so descriptively, the reader cannot but help to get caught in the cycle of nature that he presents adn be intrigued by the same questions. After nearly 60 years, this book is still a wonder.

[Rachel Snowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started last fall and read keeping up with the daily entries to cycle around the year, and it was an absolute delight added into my morning routines! I really enjoy Teale and the clear wonder and delight that comes through in his lovely nature writing!

[Shelby Heikkinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing about the observations throughout a calendar year in Maine. I liked how relaxing the books was but I am not sure I'd read it again.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journey into SummerAutumn Across AmericaWandering Through Winter A Naturalist's Record of a 20,000-Mile Journey Through the North American WinterA Conscious Stillness Two Naturalists on Thoreau's RiversDune Boy The Early Years of a Naturalist

[ccoelophysis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So quotable! And makes you want to get outside every day. Similar to Sand County Almanac. Those were different times...when people actually found the time to write in a diary every single day (even while on vacation!).

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this delightful book the nature descriptions and the adventure of traveling the US with the seasons