A Year on the Wild Side

by Briony Penn

A Year on the Wild Side is a witty ""social and natural history comedy"" written by Briony Penn, writer, illustrator and lecturer, with a Ph.D. in geography. It's composed of 52 essays arranged in 12 monthly chapters (ex. in August you'll read about which berries are ripening on the west coast). This engaging book reveals the magic and humour of the natural world and reminds us of our place in it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Essays, Canada, Natural History

178 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Martha☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been working on this book for about a year which I believe is the way it is meant to be read. Presented in a month-by-month almanac fashion, Penn writes each article about something that is happening during each month on the West Coast. Each article is just a short 2 page chapter featuring oysters or moss or octopi or salal. Living on Vancouver Island and being outdoors most of the time, I began to look for and notice many of the things which I had read about earlier that month. The Pacific Chorus Frog article appears in the March chapter since that is when their songs begin and quickly become deafening! The pollinators are featured in June since they are in abundance then. It has been fun to play along and pay closer attention to the flora and fauna as each has its turn to shine.
But Penn has an awkward way about her writing. It seems that she tries to make her subject more interesting by somehow linking it to pop culture or current events. She tries too hard. Often a metaphor is stretched so far that it gets lost or the humour she tries to share falls flat. Often it felt like I had to wade through her convoluted connections to get to the point. Any guesses about which native species the following first line is introducing??

When Groucho Marx composed a letter to the writer T.S Eliot in London to thank him for sending an autographed portrait, he hit the paper with his pen singing. "Dear Tom," he wrote, "I had no idea you were so handsome. Why haven't you been offered the lead in some sexy movie?"

Well, it's the Frilled Anemone, don't you know. She spends the rest of the article trying to dig herself out of that first paragraph, sadly losing readers with every word.
But the illustrations are incredible, filled with scientific details and notations and even next box construction plans, where applicable. The scientific knowledge is communicated in layman's terms, making you feel that you could really tell the difference between 5 different types of Sedum. And, above all, she gives a strong dose of the human impact on so many of these species and makes you aware of the challenges presented to each of these creatures.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful drawing accompany these short musings on the local flora and fauna of the area surrounding the Salish Sea (that's lower coastal British Columbia and upper Washington State). Each of her essays have an environmental bent and are often playful and philosophical.

[Kurtis]

It’s time to admit that I’m not reading this anymore, with it not being a daily, ritualizable read, I keep falling behind and I think it’s just going to be one of those ones to have handy and read from the current month type of book. It’s really nice, clever story telling.

[Colton Hornstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at random, mostly over the subtitle "A west coast naturalist's almanac", and flipping through the pages. Briony has a gorgeous nature-scientist style of illustrating, and the book is separated by month so you can see specific times of years and check out what's going on outside in the animal world.

What I didn't know/realize is that Briony is a famous eco-activist, and nearly every story has a tongue-in-cheek (or straight up abrasive) allegory to environmental politics, not just cool local animals and what they're up to. This book isn't exactly what I thought it would be, or wanted it to be, but I can't blame the book for that!

Overall it was really good, and the ones that are more lifestlye than politics are really good. I'd strongly suggest against reading it like I did - from front to back - and instead just pick it up on the first day of each month and read through what's going on this month, what to look out for.

Worth it for the illustrations alone, just be prepared for a slog if you read it cover to cover!

[Pippa Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book - one to have by your side as you join the author reflecting on life in and around the Salish Sea, through all twelve months of the year. It’s actually a compilation of articles written by the author, funny as well as factual, and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations.

[Akimbo1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading one chapter a day, this was my adult-oriented bedtime storybook that filled my mind and my heart with wondrous images and antics of the plants and wildlife in Vancouver Island's forests and oceans. Written and illustrated by Ms Penn.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love some of the essays in this book, although it did wander somewhat.

[Mary-Anne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a delightful book. I loved it so much I bought one for my sister too.

[Viki Sonntag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful book of short natural history essays (Originally written as a newspaper column), beautifully illustrated, with an imaginative hook to every essay, and lots of good humor.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great compilation of essays detailing the animals and natural events occurring, organized by month, in British Columbia.