Final Impressions: Remembering, by Wendell Berry – June 2024 > Likes and Comments

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I liked this this a lot more than the first of the Port Williams books. The speech on farming is wonderful.

I agree Sam, it was a wonderful speech, but his voice was just a drop in the bucket. Most of Berry's non-fiction essays are along the same lines. He advocates finding your own spot of earth and being a good steward of that. I thought his visit to the Amish farmer highlighted his philosophy very well.

I am with you both, Sam and Diane. Andy’s speech was something else. The visit to the Amish farmer after the mechanized farmer collecting all the land around him was poignant. I could feel Andy/Berry’s lament for the land and old ways very much in this slim novel.

Wendell Berry is a poet, an essayist, a novelist, an educator, and a farmer. He really used all of these skills in writing this short novel. His prose is very lyrical, especially in the sections when Andy is remembering his younger days. Andy acts as a mouthpiece for Berry's opinions about farming and the loss of community in the modern world.

The book was very dark since Andy was struggling with the loss of his dominant hand. His wife had good advice when she said that he had to forgive himself before he could start to heal emotionally.

Since Andy is representative of Berry himself, I wonder what the loss of his right hand signified in Berry's own life. The loss of the farming lifestyle maybe?

Diane wrote: "Since Andy is representative of Berry himself, I wonder what the loss of his right hand signified in Berry's own life. The loss of the farming lifestyle maybe?"

It might also show the sacrifices and dangers that are inherent in farming, and the strong community that gets behind Andy and helps him. How many of us would be willing to be tied to a farm 365 days a year because the cows needed to be milked and the animals needed feeding twice daily? Would we have the strength to harvest the crops for 12 hours under the hot August sun? Would we be willing to pull our children out of school in the spring and fall because we needed their help? There's a lot of sacrifice for little personal gain so the farmers have to love what they are doing.

Great point Connie. Less and less are willing to do that, more family farms are falling to the big conglomerates.

Just finished. The depression in the beginning was tough, but written so well to grasp Andy’s state of mind. Growing up on a farm, the scenes of the “modern” farm and the Amish farmer resonated so much. I live in a city now - couldn’t wait to leave the farm for the city - and now can’t wait to get to the very small town and rural area where we are building a home. I believe growing up in the farm instilled a love and peace I get with nature that I am gravitating back to. So that part of the book really resonated. I am a bit confused at the ending - but find myself wanting to learn more about the characters of Port William.

I believe the last chapter and ending scene were Berry's expression of what heaven means to him. Going back to the earth and seeing all his loved friends and family. This book can be better appreciated if read after some of his other Port William books, because they do become like family to the reader.

I liked the dark beginning. You have to show the "crack" in something before, as Leonard Cohen put it, you show "how the light gets in."

I liked his description, toward the end, of Andy's falling in love with his wife. And his realization of the importance of trust in all the work and lives that were important to him. I sort of wished that Barry would've shown him with his wife at the end so Andy could see her abiding trust in him, and in his, her's, and their, love.

This was my first Wendell Barry book. I think, the next thing I'll read of his will be some of his essays.

This is a bit of a strange place to start with Wendell Berry, Randall. Most of his books can be read in any order, but this one almost begs to be read last. I hope you will try one of the earlier ones and fall deeply in love with all his characters, as I did. Jayber Crow is a terrific place to get the full impact of his writing!

I totally agree with Sara.

Me too. Jayber Crow is one of my all time favorites of Berry & anyone else.