About book High Tide In Tucson: Essays From Now Or Never (1996)
Barbara Kingsolver was one of a few novelists I fell head-over-heels in love with as a pre-teen; that is, an AUTHOR I vowed to follow, instead of a book or series. At this point it feels, as I'm sure it does for many of her fans, like I know her. That's part of her appeal, of course, and she cultivates her personability well and visibly. In coming to this collection of essays, released almost twenty years ago, I see her writer-wheels turning more visibly than ever. (Essays are really good for this. Clear all the wondering you may do about an author's message or intent in a novel right up.) Frankly, BK's relentlessly folksy charm occasionally grates. I wasn't raised in the South, so my tolerance for phrases like "I had no earthly notion" is probably lower than some, and feels contrived sooner than it actually is. But the fact remains that Kingsolver's unfiltered (By the imaginary world of a novel, I mean) voice is not the one I prefer. THAT SAID, there are a few essays in this book that do nothing short of sing. My favorites are her treatises on parenting, because I am a temporary parent these days. "Somebody's Baby" is my favorite so far, about the Kingsolver's all living in the Canary Islands for a year, and realizing what it means to live in a place that, as a social, political, and economical rule, likes kids. Turns out, if you were not aware, the United States DOES NOT. In any of those ways. "Civil Disobedience at Breakfast" is another favorite, about the misnomer of "Terrible" Twos. (One of my right-now kids is two and a Selective-Listening, Tantrum-Throwing half.) And of course, I appreciate that any BK writing is going to mention something about the primate version of human habits, and something about women, and some great one-line response for morons at social gatherings going on about Creationism in schools, higher taxes for education, or sociobiology telling us that it is human NATURE for men to work outside the home and for ladies to evolve with a Cuisinart at the end of their arms.
This book of essays was published in 1995, and I can see how it fits with Barbara Kingsolver's earlier novels. I loved that my mind played parts of it in her actual voice- it's fresh in my memory after listening to the audiobook of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which she narrated with her husband and daughter. It was fun to notice details and themes in these essays that come into play in novels that were published later (especially Prodigal Summer) and even more fun to notice one or two things she has changed her mind about. One of the essays early in the book says something like "My characters aren't and will never be real people." 15 years later, of course, she wrote The Lacuna, which features Kahlo, Rivera, and Trotsky. My only complaint is the slight preachiness that comes through even more strongly in Ms. Kingsolver's nonfiction writing than in her novels. I think part of the reason it bothers me is because I can hear my own righteous anger in the points she's making, and I expect her to be more subtle and artful than I am. For the most part she is, but not always. Anyway, I still loved reading these essays. I love feeling like I personally can get to know an author through his/her personal essays. Barbara Kingsolver is like my talented, passionate aunt who has done all kinds of cool things and been super successful at all of them. I love her.
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I saw B.K.'s presenation about that book on a TV book program. It was about how they lived for a year (I think that was how long) on food they grew or that was grown locally. It was interesting so I put the book on reserve at the library. Of course it arrived just before Catalina, so I had to take it back before I read it. I have my name on the list to get it back. Right now I am listening to David Sedaris in the car, and starting to read Mountains Beyond Mountains.
—noisy penguin
This book is so full of straw men I'm surprised it didn't leak hay all over my living room the first time I cracked the spine. Kingsolver is preachy, judgmental, self-righteous, and prone to ignoring or dismissing facts that don't support her arguments (far too many of which are generic, warmed-over bien-pensant pieties with personal anecdotes bolted on).And yet. It's a great book. Her arguments are hardly perfect, but they're passionate, and exquisitely written. She sets a scene like few others, and she has a real gift for metaphor and clever turns of phrase. I was often frustrated while I read this book, but I was never disappointed, rarely bored, and never tempted to skim a page or skip an essay.If I had to sit next to Barbara Kingsolver on the bus, I'd need hours of physical therapy the next day to mend my overused eye-rolling muscles. But in print, she's the perfect companion for a dull day: Smart, bold, endlessly inventive, and tireless in fighting her corner. I highly recommend picking up this book, even while I counsel against uncritically adopting all of its ideas.
—Collin Mickle
I try not to do this often, but in this case, the New York Times Book Review review on the back of my paperback edition, really says everything about these 25 essays by Barbara Kingsolver that you need to know:Kingsolver's essays should be savored like quiet afternoons with a friend. ...She speaks in a language rich with music and replete with good sense."Couldn't have said it better myself.An enormously honest and personal collection of essays. If you like any of Kingsolver's books, I'm sure you will enjoy this one.
—Oceana2602
