The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating – Deckle Edge, August 24, 2010

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Hardcover – Deckle Edge, August 24, 2010
Author: Visit ‘s Elisabeth Tova Bailey Page ID: 1565126068

From Booklist

*Starred Review* At age 34, Bailey was stricken with a mysterious virus while on a trip to Europe. Her healthy life had been full of activity, and now just the thought of getting up to get something was exhaustive. When a friend found some violets and brought her one in a pot, she also added a live snail below the violets leaves. Bailey wondered why she needed a snail, but after square holes began to appear in a letter propped on the violets pot, it occurred to Bailey that the snail needed food. She put a withered flower in the saucer below, and when the snail began to eat, Bailey realized that she could hear it eatingit was the sound of someone very small munching on celery. Soon the author realized she was attached, the snail providing an oasis of calm for her frantic and frustrated thoughts. She worried that the snails world was too artificial, so her caregiver created a woodland terrarium. Not only did the snail have a new home but Bailey had a new game: hide-and-seek with a snail. She began to read about snails, learning from scientists, early naturalists, poets, and writers, and found herself beginning to understand a snails world. And when her snail began to lay eggs, Bailey discovered that she might be the first person to record observations of a snail tending its eggs. This beautiful little book will not only make snail lovers of its readers, it will make them appreciate the small things in life. –Nancy Bent

From Kirkus Reviews

A charming, delicate meditation on the meaning of life. — Kirkus Review

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Hardcover: 208 pagesPublisher: Algonquin Books; 1 edition (August 24, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1565126068ISBN-13: 978-1565126060 Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 7.3 inches Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #16,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Invertebrates #22 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Nature Writing & Essays #33 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Culinary
"…the snail had emerged from its shell into the alien territory of my room, with no clue as to where it was or how it had arrived; the lack of vegetation and the desertlike surroundings must have seemed strange. The snail and I were both living in altered landscapes not of our choosing; I figured we shared a sense of loss and displacement."

Elisabeth Tova Bailey was in her mid-thirties when struck with a mysterious illness that soon led to her complete incapacitation. Without knowing the cause, much less the cure or the course that it might take, the disease was a frightening visitor. One day, a friend stops by with a rather odd gift. A snail, from out in the yard. First placed in a flower pot and eventually a terrarium, the snail becomes Bailey’s constant companion. Because of her lack of mobility and energy, much of her time was spent observing the creature.

You might think this would be dull, or worse, that you’d be stuck listening to someone bleakly describing their every physical complaint. Not so. This book has very little to do with health issues and far more to do with curiosity and resilience. Bailey is not a complainer, actual details of her health are few and without self-pity. She doesn’t simply give up either, she makes clear she wants to fight this unknown assailant on her life. That she does so with the help of a small snail is astounding.

The first surprise is that snails have a daily routine. They have certain times to eat and sleep and travel. They often return to the same place to sleep, and they sleep on their side. (!!!) As she watches the daily activities of the snail, she manages to study research on snails in general and in detail. Turns out snail research is pretty deep…
The Sound of Wild Snail Eating is not your typical memoir or inspirational novel. Nor will you expect to hear much talk about finding God in between these pages. Elisabeth Tova Bailey takes us on a brief journey through her life and the mysterious disease that leaves her in a state of paralysis. Not being able to stand or walk or even sit up in bed, you would think that her life was over and yet when she begins observing the life of a small woodland snail, she finds meaning not only in herself but in our own species.

I really enjoyed reading this story even though it is based entirely on snail watching. I did not know much about the book before I contacted the publisher and even if you read the synopsis, you would still be surprised by the story in front of you. The Sound of Wild Snail Eating is a truly quirky memoir and Bailey is a very resilient, courageous woman. It was painful reading about how debilitating her mysterious disease left her. Even worse was reading the epilogue and having bailey describing her numerous diagnoses. I couldn’t help but think how I would handle the situation if it were me. However bailey has the spirit of a lion and she found a renewed sense of purpose from her observations. It was a joy to read about her discoveries with the snail and subsequently her own personal revelations about life.

For a book whose tone threaten to be s….l….o….w, I thought that this book was a fast read since most of the chapters are short and the prose is quick and flows nicely with the story. Bailey is very descriptive and rightly so since she’s involved in participant observation. There were times when this book felt like a documentary into the life of a snail rather than a memoir.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Elisabeth Tova Bailey Hardcover Deckle Edge Please The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating recounts a remarkable journey of human and By Bookventures Book Club on August 24 2010 The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Amazon co uk This Book Is Bound with Deckle Edge Paper The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an affirmation of the healing power of nature Hardcover 190 pages Art Books The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Deckle Edge Languages English August 24 2010 ISBN 1565126068 EAN 9781565126060 The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Hardcover The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Do you seeking for The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Find low prices and convenience through our web site

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