Idle Days In Patagonia [Hardcover]

W.H HUDSON (Author), Alfred Hartley and J. Smit (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: J.M.Dent; Reprint edition (1936)
• ASIN: B000HJDH9A
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,396,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very beautiful rather than profound, February 22, 2001

By 

A. G. Plumb "Greg Plumb" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Idle Days in Patagonia (The Collected Works of W.H. Hudson (24 Volumes)) (Library Binding)

This is a tranquil, contemplative work of reflection on the varieties of nature. Like the amazing bird that changes its song regularly when one of its species, for reasons unkown, 'decides' to create a new melody which the others then follow. Another thing to look out for is the sensation that Hudson's glasses has on the local indigenous population - mocking laughter turns to incredulous amazement. This book brought peace to my life, and hopefully increased my sensitivity to natural wonders all around me - everyday ones as well as the extraordinary.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a bit self-indulgent, May 9, 2008

By 

Ted Byrd - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Idle Days in Patagonia (Paperback)

Of the three non-fiction books I've read by W.H.Hudson(the other two being The Naturalist in La Plata and A Shepherd's Life)this is far the weakest. Where the personality of the writer was unobtrusive in the other works, it becomes intrusive to the point of being offensive in Idle Days in Patagonia. There are some interesting anecdotes about local characters and happenings, as well as details about animal behavior. But the biggest drawback is the overlong philosophical rambling, of which the topics sometimes seem downright trivial. However, don't be put off by one lesser work. The Naturalist in La Plata is an excellent book of natural history of the pampas, and A Shepherds's Life is quite good as well.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Disapointed, February 8, 2008

By 

James C. Yutzy - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Idle Days in Patagonia (Paperback)

What I love about the writings of W. H. Hudson is his wonderful descriptions of the flora, fauna, and folklore of South America. But I suppose it is true what they say about idle minds. There is way too much anthropological philosophizing in this book and it gets tedious. The romance with rugged naturalism is a bit much.