A Place on Earth: A Novel [Paperback]

Wendell Berry (Author)

Book Description

Series: Port William | Publication Date: June 5, 2001

Part ribald farce, part lyrical contemplation, Wendell Berry's novel is the story of a place-Port William, Kentucky-the farm lands and forests that surround it, and the river that runs nearby. The rhythms of this novel are the rhythms of the land. A Place on Earth resonates with variations played on themes of change; looping transitions from war into peace, winter into spring, browning flood destruction into greening fields, absence into presence, lost into found. This brings the revised 1983 edition back into print, the next book in our program to put all of Wendell Berry's fiction into print in revised and corrected uniform editions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Christian Audio continues on its ambitious course to bring Wendell Berry's Port William Membership novels to the audio format with accomplished narrator Paul Michael once again demonstrating his tremendous range. Set in the closing months of World War II, Berry incorporates familiar characters from other works in the series without focusing on a particular individual or family. Instead, the town of Port William serves as the central protagonist, offering the uninitiated a Berry immersion course, though one that requires attentive and patient listening. The multiple story lines of loss and redemption weave together at a deliberate pace, much like the agrarian rhythms of planting and harvesting that Berry holds so dear. As always, Michael demonstrates a special knack for dialogue, especially the nuances of marriage, family and friendship in a rural community. Granted, when measured by the yardstick of the contemporary fiction marketplace, A Place on Earth can certainly be described as demanding, but the excellent production offers a feast of the senses for discerning audiences. A Counterpoint paperback. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

"The revised version of A Place on Earth is a masterpiece -- the best thing Wendell Berry has done, a book not to be missed." -- The New York Times Book Review

"This is not a book to read at a sitting. It needs to be savored. Written by a craftsman poet, every word is chosen with great care. Many of Berry's poems reveal the same fascination with the rhythms and cycles of rural living as A Place on Earth, just as his essays reflect his integrity and common sense." -- Newsday --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582431248
• ISBN-13: 978-1582431246
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A richly interwoven, moving, and thought provoking novel, March 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Place on Earth (Paperback)

A Place On Earth will constantly make you think about your connections to the land, your community, and to your closest loved ones. The way Wendell Berry poetically weaves together the characters in this novel is beautiful. The themes of belonging, respect, tolerance, and understanding are all elegantly and cleverly written throughout. The ideas of "a sense of place" and of community that come forth from this book are definitely something to strive for. Berry is a master - he makes you think. Definitely a book to savor and delight in. Try it, you'll like it! I also highly, highly recommend Berry's, "The Unsettling of America" for provocative thoughts and facts on community and agriculture.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Place of Loss and Hope, November 17, 2004

By 

R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Place on Earth: A Novel (Paperback)

"A Place on Earth" is the second novel of the Port William Membership that I have read; the first being "Jayber Crow". Berry proves himself to be yet again a master storyteller with the power to weave prose into beautiful and sometimes elegaic poetry. "A Place on Earth" is an incredible tribute to the power of loss, love, family and community.

Rather than focusing on one character, or one cohesive story, Berry chooses to tell about the daily life of various town members. Readers feel as though they are members of the community as well and have known these characters and their comings and goings for years. There are several main characters, such as the Feltner family, who have received news that their son is missing in action and must come to terms with the fact that he may never come home. Since Port William is a small town, the lives of every townperson is interweaved with that of their neighbors. Everyone knows everyone, and knows their joys and sufferings almost as immediately as they do.

A long time fan of Berry's poetry, I have loved the discovery of these two novels, and look forward to reading the rest of the Port William stories. Wendell Berry paints his characters so vividly, and sometimes so heartbreakingly real, that we come away from the story shocked back into reality. Berry knows the true nature of loss, the grief that accompanies it, and the hope that can be found in the most hopeless situations. Through all the trials and tribulations of the town and its members, hope persistently prevades and will, in the end, erase the pain that has been caused.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A poetic treat, January 23, 2001

By 

Judith Bradley - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Place on Earth (Paperback)

This is a book to savor slowly. Unlike much of modern fiction - written to be read in a flash - this wonderful novel requires the reader's attention to every sensory detail. To read it in a rush is to deprive oneself of what the book is all about - the passing of generations, the anguish of loss, the reaffirmation of life, and - above all - the love of the land. The characters are wonderful, and certain chapters, to counterbalance the undercurrent of loss, are intentionally hilarious. We have all known some of the people who live in Port William, Kentucky - age does not dimish them. This novel is what American fiction should be - but often isn't. A poet wrote it, which is evident in every line. A memorable treat for the patient reader.