Customer Reviews

Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes: A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

What a disappointment. I too am a fan of solitary adventures, both my own and those of others. There are some magnificent books in which people faced the elements and their own nature and came out the victor. This is not one. This is a story of a man child. His grasp of Buddhism, which he pursues quite avidly, is shallow at best.

His relationship with his cat is frankly unbearable. He abuses the cat relentlessly, and lest remorse enter into his consciousness, he creates the idea that the cat enjoys being abused. Since the cat remains affectionate when not having cold water thrown in it's face or being immersed in a mud puddle, he seems to conclude that this indicates the positive nature of their relationship. Traumatic bonding, Mr. Kull, search that on your google engine.

Do yourself a favor and find a wilderness adventure where the author has gained the status of adult maturity.

For some reason it seems that many of the previous reviewers of this book went into it thinking it was going to be the feel good story of the year. They chide the author for being selfish, cruel, insensitive...shame on you Bob Kull for being human and being willing to tell us about it. Please continue to seek.

Resolved: Our complex, modern society may provide us with a host of comforts and conveniences, but it has also stolen from us at the same time. The modern world insulates us from the true meaning life and what it means to be human. We need to step back and contemplate both the natural world and ourselves far more deeply if we want to understand the true nature of reality and our place in the universe.

I think many even modestly self-aware people have at least fleeting thoughts along those lines, but few act seriously on them. For me a long hike in the woods or paddling a canoe at first light across a mirror-still lake is probably as close to such an experience as I'll ever have. But Dr. Kull takes this sentiment and runs it to ground. In search of spiritual enlightenment, he packs up and sets off to live, all alone, on a remote, uninhabited island in Southern Chile for an entire year. He builds himself a little cabin and lives self-sufficiently for the year. While there he struggles with both the physical challenges of surviving, as well as the spiritual and emotional turmoil of both trying to find higher purpose and being utterly alone.

The book is a mixture of his actual journal entries, written while he was there and more traditional chapters that reflect on some of the broader issues he encountered. While the result of this technique is not exactly a cleanly-flowing, unified piece of literature, it does open a raw, unflinching window into what such an experience would actually be like, particularly the emotional and mental anguish as Dr. Kull struggles to find the enlightenment he seeks.

If you liked Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World or Richard Proenneke's story of living alone in the Alaskan wilderness, realize that while the subject matter is facially similar, this is a very different kind of book, which is focused far more on the spiritual and mental aspects of long-term wilderness solitude. Dr. Kull is a bit of a tortured soul, and so what he lays bare for the rest of us to see isn't always pretty or happy, but it is honest and enlightening.

"Solitude" is a truly inspiring story, a real-life account of a man who spent a year in complete solitude on a remote wilderness island in South America. His initial aim was to "find spiritual enlightenment" and to come back with answers he could share with others through books, lectures, and film. His book is a series of captivating journal entries, mixed with contemplative interludes, about his day to day struggles dealing with the often intense and wild weather, finding food, building shelter, his complicated relation with his only companion, a cat, and coming to terms with his inner demons -- without any of the usual social "crutches" available to distract him. Although he doesn't make a big deal of it, he achieved all of this with one leg!

As soon as I got into the rhythm of his story, I did not want to leave it. I put everything else on hold, so as not to break the spell of reliving the tornado of pain, grief, peace, joy, and insight that flows from the pages of this gripping, evocative, and inspiring book. His writing is captivating because it is so honest, so authentic, so real, so human. Rarely, if ever, have I read such raw honesty. It takes real courage to express -- and even to read -- the full play of light and shadow in the human soul.

He went into solitude for a year, to an isolated island off southern Chile, in search of answers (or The Answer). He was intent on finding a way to spiritual enlightenment, to discover deep insights that he could take back to the world, answers he could share that would make the business of living life a little easier for others. But this is not what happened. He did not find The Answer, except to realize over and over and over again that there are no answers.

However, this is no "empty message" -- we learn, instead, that the emptiness of "no-answer" is the fullest answer of all. The integrity and spirit that shine from his writing will inform and inspire the rest of us who aim for spiritual enlightenment in the comfort of our homes, surrounded by friends and family. You don't have to abandon everything, pack up supplies, and head out into the wilds to discover the heights and the depths of the human spirit. Dr. Kull has done that for us. And he has returned to tell us that enlightenment is not an achievable end-state; rather, it is an ongoing process of opening to and accepting whatever shows up-inside and outside. Most of all, when you read "Solitude" you will realize, as Bob Kull has, that experiencing the richness of "ordinary" life is the most extraordinary achievement of all.

Like the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated movie "Into the Wild," Bob Kull's story brings us face to face with a "search for wisdom in extremes." The main difference, though, is that Kull lived to tell the tale. And we should be grateful for that. If you want to know what it truly means to be human, I encourage you to read this remarkable book.

I don't expect the author to be a well-rounded character with an even-keel temperament and infinite patience. Human beings are by nature flawed and life is a struggle. What I do expect from a personal account of a year-long retreat in an unforgiving climate and in utter solitude is some level of mature thought and some depth in self-reflection. Repeated accounts of how Robert Kull tosses the cat around in a fit of rage because the cat is being a cat (!), and his constant, self-absorbed worrying may be honest, but they don't make for a good read. Where was the editor in all of this? Asleep?
Couldn't finish it. The cover photo and the concept are beautiful, the content and the writing leave lots to be desired. Don't waste your money.

Having always been captivated by true tales of nature and books written in first person about being alone, I held high hopes for this book. Adding to the intrigue was Kull's challenge of 1) going somewhere fully isolated for a year, 2) having an artificial leg and 3) using his learnings as a foundation for his Ph.D. thesis.

The book is written as a journal. Interspersed are reflections documented by the author after the actual events.

The opening chapters set the context well. Kull spent time alone in his 20's. The stories about trip preparations and getting to his location are intriguing. His tales of getting supplies and getting them to South America are fascinating. Then he gets to Chile and the essence of Kull's personal emotional state begins to surface.

Now in his 50's life has changed and Kull seems angry with his inability to get to the sense of peace that he experienced 30 years earlier. For a risk taker and solo adventurer, Kull continually expresses his fear. The author constantly worries about everything, food, weather, wind, water, email, boats, his health, and when he doesn't have a worry, his is worried about his lack of worrying. All this fretting overpowers the writing.

The journal becomes tedious with all Kull's complaining and worrying. Of course, things go wrong and fortunately Kull is quite talented when it comes to building, tinkering and fixing things. One would think he would be grateful for these skills and this would bring a sense of optimism, but optimism is sorely lacking in this work.

Rare moments of peace and serenity are few. Most of the description focuses on the bad weather, the rough terrain and Kull's feelings of anger, frustration and self-doubt.

Along for the journey is a cat. Even Kull's relationship with the cat is distinctly off-balance. He continually slaps, kicks or yells at the cat, especially when the animal acts in ways that are natural for a cat, but not what Kull wants - example, the cat is 'underfoot' as Kull builds his cabin, so he kicks it out of the way. I found this highly disturbing!

The book just kept pulling me deeper and deeper. I read on hoping that there would be a 'curve in the road' and optimism would surface, but it never did.

This book was a significant disappointment. Truth is fine and life can sometimes be rough, but Kull did this voluntarily. He gets through it, but never seems to grow from the experience. Optimism, hope and positive personal transition are in short supply. Get ready for a downer if you venture into this territory!

If the overall premise of this book is to document how a man sought wisdom after spending a year of solitude in one of the most rugged and wonderful places on the planet, then the book fails miserably, and frankly, so did the protagonist in the book.

The book is a truly a day-to-day diary of the stay in Patagonia, and likewise the prose was never meant to be any kind of literary gem, but an honest account of what actually took place in Patagonia. I find that endearing and truthful. It is easy to read, and once in a while the frustration of not being able to perform simple, mundane chores which we in the modern world take for granted, comes through the pages. However, this is about as much as one can get out of the book, whose subject seems infinitely more promising than the actual outcome.

The thought of the author keep seeking spiritual salvage from Buddhism while abusing the heck out of his only true companion in the vast Patagonia wilderness - his cat - is frankly quite unbearable to read. How does one gain wisdom by abusing an animal, how does one learn to live with nature when one cannot even cherish the affectionate love from one's own animal. I find the idea of going to the last pristine frontiers in the name of gaining wisdom but simultaneously torturing an animal sickening.

In the end, we learn about the author, and nothing about what the author has learned - as he has learned nothing.

Bob's story of a year alone on a small island in Southern Chile where the Furious Forties seldom cease to blow is full of the mundane and the miraculous. In that environment, without the balancing perspective of any other human voice, the characters of his intensely personal drama are pain and courage, anger and compassion, self doubt and gratitude, delight and joy.

Gratefully I identify with Bob's flaws and fears, his concern with the minutia of life, as well as his blissful moments and glimpses of enlightenment. He's refreshingly honest.

Bob's concern about the rift of humankind from the sacred in nature, environment and self make him a mirror of our troubled times, an intelligent prophet, and an inspiration for the work we all need do to get back to the garden. His is love of nature is evident in his inspired photography available on his website http://www.bobkull.org/Photos/Summer%202002/index.html

One of our most enduring American dreams is to find solitude in nature. Perhaps to find our own Walden Pond, like Henry David Thoreau. Perhaps to head down a river like Mark Twain's characters. Perhaps to trek to the Arctic like characters in Jack London's tales.

This autumn, I started reading this graceful yet haunting memoir by Bob Kull, a rugged scholar of many talents. I was hooked. I kept picking it up and reading 50 pages. Putting it down. Then it always drew me back. Perhaps my restless reading of his book is a salute to Bob's own restless spirit. Bob has been a logger, a truck driver, a fire fighter, a travel guide and a professor. Years ago, he lost a portion of one leg in a motorcycle accident -- but that didn't slow him down much.

In 2001, in the great tradition of Thoreau and so many other Americans, Bob set off into the wilderness. Rather than a convenient local pond, however, Bob set off alone into one of the remotest and most unforgiving regions of the world: the wilderness at the extreme southern tip of Chile.

I like the tone of this book. There are echoes of Jack London here. Echoes of Thoreau. This is not a sentimental memoir by any means. Think of Jack London's "To Build a Fire," the story of a man simply trying to walk through the extremes of Arctic cold. (2008 is the centennial of London's final and most famous version of that classic tale.)

Bob Kull is at his best when he's writing about the edgy anxiety and very specific daily struggles of trying to survive in extreme solitude. Very few of us will ever travel to the tip of Chile, let alone try to camp out there alone for a year. But what Bob really is writing about is a spiritual challenge as close as our own heartbeat.

All of us feel isolated, sometimes. All of us feel drawn toward solitude. And yet, like Thoreau who finally left Walden because "I had several more lives to live," Bob is also pushing us in the other direction. He's inviting us into his solitude, partly to push us back toward community.

Once home again, Bob writes at the end of his book, "I still struggle with feelings of isolation. In those times, a wall seems to separate me from others; a wall that begins to dissolve when I lean into it and treat myself and those around me with compassion."

In that way, this is a more sophisticated spiritual memoir than books like "Into the Wild," by Jon Krakauer. I hope that Bob Kull attracts as big an audience as Krakauer's best seller. There's a lot to learn from this epic tale.

This book is interesting but I thought the author kind of nutty, frankly. He went into solitude to 'find himself' but of course, he brought all his inner garbage with him. I think you have to deal with that stuff whether you're alone or living in society and for those people who choose to live completely apart from society, well, I suspect that is more self-serving than anything else. Other people don't let you delude yourself as much as this guy was able to do when he was in solitude. When he talks about how he treated the cat he brought with him (hey wait, I thought he wanted to be alone) or how he treated other people in his life, I thought him a pretty selfish and pushy individual. He seems to ask an awful lot of his friends and, at least from what he says in this book, doesn't give much if anything back. While he tries to confront his weaknesses, he manages to just touch the surface and then makes a lot of excuses for himself.