Customer Reviews

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

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"...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...volumes have been written on every tiny detail. As in: snails have teeth, 2200+ of them! Seriously, if they were bigger you'd think twice about stepping on one. They also have a special talent for when the going gets tough in their little world: they start a process called estivation. It's not hibernation (they do that too!) but instead it allows them to become dormant when the weather goes bad, or they lose their preferred food source, etc. Some snails have been known to estivate more than a few years. The process of sealing off their little shell is fascinating, and a study in insulation.

Then there's the romance. Researchers have studied that too, and I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say lady snails are not complaining about romance in their life! Male snails really knock themselves out on the charm aspect. So much of the research that is out there is fascinating, and Bailey sorts through it and shares the most interesting details. This isn't just a science project for her, she sees parallels in her condition as well as the snail's. Illness took her out of her social circle, and her life seemed slow and inconsequential. And snails usually are a typical example of slow and inconsequential living:

"Everything about a snail is cryptic, and it was precisely this air of mystery that first captured my interest. y own life, I realized, was becoming just as cryptic. From the severe onset of my illness and through its innumerable relapses, my place in the world has been documented more by my absence than by my presence. While close friends understood my situation, those who didn't know me well found my disappearance from work and social circles inexplicable.

...it wasn't that I had truly vanished; I was simply homebound, like a snail pulled into its shell. But being homebound in the human world is a sort of vanishing."

What makes this memoir unique, besides her indomitable spirit, is that she doesn't push any sort of religious or spiritual agenda for her positive outlook. There is no implied message, which is often a feature of such an inspiring book. Her facts are based on solid research, and she doesn't waste words; her prose is clear and precise. Additionally, and this may be trivial, but the book is exceptionally beautiful: little snail insignias, and designs, poetic quotes, and the actual fonts and design layout make it lovely.

One word of warning. Some inspirational "illness" stories often end up being the 'go to' gift choice for a sick friend. I know of one gentleman, who, when diagnosed with a serious illness, received eight copies of Tuesdays with Morrie from well-meaning friends. This is not that kind of book. It would be a far better gift for a Type-A personality that needs to slow down in their hectic life, or a book just to savor for yourself. It actually might make a great gift for a young person interested in science (the "romance" portions are tame). In any case, this book made me want to reconsider how much of my hectic life could be slowed down to enjoy the smaller but ultimately relevant details in the natural world around me.

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. Bailey covered everything from the anatomy of the snail to its eating habits and even their reproductive traits. The reader learns a lot as well for example:

"Spiral direction has an impact on relationships; a snail must find a mate of its species with a matching shell." pg 64

Yet you are quickly reminded of Bailey's presence in the novel when she makes comparisons between her present medical condition and the snail. Aside from the therapeutic qualities that this snail brought to bailey, I honestly think that her research will prove instrumental in the study of Neohelix albolaris or the woodland snail.

After reading this book, perhaps you'll come away with a great appreciation for snails or perhaps you'll come away with a great appreciation for life itself. What's guaranteed is that you will come away thinking that this is a great story and Elisabeth Tova Bailey is a courageous woman.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is a healing book. While a woman recovers from a life-threatening condition she has the time and patience to observe one small wild snail. Her thoughts, research, and experiences help her, and us, to heal our damaged relationship with the world of nature. The result of careful and heartfelt observation of even the smallest bit of life can not only enrich a life but also find and give life anew. This book is the perfect gift for anyone recovering from a set-back or in need of inspiration. I love how Elizabeth, while appreciating the small things of life, also brings in haiku. Perfect.

My husband and I rarely read the same books...what interests me does not interest him and vice versa. However, I thought that he might be intrigued by the biologic descriptions of the snail so I recommended it to him. Yes, Elisabeth Tova Bailey did the almost impossible! She bridged the gender gap of reading in our home. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a beautiful book, both in its sentiment and its physical presentation. The pencil drawings of the snail are engaging. This is a perfect holiday present for almost anyone - I highly recommend it.

It was on a trip to the Alps that Elisabeth Tova Bailey first felt weak and ill. Not really being concerned, she continued her explorations but in a day or two she found it difficult to move at all let alone get out of bed. Somehow she manages to return home to Maine but she continues to spiral downward. In very short order, Bailey is flat on her back, laid low by some exotic micro-germ.

That is how The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating opens. Like other reviewers I want to warn you that this isn't a tell all expose about her illness. Bailey mentions it in passing only occasionally and never does it become the center of the book. In stead, the star of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is just that, a small snail.

A visitor to Ms Bailey finds a wild snail in the woods near her house. With a visit to the stricken author the objective, the she picks up the snail and also digs up some near by violets which she pots. The visitor deposits both with the author and is on her way.

It is from humble serendipities that often reveal true magic to us if we are patient. Bailey keeps the snail and in very short order becomes captivated with its comings and goings. Initially the snail lives under the foliage of the violet and explores the surroundings, in and out of the clay pot, at night. Eventually the snail is moved to a terrarium. Observing the snail daily, Elisabeth Bailey becomes curious about behaviors she is witnessing. She gathers an impressive array of resources with which to read about mollusks in general and snails specifically. It is this learning and study that we are allowed to share. If you're curious, check out the sources she sites at the end of the book.

I've seen hundreds of terrestrial snails in my life time and to be honest I never paid a lot of attention to them. That is my loss. I found Bailey's descriptions of the life of a snail fascinating. Reading her descriptions is not like reading a dry tome filled with interesting but busy facts about snails. She does share the information she learns, but wrapped up in her explanations is a wonder that comes through loud and clear. Her almost child like wonder at sharing what she's learned infects the reader with the same awe and surprise that she experienced.

I won't spoil the experience of reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. Trust me, this is a book you'll probably want to add to your personal library and will certainly want to recommend to your friends.

I highly recommend.

Peace to all.

I had absolutely no idea what The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating was about when I picked it up to read. If you had told me it was all about a woman who's stuck in bed staring at a snail, I would have said "no thanks." But after finishing the book, I found myself wishing it was longer.

Yes, it's all about snails and their behaviors, but I promise you, after reading this, you'll never look at snails again the same. But really, (at least for me) I'll never look at anything the same again. This book made me realize how little I know about so many things in this universe. How much I have to learn. It took Elizabeth Tova Bailey's illness for her to learn this and now she's teaching all of us.

So, yes, this book really is about so much more than snails. And it's pretty short, so if you're unsure about it, it's not a major commitment. But I think that, like me, you'll be wishing it had about 100 more pages. And now I want a pet snail!

"Survival often depends on a specific focus: A relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard seemingly impenetrable glass of a window and warms the blanket, or how the wind, invisible but for its wake, is so loud one can hear it through the insulated walls of a house."

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating records a year in the life of author Elisabeth Tova Bailey--a year in which she struggled for her survival as her focus was lost, her mobility all but gone and her passion for life trapped inside a body that no longer cooperated with her wishes. With grace and wit, Bailey shares the story of the impact that an ordinary, humble creature, a wild snail, had on her during this trying year, and all of the lessons she learned as she lay motionless, observing in minute detail the everyday rituals and wanderings of her tiny companion.

An active woman with many interests, Bailey became not only housebound but bedridden when she was felled by a mystery illness. She was moved from her own familiar farm home to a small studio apartment to receive the care she could not give herself. For most of the day, Bailey felt anxious and heart-wrenchingly alone. "When the body is rendered useless, the mind still runs like a bloodhound along well-worn trails of neurons, tracking the echoing questions; the confused family of whys, whats and whens and their impossibly distant kin how." She became distraught, wondering how, or indeed if, she could make it through.

One day, a visiting friend went for a walk in the nearby woods, returning to Bailey's bedside with a pot of field violets in which she had placed a snail. Bailey gave little thought to it, except to wonder if it was feeling disturbed to be out of its element, much as she was. Then she began to watch it move, out of the pot, into the bowl below, exploring its new surroundings. She fell asleep thinking she would probably never see it again, but when she awoke, she saw her new companion back in the pot under a violet leaf and a square hole chewed in an envelope propped nearby. Worried that a snail could not live on paper alone, Bailey set out some withered flower petals near the pot. Within minutes, the snail was contentedly chomping on the petals--and Bailey could actually hear it in the silence of her room. "The sound was of someone very small munching celery continuously...the tiny intimate sound of the snail's eating gave me a distinct feeling of companionship and shared space." This would prove to be a turning point for Bailey.

Time weighed heavily on the author, causing her to ponder, "Time unused and only endured still vanishes, as if time itself is starving, and each day is swallowed whole, leaving no crumbs, no memory, no traces." She also noted, ironically: "It was perplexing that in losing health I had gained something so coveted but to so little purpose." In the end, it was her gastropod guest who lent some rhythm to her endless hours. Once the snail was moved to a larger terrarium home filled with elements of its native woods, Bailey could lie quietly and calmly, watching it move about: "Its curiosity and grace pulled me further into its peaceful and solitary world...it put me at ease." Like her, the snail was nocturnal. She slept little at night and while this once caused her to fret, she now found comfort.

She began to learn all she could about snails, mainly from older books dating back to Darwin and his companions. What she learned about their habits, their strengths and even their sensuality caused her to have even more respect for the life of her roommate. (I, for one, would certainly have never guessed that a snail could be amorous.) The more she read, the more impressed she was at the complexity of this seemingly simple creature.

Aside from the witty and astute snail observations, this book also is a commentary on the trying life of someone with chronic illness, especially one who is bedridden--issues of loneliness, feelings of abandonment, uselessness. "My bed was an island within the desolate sea of my room." Bailey noted that her friends and former companions did not know how to be around her. It was as if her stillness unnerved them. "Those of us with illnesses are the holders of the silent fears of those with good health." This small book is full of such meditative thoughts, and might well be informative reading for anyone who deals with the chronically ill.

Life with her snail covered only a year of the author's nearly twenty-year struggle with illness, but it was an important one. In a big way, the tiny snail gave her reason to go on. She wrote her doctor: "If life mattered to the snail, and the snail mattered to me, it meant something in my life mattered, so I kept on..."

by Susan Ideus
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

I loved this book. I bought it because my world has also became smaller from an illness. Ms Bailey took me into her world and made my world better. Her snail was phenomenal, and I had no idea these small creatures were so interesting. Now when I go outside I make sure I'm not stepping on any, ours in Texas are itty bitty so they are hard to see. If we had larger snails I would make one a pet also.
It almost gets a 5star. If she put herself more into the book, I would have given a perfect 5. It gets a little snail encyclopedia feeling in the middle, but gets back on track for a smooth finish.

How many books have you read with a Library of Congress classification of "Snails as pets"??

THE SOUND OF A WILD SNAIL EATING -- my first :) -- is partly a memoir of 34-year-old Elisabeth Tova Bailey being flat-out bedridden during the first year of a chronic illness that would persist for decades. But it's mostly a gentle scientific exploration of the common land snail, which a friend plucks from the New England woods and places in a pot of violets at Bailey's bedside. It brings her comfort and immeasurable diversion, and the information about snails that she excerpts from science, literature and poetry bring the same to the reader.

This beautiful little book with it's light and illuminating touch is surprising, elevating, endearing. Her experience from within the limitations caused by severe illness, her mindful and appreciative observations of her tiny snail companion, and the amazingly varied and detailed harvest of her research on snails..from haiku to obscure scientific texts are interwoven seamlessly and enchantingly. It is witness in its elegance and simplicity to her indelible life affirming spirit. It's not about her ilness or her struggle with it ( which in iteslf says volumes about her) and at its heart, not really about her beloved little snail and his/her species ( snails are hermaphroditic we learn). At its heart it is about living in mindul presence to life, to all sentient beings in wonder and celebration. Thank you Beth.