Customer Reviews

The Stations of Solitude

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's quite a shame that this book is out-of-print and not as readily available as Ms. Koller's other title, "An Unknown Woman". I've read "Stations of Solitude" several times, and am always amazed at this woman's perspective. She speaks candidly of her travails in the politics of ivy-league academia, her enduring attachments to her friends (both human and animal), her struggles with money, and her intimate relationships with men. Ms. Koller truly knows what it's like to be alone, and at times revels in this condition and at other times seems resigned and withdrawn. I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced self-imposed solitude. It's difficult to live alone, and yet for some it is necessary. I've read both of her books several times over the last 10 years, and as I undergo my own journey, I find something new each time I turn to these books. Neither are light reading; Ms. Koller's words hit hard and always make me question exactly what I'm doing.

I have read both of Alice Koller's books and was blessed, after reading "Stations" to be able to write to her and receive a reply back. Both of us have deeply mourned the untimely death of a beloved pet and soulmate, and her few words of comfort brought me solice. Her first book set the course of my life and I will be eternally grateful. I don't know if Alice is still alive, but if she is I wish she would write another.

I totally disagree with the reader from Munich who was disgusted by Koller's deep commitment to her animals. In my opinion, it's the strongest element of her book. She's an extremely intelligent person who's bravely and totally dedicated to the rights and welfare of animals, as well as being able to relate to the natural world all around her.

I picked up the book attracted by its title, because I'm a practitioner of solitude and serenity myself, but I was pleasantly surprised by her emphasis on the importance of animals and on respecting their integrity in her daily life. The story of Logos was heartbreaking. I could relate to that strongly, as the guardian of a number of dogs and cats. I believe that anyone who can feel so connected to our co-species is an extremely fortunate person. Sadly, too few people feel that connection, in our post-modern, over-busy world.

I'm was getting ready to list this book for sale and something about it--of over a thousand books I've listed--drew my attention. I am very glad I read it and will be looking for her other works to read. I won't bother describing the book since that has been done. I will say that this book speaks to the part of me that is sick of living in a city surrounded by people and feeling alone. The part of me that yearns to give up my material possessions and live a life free of grasping, looking for beauty and open space, wildlife and people willing to open up to a stranger. It touches the part of me that others do not understand, the introspective part that searches for itself, that questions, that lights up at the sound of bird song or thrills at the opening of a flower bud.

As an animal lover I found her writing about her dogs exceptional, and I understood her need to understand her dog's death. I live with cats and when circumstance permit I will seek out a dog companion.

I imagine you would have to be an introvert, someone who lives in and values their thoughts, to enjoy this book as opposed to an extrovert, a person needing the stimulation of others and outward activity. It stimulates the longing in me to leave my current life and search out another.

LIke so many,I have been strangely touched by her honest reflections. Does anyone know what happened to her? She deserves recognition for her wonderful contribution. Alice wherever you are, thank you.

Alice Koller, author of "An Unknown Woman," devotes this sequel to celebrating solitude. A feeling of wholeness can be felt alone, as well as with another person. Koller herself lives an itinerant kind of life, moving from job to job, house to house, with just her dogs for company. In chapters variously
titled, "Homing," "Moneying," "Singling" and "Connecting" she describes this life. The most moving is "Mourning," relating the death of her dog, Logos, and her struggle to sue his vet for
negligence. Koller is skilled at describing the natural settings of her homes, as well as the day-to-day activities of herself and her pets. She is also skilled at capturing the various phases of a solitary life and a life that is well lived, too.

This is a book about a woman's serach for herself! She goes to live on an island off of Massachusetts in a brutal winter with her dog. It's an emotional journey on truly examining oneself and one's life choices. My best friend, my mother and I all loved this book & couldn't put it down. It's a must read!

I read this book about 20 years ago..and it remains one of my all-time favorites. It is a womans book, I think, but my husband also enjoyed reading it. I found the writer to be an extremely interesting person and would love to follow her journey through life. She would be quite old today and I have never seen any other books out by her. Her love for her dogs was just beautiful...and that story kept drawing me in. Just a beautiful story about a real event.

I read this book about thirty years ago and I am now 67. Time and again I have recommended this book to my friends who are "solitudes" and who love dogs.
Sometimes one can't exist without the otheer. I would love to have known Alice and I wonder if she is alive and well today. She must be quite old.
Today I have just ordered a copy of this wonderful story to give to an older friend of mine who is lost in despair for life reasons. She loves dogs. I hope this book touches her as much as it touched me.

I truly loved the first book, 'An unknown woman'. It helped me find out exactly why I was doing what I was doing. But this book is a disappointment. Alice Koller is a highly trained philosopher and has a sharp mind. Some of her thoughts are thought-provoking, but I found her preoccupation with her dogs sickening. I have two dogs myself and volunteer/foster for the local animal shelter, but people come first. Why is Koller blaming the vet who 'let the dog die'? Last I heard, 13 1/2 years is a pretty good age for a German shepherd like Koller's dog, Logos. And I don't think dogs should be used to scare people away, IRS agents or not. What a lonely person!