Perhaps it was because I listened to this work via audiobook rather than read it from the page, but this book did not meet my expectations. I have the utmost respect for Annie Dillard as a writer: She has won a Pulitzer Prize and can entertain through the written word far better than I ever will be able to. However, this work was not really direct in its approach. Instead of giving actionable tips or profound insights, it aimlessly meandered through life experiences. This book speaks more of a restless heart than a consistent discipline or ethic.
Maybe that is the point of it all – that the writing life is about living in the moment – but that point was lost on me. As a reader, I was never moved from one point to another. Dillard talks about flying with a stunt pilot and using a metaphor of chopping wood to describe writing. However, she never talks about what motivates her other than penning a series of vividly descriptive sentences.
The quality of her writing is no doubt strong. Her descriptions make me feel like I’m with her in the experience. But they lack any sense of purpose or direction – a sense of exactly why she is writing. Most meaningful works of art make me think about my world differently. This book just kept me stationary and drowning in florid language. It lamentably didn’t help me appreciate the act of writing nor hone my craft. It just seemed like a short sequence describing the path of a rudderless ship.
The Writing Life
By Annie Dillard
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Copyright (c) 2013
Blackstone Audio
ASIN B004QM6N7W
Length: 2:37
Genre: Writing, Memoir
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