Gary SnyderThe Great Clod: Notes and Memoirs on Nature and History in East Asia

While I respect Snyder greatly and have much interest in the subject of these essays, I was disappointed by this book. There were as stated by another reviewer some fine passages but much of the content was written in a fragmented manner as could be expected of notes Snyder had made for himself. A few themes interwove themselves throughout, the most interesting being the realization that East Asians -- for all their nature-oriented culture -- have acted much like the rest of humanity in abusing the Earth. The remaining themes involved urban growth out of a more original grounded society, geological aspects of China and Japan, and how these played into poetic and pictorial arts. I don't believe I'll find this book especially memorable.

Again Gary has given us a wonderful painting with words. Having been in some of the parts of China recently that he writes about it was like taking my trip down the Yancey river again. I highlyI recommend this book to all. A poetic painting of a extraordinary place. Thank you sensei.

While some of this old, rest is new. Great on ecology. Gary Snyder fan

More thoughtful than an "Area Studies" course on China, Japan and Korea.

I first encountered Gary Snyder's writing in Sierra Magazine (Sept./Oct. 1989), where his his essay The Etiquette Of Freedom appeared in advance of its publication in The Practice of the Wild. I loved the essay and book; they had a formative impact on my thinking and how I began to apprehend the world. To me much of The Great Clod marks a return to the beauty and engagement of that earlier writing. I've followed almost everything Gary Snyder has produced in the intervening years, and this is some of his best, especially three consecutive chapters: Summer In Hokkaido; All He Sees Is Blue: Basic Far East; and The Great Clod: China And Nature. The sections on Hokkaido set forth lovely writing in sound and image. I felt transported, and had clear visions of the place. Previously unused (as far as I know), his comparison of Hokkaido to North America's Maine coast framed Japan's northernmost island in a way that was clear and literally lit up my mind. I read it late at night before going to sleep, and the images brought me wide awake.Much of what follows draws a good deal from the work of others, Edward H. Schafer and Mark Elvin, to name two, but Snyder has always been a master at accessing interesting information assembled by others to build something personal and unique with his reflections and ideas. I have always wished I could have taken a class with Gary Snyder, but his books are as close as I'll get, and they make for .This a superb addition to his body of work, valuable throughout and outstanding in several wonderful sections.

I have followed Gary Snyder’s writing and career since the late 1960s. Through the years he has been a guide, a source of inspiration, and occasionally a source of puzzlement. His influence was key in my interest in the poetry of the natural world and eastern Asia.; also in encouraging travel to SW China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, Australia and Papua New Guinea.“The Great Clod” provided an important overview in tying together Snyder’s evolving views of human cultural patterns and behavior (especially in eastern Asia – long a major focus of his attention); and also of the ways humans have viewed and interacted with both wild and decreasingly wild nature. Snyder brings a wide range of tools to the task – his interests: mountain rambling and climbing; anthropology; the study and creation of poetry; Buddhist studies with a special interest in Zen and Taoism; attention to the ecology of place – the interacting life forms of specific locations and eras; Eastern landscape art; and calligraphy.As noted by others, his treatment of these topics is not often languid. His language is crisp and to the point -- and often approaches a series of notes. It packs many insights and much information into blessedly few words. As his friend, Allen Ginsberg, said in a somewhat different context: “Maximum information, minimum number of syllables.”If you’re hoping for calorie-packed mind food, you’ll not be disappointed.

A collection of essays written by Gary Snyder over the past few years which have finally seen the light of day in this one volume. Dealing mostly with the early periods of China and Japan but also his travels to these countries in the 50 / 60's. Ranging from the Sung and Han Dynasties, visits to Temples, stories and myths of old, how the people migrated and adapted to different conditions as the world changed. A must for any Gary Snyder follower but also for any one interested in the history of Asia.

Gary Snyder escribió un genial libro sobre Asia del este. Entre anécdotas y aproximaciones académicas, el texto revela buena información sobre ese territorio con una gran prosa. No hay falla.

Snyder è sempre un maestro, che siano poesie o saggi(come in questo caso) riesce sempre a dire qualcosa di saggio e profondo.