A review of Rebecca Solnit's "A Field Guide to Getting Lost"
Rebecca Solnit does not claim to have been born a writer instead, she chose to become one as a young child. She does acknowledge an interest in story, landscape, and nature that she has carried with her since before she learned how to read. After completing her contemplative book, “A Field Guide to Getting Lost,” readers will quickly agree with the areas in which she claims interest but they would have a hard time denying what appears to be a natural born talent for writing. Solnit’s ability to perceive and interpret ideas into a written language is captivating. One can get lost in the rhythm of the words alone. She has written numerous books on a variety of subjects and is well regarded as a writer, a historian, and an activist.
In “A Field Guide to Getting Lost,” Solnit unravels concepts of the unknown and the unquantifiable without losing the beauty of mystery that is so essential in the journey. In the chapter welcomingly titled, “Open Door,” Solnit asks the reader to consider, “Do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of nature? Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.” (pg 15) The path Solnit takes the reader on is one that is both familiar and unknown as it encourages the pursuit of discovery and transformation - of exploration and touching the edge of the unknown in order to sharpen one’s senses.
Reading “A Field Guide to Getting Lost” is like sitting down to a couple mugs of steaming hot chai with Solnit while contemplating soulful subjects. Her transparency assists us in reflecting upon our own qualities - positive or negative - and encouraging us to surrender to the magically obscure path before us. I was often struck by how simple yet profound her insights were regarding human nature and our desire for control or safety. I was equally impressed with her humility in suggesting that our ideas of the unknown and wandering are hindrances for growth.
Irony is not lost in the book for Solnit is able to compare and contrast various subjects much like the paradoxical title and theme of the book. Getting lost does not require a field guide, or does it? Solnit lays out a strategy for searching and embracing the allure of uncertainty in order to fully encounter that which is certain.
Solnit’s writing style mimics her subject matter. One feels as though they are on a journey through parts unknown encountering the familiar and unfamiliar, experiencing confidence and insecurity in discoveries along the pathless expedition. Solnit’s writing is smooth and assuring while weaving autobiographical accounts in her examination into the exhilaration and fear of the unmapped. At times this reader felt that the information was too much. That, like being lost in the woods, there came a point where one felt hopeless and confused - unable to make their way through the unknown. But, in retracing once steps (or, rereading) the newness becomes somewhat familiar and one is able to take in more meaning than originally experienced. Meaning that rests below the surface of the initial encounter.
Early in the reading, Solnit sets the tone by stating, “To be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery.” (pg 6) Solnit also addresses artists specifically when she claims that the role of an artist on this journey to getting lost is, “to open doors and invite in prophecies, the unknown, the unfamiliar; it’s where their work comes from.” (pg 5) Her words resonate in the days that follow the reading as one begins to embrace the idea of losing oneself in order to be more fully aware as well as release the comfort of control in order to be a conduit of the mysterious through creative endeavors.