End of the Earth: Voyages to Antarctica
by Peter Matthiessen
On This Page
Description
Brilliantly attuned to the transience of nature and painfully aware of the precariousness of a polar environment facing global warming, Peter Matthiessen provides an exquisite account of his voyage through the islands surrounding Antarctica. In lyrical prose, Matthiessen describes the wildlife he encounters and the region it inhabits, along with historical information regarding the greatest pioneers and adventurers who preceded him. Matthiessen brings to life the waters of the richest whale show more feeding grounds in the world; the wandering albatross with its 11-foot wingspan arching through the sky; and the habits of every variety of seal, walrus, petrel, and penguin in the area, all with a boundless and contagious inquisitiveness. In addition to offering an unequaled naturalist's perspective, Matthiessen's story takes an unforeseen adventurous turn as he and the crew of the 384-foot research vessel are bombarded for two days by an unrelenting hurricane, injuring everyone on board. Magnificently written, End of the Earth evokes an appreciation and sympathy for a region as harsh as it is beautiful. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
Matthiessen's writing is incredibly visual, and while this is a calm read that's far more interested in describing the arctic than entertaining a reader who might not be automatically interested without more plot or character, many of the passages are little short of intoxicating. Reading the work, it often feels like watching images scroll by in a documentary, zooming in on creatures and on phenomena to offer brief explorations.
I admit, there were moments when I wanted something more--more character, more progression--but this book had a way of calming the outside world, and letting me sink into it, more and more as I went along. All told, I doubt it will end up being my favorite of his works, but I'm glad to have read and explored it.
I admit, there were moments when I wanted something more--more character, more progression--but this book had a way of calming the outside world, and letting me sink into it, more and more as I went along. All told, I doubt it will end up being my favorite of his works, but I'm glad to have read and explored it.
Good to read if you're going to Antarctica; otherwise not one of his better books.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
48+ Works 13,947 Members
Peter Matthiessen was born in Manhattan, New York on May 22, 1927. He served in the Navy at Pearl Harbor. He graduated with a degree in English from Yale University in 1950. It was around this time that he was recruited by the CIA and traveled to Paris, where he became acquainted with several young expatriate American writers. In the postwar years show more the CIA covertly financed magazines and cultural programs to counter the spread of Communism. While in Paris, he helped found The Paris Review in 1953. After returning to the United States, he worked as a commercial fisherman and the captain of a charter fishing boat. His first novel, Race Rock, was published in 1954. His other fiction works include Partisans, Raditzer, Far Tortuga, and In Paradise. His novel, Shadow Country, won a National Book Award. His novel, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, was made into a movie. He started writing nonfiction after divorcing his first wife. An assignment for Sports Illustrated to report on American endangered species led to the book Wildlife in America, which was published in 1959. His travels took him to Asia, Australia, South America, Africa, New Guinea, the Florida swamps, and beneath the ocean. These travels led to articles in The New Yorker as well as numerous nonfiction books including The Cloud Forest: A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness, Under the Mountain Wall: A Chronicle of Two Seasons of Stone Age New Guinea, Blue Meridian: The Search for the Great White Shark, The Tree Where Man Was Born, and Men's Lives. The Snow Leopard won the 1979 National Book Award for nonfiction. He died from leukemia on April 5, 2014 at the age of 86. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- End of the Earth: Voyages to Antarctica
- Original publication date
- 2003
- Important places
- Antarctica
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 245
- Popularity
- 132,110
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.54)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
