World of Wonders (Draft #2)

Describing My Experience

I was introduced to this book my Dr. Dubois in class. I announced to the class what I was leaning towards most when it came to searching for my next book to read. I mentioned how I wanted to get more into the actual nature of aspect of representations of nature. Upon hearing this, Dr. Dubois took it upon himself to introduce this book to me and explain that it was a slight description on different natural species but also tells the reader how the author perceives these species. I thought that was kind of interesting, but was not fully sure if that was something that I wanted to read. For some reason it sounded like a non-fiction book to me and I get bored with non-fiction. However, when I saw the cover it really spoke to me because of its resemblance of nature. I love watching nature shows so after seeing the cover art it seemed promising. The next thing that captured me were the descriptions of the book on the front cover. The first read, “In praise of fireflies, whale sharks, and other astonishments” and the next read “‘This book is about to shake the Earth’ – Kiese Laymon”. These both instantly had me settled on the fact that this was the book I was going to read because it sounded like a book that was going to be fun and solely about nature, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted all of the aspects of a nature show- the imagery, the commentary, the mystical feeling- wrapped in a book and that is exactly what this book is, though slightly different.

Classifying My Experience

After I read the back cover I kind of got the idea of the book was going to be about the author and her experience and encounters with different natural species, but my thoughts did not give the book justice. Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a genius when it comes to teaching people about different species but also making her book somewhat of an autobiography or memoir. The title of each chapter is about the species she will be talking about and underneath its name is its scientific name. Throughout the first couple of chapters that I have read they have all been the same, introducing the species and then describing her connection to the species, her experiences, and her love for each species. I have only been able to get through the first three chapters so far but in some moments I have felt jealousy over the experiences that she has had with nature, whether it was the beauty of the Catalpa tree or seeing thousands of fireflies at night with her family in an open field. I have also found myself teary eyed at her writing, sometimes because it was sad and it made me feel so deeply for a certain species, but also because her writing is so nostalgic on her life that I feel like I am feeling the emotions she is putting on the page.

Describing the Features that Prompted My Experience

“A catalpa can give two brown girls in western Kansas a green umbrella from the sun”.

“When the first glimmer-pop of firefly light appears on a summer night, I always want to call my mother just to say hello. The bibliography of the firefly is tender and electric dress, a small flame sputtering in the ditches along a highway…”.

“They blink on and off, a lime glow to the summer night air, as if to say: I am still here, you are still here, I am still here, you are still here, I am, you are, over and over again”.

“And for those unimaginable nights in the future, when I know I’ll miss my mother the most, I will let that jar’s sweet glow serve as a night-light to cool and cut the air for me”.

The Narrative Technology that Prompted the Feature

The narrative technology in this book is the descriptive writing that Aimee uses and her use of her own personal life that makes it even more touching and relatable. I think it is so much easier for me to read this book because she makes me feel through her writing like I feel when I watch a nature show. It is calming, it is natural, and it is full of love for the natural world. Her descriptive written is so perfect because it almost feels like I am watching a show- the way that I imagining what she is saying and the memories she is reciting. She also describes each species by relating it back to her life, telling her experiences that some of us can even relate to, such as seeing fireflies every summer. By writing in a nostalgic tone as well in a few areas, the book gives of this homey and wholesome feel that makes you never want to put it down and just makes you want to keep reading, keep learning, and keep imagining.

Featured Image

Photo by Milkweed Editions. All copyrights reserved.

The image displays the cover of the book ‘World of Wonders’ by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

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