One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder

A moving writing of essays about the mundane stuff in our midst, on relationships, struggles and spiritual moments of everyday life. It will pierce your innermost being, like breaking through a koan, a mind-altering work of art that will haunt you. Doyle writes with a refreshing sense of surprise about the sanctity of every living thing, a brilliant discerning observer, relating love in any form, even his affection on hummingbirds and strange creatures like sturgeon fish, with evocative narratives, intrigued him. He amazes his readers with interesting humor, whoops of epiphany and awe that will prompt you to pay recognition to the beauty and fascinations around you. Doyle's extraordinary and peculiar style of writing long sentences will hold you more interested and engaged.Being an introspective person, his essay on Silence moved me. I now realize that tranquility is a virtue. Doyle quotes: “Let us consider silence as destination, ambition, maturity of mind, a focusing device, prism, compass point, necessary refuge, a spiritual refreshment.” Doyle rises early and apply himself daily readings from Herman Melville: All things are preceded and amended by Silence, and Silence is the general consecration of the universe, Thomas Merton: A man who feels God loves Silence, and Jorge Luis Borges: Absolute silence is the creative energy and intelligence of eternal being, that silence is the only voice of God. Doyle's profound observation: “The stifling, brooding silence before a thunderstorm unleashes itself on the world. The silence of space, the vast of vista. The crucial silences between notes, without which there could be no music; no yes without no.”This book will reset the way you see and acknowledge all sentient beings, your relationships, and your existence. As a posthumous gratitude to Doyle, who passed away after writing this work, buy this book and relive his spirit.

I was unfamiliar with this guy, and am delighted to be introduced to him. I have often said, after reading something old and full of beautiful images, "We don't write that way anymore.". BD proves me wrong - and I am pleased.

Though Doyle knows the world is a mess, he manages to have wonderment--at kids, adults, nature. He writes an inventive style and has a terrific sense of humor. A spiritual quest is important to him (but is in no way dogmatic toward readers). I enjoyed the book so much that right after I finished it, I opened it up and read it again! (I've never done that with a book, instantly like that.)

Brian Doyle seems to have been a person who was in love with life, all aspects of life. And he seems to have lived his life fully. Doyle wrote novels and stories but essays, published in a variety of outlets, were his mainstay. Before his death in 2017, he agreed to having his friend David Duncan create this final collection of some of his essays.The focus of many, if not most, of of his essays, here and elsewhere, is the spiritual realm and the natural world. For me, it appears that Doyle viewed the world through a spiritual lens so that even essays not overtly spiritual take on that tone. Not in any “heavy” or preaching manner, but more that of a constantly seeking, thankful and inquiring man.Doyle loved the natural world, was especially fond of raptors and wrote about his interactions with glaring owls and swooping hawks. His sense of humor infiltrates his writing constantly, as does his love of family. All generations become subjects, lovingly. There is no meanness here, none at all. There may be unhappy or negative moments, but Doyle doesn’t deal in petty or repressive as so many do.Brian Doyle is a man I wish I had known, a man I would have loved to talk with. Not at all sanctimonious, rather a man who appears to have had many of my questions of life but to have thought (and perhaps prayed) more on answers.Highly recommended to all.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My dad gave me this book to read earlier this year. Partly, I think, because Doyle recently died of a brain tumor. Partly, I think, because he wrote essays on fatherhood and on being a brother. Whatever the reason though, I’m very glad he did. Even though the connections to me are relevant, they would mean nothing were the writing inferior. Happily, Doyle was an exquisite writer and essayist.This is a book to be savored. There are a small handful of entries that didn’t hit home with me, but who could expect otherwise? The vast majority felt like a blessing. They offer insight on living and dying, loving and losing, and most of all wonder and appreciation for the beauty in this world.

Brian Doyle’s posthumous collection of songs (essays) will take your breath away with their tenderness, humility and hilarity. These praise “proems” are nothing if not profound musings about what it means to be part of the human (and animal) family— in all its wonder and absurdity.Share this honey of a book with anyone you care about, but most especially with those that honor superb, inventive writing. It will not disappoint.And keep it near you. It will restore your soul.Brian Doyle’s “River Of Song” is a gift and a blessing from one gone waaaaay too soon.

Cannot say enough about this beautiful book. I laughed, I cried, I underlined, and I interrupted my husband more than once to read something to him. What a wonderful thing to be able to read about joy, about wonder. It’s difficult to write about such things without being trite or sappy, but Doyle is a joyful wonder, and I will read this book again and again, so I can laugh and cry and underline some more.

The book looks to be in good shape as advertised. It was not shipped the next day as advertised. I received it two weeks after I ordered it.

Difficult to comment on the book itself as it arrived with the pages unfinished along one edge. The replacement sent also had the same issue, so a manufacturing defect I would assume. The passage I did read was very humorous and as it was a gift for someone I will attempt to purchase a better copy elsewhere.