THIS SIDE OF A WILDERNESS: A Novel - Softcover

Rice, Daniel J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0996309411 ISBN 13: 9780996309417

Publisher: Riverfeet Press, 2015

Synopsis

If Thoreau had written Walden as a narrative fiction, and designed his protagonist in the fashion of a Hermann Hesse character, then it would have resembled this novel.

"He was alone in the wilderness, a wilderness that seemed deep and forever, but was surrounded by a world filled with people."

Eli Sylvan is on a quest to rediscover the wilderness of his youth. He spends his weekends camping and fishing in the wild mountains of Wyoming, and then on Mondays he returns to the daily grind of the professional workforce. Feeling alienated from his friends and coworkers, Eli spends his evenings painting scenic landscapes, but this only intensifies his longing to be completely immersed in nature. Then he meets Lamara, a young woman who has a sophisticated flair and a deep affinity for the outdoors. Together they develop a plan to resign from their careers in Wyoming and move into an isolated northern Minnesota forest. But the challenge of escaping the comforts of society is greater than either anticipated, and they must prepare themselves for the possibility of failure.

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About this title

About the Author

Daniel J. Rice was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1979, and moved frequently during his youth. In 2006 he earned a degree in Watershed Science in Ely, MN, and began working as a Hydrologic Technician for the U.S. Geological Survey, first in New Jersey, and then Wyoming. In 2011 he resigned from his position and moved alone into a tent deep in the forests of northern Minnesota. While spending an extended amount of time living alone in the wilderness, he wrote the novel, This Side of a Wilderness, and the journal, The Unpeopled Season. He is the founder of Big River Scoop Ice Cream, Riverfeet Press, and Jumping Off Point: Adventure Provisions. Currently he lives in Livingston, MT, where he operates a small business with his wife and daughter.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The mountains knew the definition of freedom. They provided a place where he could find his mind. pg 28

There was a wildness inside him; someday he would capture it. Not to be tamed, but to be released. For only by understanding his mind could it be freed. pg 33

The truth of existence was a happiness separated from the easy happy life. There was music in the forest. There was clean air where nobody could hear him breathe. pg 68

He was sad for all the people he saw who were never free. All the people walking around thinking they were free, but were bonded to so many possessions and responsibilities, so much dispassion and anger, that freedom had become a mirage, like a mythical figure or a god, something they worshiped and followed, but never truly understood. pg 117

Outside is the only place we can truly be inside the world. pg. 149

The trees show definitions of themselves subtly like the face of a man. pg 197

Every falling leaf reminds me that I too will soon be separated from these trees. Trying to capture freedom is like trying to catch a falling leaf. Occasionally you may grab one out of the air and hold it in your hand, but now what? pg 231

He wasn’t really sure what that meant, recivilize. Did it mean he had to forget about the forest? Could he pretend like it never happened? Would he be required to wear a tie and speak politely of societal bliss? pg 238

He felt the freedom of knowing nothing but natural sounds and peaceful walks, the sight of a deer, and the touch of a cool flowing river. pg 290

Edition details

• Publisher: Riverfeet Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0996309411
• ISBN 13: 9780996309417
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 296