Welcome to Litsy!

In her forties, the author discovered the joys of silence and solitude and it lead her to explore the meanings and varieties of silence. This memoir describes her searches for silence places and the meaning of silence throughout human history. A smart, beautifully written book. Highly recommended.

I started out engaged and enjoying Maitland's analysis of her search for solitude and silence, particularly her sojourn on Skye. However, halfway through the emphasis becomes more zealous, focusing more on religion than nature. I also found that her conclusions were mediocre and of little insight. Far better were the well chosen quotes and reflection from better writers.

After my initial dismay on finding (from the biographical opening chapter) I don't much like the author, her book was fascinating. I especially enjoyed the discussion of the written word and reading aloud/silently (of course!) and the chapters exploring the distinction between a silence for devotion and that for creativity.
I would have liked to learn something about how all this might be experienced from a Deaf perspective.
One to re-read.

‘The extremes of the ascetic life were a response: create something as difficult and disagreeable as dying and you too can be as heroic as the martyrs were.‘ ‘..., almost every account of prolonged silence I have ever read or heard about contain mentions of ‘hearing voices‘, whether these come in the form of a divine intervention or deeply frightening tongues of madness‘ ‘... in the fading night, there‘s nothing else to do save be present‘

I've been trying to read this while on holiday in the Lake District, as the place we're staying is so peaceful it seems to fit. But family life is taking priority. Looking forward to finishing it. Makes me tempted to find a reading /meditation retreat!