Fox at the Wood's Edge: A Biography of Loren Eiseley

by Gale E. Christianson

Book Overview

Loren Eiseley challenges us to this day with his uneasy interpretation of humanity's place in the world. The haunting melancholy that pervades much of Eiseley's work grew out of a loveless childhood in which he spent much time alone in the natural world. His mother was mentally ill and his father, a singularly unsuccessful traveling salesman, spent little time at home. Perhaps in an effort to compensate, Eiseley drove himself relentlessly to succeed...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805011870
• ISBN13: 9780805011876
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 517 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Job by Christianson

There are only two other reviews of this biography, and both lament similarly perceived shortcomings. One needs to read a fair amount of Eiseley to really appreciate Christianson's work. And the more Eiseley you read, the more you begin to realize that however enchanting and entertaining the story, the storyteller-very skillfully-remains veiled and in the background. Loren Eiseley reveals himself on his own terms, and once you have had a glimpse of his childhood world, it is easier to understand why. "The Lost Notebooks of Loren Eiseley" is required reading for anyone who wishes to look inside of-to the degree that it is possible-Loren Eiseley. Loren embodies elements of character seen in Hilton's Robert Conway, J.L. Carr's "A Month in the Country," and perhaps even Antonio Porchia's "Voices." This biography gives the reader about as much as one is likely to get... I am grateful to Christianson for all the nuances that he has added to the evanescent beauty and delicacy that was Loren Eiseley.