Synopses & Reviews
In a remote kingdom hidden in the Himalayas, there is a trail said to be the toughest trek in the worldandmdash;twenty-four days, 216 miles, eleven mountain passes, and enough ghost stories to scare an exorcist.and#160;In 2007 Kevin Grange decided to acquaint himself with the country of Bhutan by taking on this infamous trail, the Snowman Trek. He was thirty-three, at a turning point in life, and figured the best way to go at a crossroad was up. Against a backdrop of Buddhist monasteries and soaring mountains, Grange ventured beyond the mapped world to visit time-lost villages and sacred valleys. In the process, recounted here with a blend of laugh-out-loud humor, heartfelt insight, and acute observation, he tested the limits of physical endurance, met a fascinating assortment of characters, and discovered truths about faith, hope, and the shrouded secret of blossom rain.
and#160;Beneath Blossom Rain, Grangeandrsquo;s account of his journey, packs an adventure story, a romantic twist, and a celebration of group travel into a single entertaining book. The result is the ultimate journey for any traveler, armchair or otherwise. Along with high adventure, it delivers an engaging look at Bhutanandmdash;a country that governs by a policy of Gross National Happiness and that many regard as the last Shangri-La.
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Review
“[Bass] knows how to write; and like his oil witchery, this gift is extravagant and natural.”—Time Time
Review
“Oil Notes pierces the human condition and drills deeply into the heart of mans search for his place on the planet. It is a wildcat find, as rich and textured as the oil Bass sought in this chronicle of life and exploration in Mississippi. His voice hums with the power and rhythm of derricks, pumping language for the last drop of natural beauty.”—Jackson Clarion-Ledger Jackson Clarion-Ledger
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“With the awareness and eye of a naturalist and a writers gift with language, [Bass] offers a low-key, upbeat work that celebrates youthful energy and optimism.”—Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly
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“Rick Bass has accomplished the remarkable feat of doing for oil exploration what Izaak Walton did for fishing.”—Times Literary Supplement Times Literary Supplement
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"An exuberant book, written with care and beauty . . . perhaps a classic in a brand-new form."--Jim Harrison Jim Harrison
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"Rick Bass is the best young writer to come along in many years. Oil Notes is full of fascinating information and vigorous life."--Annie Dillard Annie Dillard
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"A highly readable journey of one man's renewed lease on life."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
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"Beneath Blossom Rain succeeds in merging travelogue with personal contemplation, allowing the armchair traveler to share both the physical and personal journey and taking them beyond a geographic place to a more philosophical one."and#8212;Tim Gebhart, blogcritics.org
Review
and#8220;Entertaining. . . . [Grange] writes well of the beauty he encounters.and#8221;and#8212;Michael J. Ybarra, Wall Street Journal
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"For an immersion in many things Bhutanese, this is the book for you, part of the University of Nebraska Press's excellent Outdoor Lives Series."and#8212;Richard West, Everett Potter's Travel Report
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"The lure of legends and the allure of mountains have possessed the human race for eons. Kevin Grange's remarkable debut, Beneath Blossom Rain: Discovering Bhutan on the Toughest Trek in the World, merges the myth of the Yeti and the tangible Himalayan mountains into a tension-filled journey through Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon."and#8212;Barb Teed, Rain Taxi
Review
"Beneath Blossom Rain, Grange's account of his journey, packs an adventure story, a romantic twist, and a celebration of group travel into a single entertaining book. The result is the ultimate journey for any traveler, armchair or otherwise."and#8212;Sandy Amazeen, Monsters and Critics
Synopsis
Oil Notes is about the excitement of the earth below us, the passing of time, and oil: where it is trapped, how it is discovered, and its gradual disappearance. Writing in the form of a journal, Rick Bass brings a lyric imagination to the oil geologists craft, measuring peoples short lives and relationships against the seemingly immutable history of the earth, showing mountains and forests that do not move while we are free to race across them, living our lives in the ultimate freedom of speed. To dig for oil is a way to dig deep into human experience, a kind of subterranean exploration of self. And nothing escapes this writers eye or imagination.
In lean, considered prose, Basss essays and notes offer fascinating insights into the oil industry while skillfully painting the picture of a young man on the verge of adulthood. Oil Notes successfully conveys the excitement of possibility—a stimulating career, the pursuit of a wonderful woman, the beautiful mystery of the earth—that so addresses and captivates us in our own lives.
Bass provides a new introduction for this edition reflecting how much—and how little—has changed since his youth in the oil industry.
About the Author
Kevin Grange is an award-winning freelance writer who has written for Backpacker Magazine, National Parks Magazine, and the Orange County Register, among others. He has been to Bhutan four times and has completed the Snowman Trek three times, including twice as a guide. A native of New Hampshire, he currently lives in California.