Agree. It is interesting that unless you grew up in an agricultural/non-industrialized culture, such things can only be known from reading novels about people that have (and written by people with such first-hand experience).
For example, the book Independent People by Halldor Laxness gives an idea of how critical a domesticated animal could be for survival. In the story, the main character’s wife died because he wouldn’t keep her a cow. Relevantly, he raised the child she left (their child, in fact) because the child was cute more so than out of duty. When the child was 15 or so and less cute he forgot all about her.
The book is longish but so good. He’s got like 50 pages in a row about minute details about sheep.
Yes, usually reading about sheep would be boring. But I suppose this book is so interesting because it exposes one to a world view that they wouldn’t otherwise have known about, in very high relief—and an important component of that world view was the importance of sheep.
Agree. It is interesting that unless you grew up in an agricultural/non-industrialized culture, such things can only be known from reading novels about people that have (and written by people with such first-hand experience).
For example, the book Independent People by Halldor Laxness gives an idea of how critical a domesticated animal could be for survival. In the story, the main character’s wife died because he wouldn’t keep her a cow. Relevantly, he raised the child she left (their child, in fact) because the child was cute more so than out of duty. When the child was 15 or so and less cute he forgot all about her.
The book is longish but so good. He’s got like 50 pages in a row about minute details about sheep.
These sentences seem extremely incongruous to me.
I predict—in advance, even!-- that you are not a fan of Lord of the Rings.
...I liked the movies...
And I would like more information about Lothlorien’s ecosystem. But the movies are epic, I admit.
You worshipper of feudal tyranny and racism!!
Yes, usually reading about sheep would be boring. But I suppose this book is so interesting because it exposes one to a world view that they wouldn’t otherwise have known about, in very high relief—and an important component of that world view was the importance of sheep.