The Vaster Wilds
- Downloads：9216
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-10-29 07:21:32
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Lauren Groff
- ISBN：0593788958
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Gaelen
，
This would have been a lovely little novella or long short story， but it was a bit too unrelenting for too long。 I also felt like I saw the ending coming a mile away。 The prose is beautiful， though， and the plot held my interest — it was tough to put down。
Christina Gagliano
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What a frustrating book！ It started off so beautifully and interestingly， then it was just the same thing， over and over （piss， sleep， pain， piss， sleep， pain， with some diarrhea thrown in occasionally）。 Writing that was lovely for the first half of the book devolved into showiness and I could barely limp through the last few chapters。 At that point， I honestly didn’t care what actually happened to the girl or if one of her fever dreams was her reality。 I just wanted the book to end。
Sarah Michel
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I’ve read most of her other books and thoroughly enjoyed them。 Loved Fates & Furies。 Not sure what I missed here， but I want the 6 days back I spent reading this。 🤷♀️
Kari
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Groff does an excellent job with the pacing and character detail。 The narrator does a great job voicing it for the audiobook。 The story itself didn't wrap up with a satisfying ending for my own taste。 Groff does an excellent job with the pacing and character detail。 The narrator does a great job voicing it for the audiobook。 The story itself didn't wrap up with a satisfying ending for my own taste。 。。。more
Linda Bloom
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I appreciate the difficulty of writing a book with so little conversation or variety of pov; however， I was skimming it for the same reason 。 Im glad book exists， but wouldn’t read again。
Xlisax1409
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Die Wildnis in ihrer unbarmherzigsten FormEin junges Mädchen， allein in der Wildnis， nur mit der Kleidung， welche sie an ihrem Körper trägt und ein paar hilfreichen Gegenständen， die sie vor ihrer Flucht vor den anderen Siedlern noch einpacken konnte。 Sie läuft vor der Hungersnot davon， ist auf der Suche nach einem besseren Ort zum Leben und entwickelt eine ganz neue Art von Zuneigung zur Natur。Die Umsetzung:Das Cover des Buches sagt nicht viel über das Buch aus und der Klappentext war ebenfalls Die Wildnis in ihrer unbarmherzigsten FormEin junges Mädchen， allein in der Wildnis， nur mit der Kleidung， welche sie an ihrem Körper trägt und ein paar hilfreichen Gegenständen， die sie vor ihrer Flucht vor den anderen Siedlern noch einpacken konnte。 Sie läuft vor der Hungersnot davon， ist auf der Suche nach einem besseren Ort zum Leben und entwickelt eine ganz neue Art von Zuneigung zur Natur。Die Umsetzung:Das Cover des Buches sagt nicht viel über das Buch aus und der Klappentext war ebenfalls ziemlich knapp， trotzdem klang das Buch sehr spannend。Ich weiß nicht genau， was ich von dem Schreibstil halten soll， er ist ziemlich detailreich， was brutale Szenen anging， war vorübergehend allerdings auch etwas schleppend， sodass das Buch manchmal seine Längen hatte。 Insgesamt habe ich sehr lange für die wenigen Seiten gebrauch， da ich oft auch nicht unbedingt die Motivation hatte， um weiter lesen zu wollen。Die Geschichte an sich ist sehr gut， ich hatte anfangs kaum einen Schimmer， warum das Mädchen wegrannte und nach und nach wurden immer mehr Details bekannt und gegen dreiviertel des Buches wusste ich dann， wie es dazu kam。 Der Rest konzentrierte sich dann auf den Überlebenswillen des Mädchens。Das Ende war leider etwas verwirrend und ich hatte mir einen anderen Abschluss gewünscht。Mein Fazit:Ein brutales Buch， welches jedoch sehr authentisch das Leben damals abbildet und einen dazu bringt darüber nachzudenken， was für ein gutes Leben man im Vergleich zum Leben des Mädchens hat。 Da das Buch allerdings nicht wirklich etwas für mich war， gebe ich dem Buch 3，5 von 5 Sterne。 。。。more
Lina
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It is a marvel to behold a story so simple and yet so immersive。 Beautiful！
Amy Christman
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Groff does it again。 Worth a read， intense and emotional。
Josh
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A colonial woman faces a bucolic wilderness that both provides and menaces， and Groff limns a lost America with reverential awe。
Claudia Geib
，
Not at all what I expected。 This is a survival story and a work of historical fiction， but more than anything it is a lyrical meditation on nature and humans' place within it。 The book it reminded me most of was really Becky Chambers' "A Psalm for the Wild-Built，" or the nature writing of Annie Dillard。 Not at all what I expected。 This is a survival story and a work of historical fiction， but more than anything it is a lyrical meditation on nature and humans' place within it。 The book it reminded me most of was really Becky Chambers' "A Psalm for the Wild-Built，" or the nature writing of Annie Dillard。 。。。more
Jeff
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In the early days of colonial Virginia， a young woman is on the run in the wilderness beyond the fortress like settlement。 The story is part My Side of the Mountain and part To Build a Fire， as she struggles to survive amid the harsh conditions， alone in a vast wilderness。 As she deals with the elements， we learn her back story as a servant who accompanied her mistress to the new world without much say in the matter and the reason she is so desperate to leave the safety of the settlement。 It's a In the early days of colonial Virginia， a young woman is on the run in the wilderness beyond the fortress like settlement。 The story is part My Side of the Mountain and part To Build a Fire， as she struggles to survive amid the harsh conditions， alone in a vast wilderness。 As she deals with the elements， we learn her back story as a servant who accompanied her mistress to the new world without much say in the matter and the reason she is so desperate to leave the safety of the settlement。 It's a nice combination of adventure story and historical novel。 。。。more
Annie Rueter
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I really enjoyed this book about a single character attempting to survive alone in the woods。 'The Girl' escapes from a colonial settlement （Jamestown） into the woods， and faces a number of threats including disease， starvation， and other humans。 She was an incredibly resilient and resourceful character， and I feel like I got to know her quite well despite this character having very few real-time interactions with other people。 The flashbacks to The Girl's earlier experiences were very illustrat I really enjoyed this book about a single character attempting to survive alone in the woods。 'The Girl' escapes from a colonial settlement （Jamestown） into the woods， and faces a number of threats including disease， starvation， and other humans。 She was an incredibly resilient and resourceful character， and I feel like I got to know her quite well despite this character having very few real-time interactions with other people。 The flashbacks to The Girl's earlier experiences were very illustrative， and served as a nice break from the monotony of her survival routine which， admittedly， did wear me down a tiiiiny bit as a reader。 I actually heard Lauren Groff speak about this novel in-person at the Vancouver Writer's Fest， before I read the book！ So I was keeping my eye out for things she mentioned， including unexpected twists and reveals （like the reveal about Bess' fate at the end of the book）。 Groff also mentioned the funny use of language – the Shakespeare-like language reflected the time period in which the book was set， but it was also modernized slightly。 Hearing Lauren speak may have made me a slightly biased reader， but I enjoyed the book all the more for it！ 。。。more
Lacey Hoffman
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What in the hell did I just read？ Like the protagonist’s endless journey， this book was one to be endured。 It was part Pilgrim’s Progress， part The Hobbit （with all of the walking and none of the magic）， Robinson Crusoe （without the other characters）， and Waiting for Godot。 Why did I slog through this when I could have read something else？ No idea why this is so popular。 I hate to be brutal but holy hell。It does， however， do a fantastic job of keeping embracing the preachy， Puritan arrogance。
Peggy
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4。5 stars， bumped for the Groff factor。 This is a bleak book that I read at the wrong time， picking it up right after I finished another bleak book （Demon Copperhead） and so I definitely need a break from bleak books。 But I didn't know that when I started this。 Having said that， it's a Lauren Groff book， so it's beautifully written。 Really just stunning prose from start to finish。 I smelled the often vile smells， I could feel the bugs， fleas， and lice crawling on me and setting up shop in my clo 4。5 stars， bumped for the Groff factor。 This is a bleak book that I read at the wrong time， picking it up right after I finished another bleak book （Demon Copperhead） and so I definitely need a break from bleak books。 But I didn't know that when I started this。 Having said that， it's a Lauren Groff book， so it's beautifully written。 Really just stunning prose from start to finish。 I smelled the often vile smells， I could feel the bugs， fleas， and lice crawling on me and setting up shop in my clothes。 I could see the beauty of nature: the waterfalls， the budding trees， the forest canopy， the birds diving and telling their stories。 It's an immersive story。 But it's also a brutal story。 Lamentations （AKA Zed） is on the run。 Her mistress's vile new husband （a priest， natch） dragged them across the Atlantic to the new world and a fort where everyone is starving。 After the death of her charge， the child Bess， Zed sees something vile， grabs up what little she can， steals her mistress's heavy cloak and gloves and RUNS。 This is a story of survival; it's also a coming of age story for Zed who starts with a deep faith in God that gradually shifts as she looks at this new world with more experienced eyes。 It does not shy away from the darkness of Zed's struggles， nor from the baseness of bodily suffering--from the fluids， to the wretched filth and constant pain。 Zed is resourceful and inventive and being in her head is pretty fascinating （and bleak）， but every minute is a torturous struggle， even before she runs。 There is violence of every kind; she suffers every imaginable indignity。 And still she endures。 Each encounter， each struggle wears her down while also opening her up to a deeper understanding of herself， her past （spoiler: also bleak）， and， ultimately， the brutality of the natural world， even as she grasps that colonization will only blight out its beauty and possibility。 We are just with Zed （and a few fearsome men）， running with her， wondering where it could possibly end。 For me， it ended how I expected--bleakly--but the beauty of getting there and the beauty of the final lines， well， whew， they blew me away。 Truly， I think Lauren Groff is a genius to make me love a book as relentless as this one。 。。。more
Suzanne
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I will read anything by Lauren Groff for how she writes。
Perry
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I had not read any of Groff’s books before but I had a feeling that they would not lend themselves to audio。 It seemed like she was too lyrical of a writer for this format， particularly when listening while driving。 Unfortunately， my assessment was correct。 There is beautiful language used， but I couldn’t really tell you what this book was about。
Christine Hopkins
，
"A nothing is a no thing， a nothing is a thing with no past。 It was also true that with no past， the girl thought， a nothing could be free。"5 thoughtful starsNot much happens in this slim novel but it's also possible that everything happens。 Best read outdoors with no one but yourself and nature for company。 "A nothing is a no thing， a nothing is a thing with no past。 It was also true that with no past， the girl thought， a nothing could be free。"5 thoughtful starsNot much happens in this slim novel but it's also possible that everything happens。 Best read outdoors with no one but yourself and nature for company。 。。。more
Heidi
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4。5 stars。 Stunning in its simplicity and reverence。 For a long moment， she saw herself lying in the very center of the palm of god's hand， and the night was made of god's fingers curved to protect her against the blaze of eternity。 And the stars and the moon were the space shining within。 And the air felt good upon her head。 The air brushed the pain out of her head with its long cold fingers。The language is like a memorable wine - you just want to explore it slowly and taste again and again the 4。5 stars。 Stunning in its simplicity and reverence。 For a long moment， she saw herself lying in the very center of the palm of god's hand， and the night was made of god's fingers curved to protect her against the blaze of eternity。 And the stars and the moon were the space shining within。 And the air felt good upon her head。 The air brushed the pain out of her head with its long cold fingers。The language is like a memorable wine - you just want to explore it slowly and taste again and again the beginning of the sentence， the beauty of the thought， the holiness of the imagery。 She would give herself a new name born of her struggle on this new land。 It felt wrong for her to travel through this wilderness without a name; she felt she was walking through the world unskinned。 But no name that came to her seemed right， and soon the fever and the walking burned the idea out of her mind， and she went on walking， still nameless， unmastered， through the wilds。Her writing is gorgeous and so well-suited to this simple， brutal， organic story of one young woman’s flight into the wilderness in the earliest years of our country’s civilization。 Once， she opened her eyes to a moonlit clearing， the trees hunched at the edges into an ardent watching forest; the spring-stirred soil smelled tender in the silvery night， and thickening the sky with its barest of light was the near-dissolved rim of moon。Her flashbacks and the more grotesque experiences in the wild were often difficult to read， but not at all gratuitous。 This story was credible。 The loss of a star dims not the splendor of the constellations。。。I can’t believe that I actually found the ending fitting， suitable for the story！ I began to anticipate it， and not to see it as a tragedy， but as the expected and desired outcome for the girl， as she was most often called。 The only thing meant to be alone is the good sun that shines its endlessly giving heat and light， that one great creator who alone can burn against the nothingness。What a remarkable author Lauren Groff is！ This is the first book of hers that I’ve read。 The wind passed， even as it is passing now， over all the people who find themselves so dulled by the concerns of their own bodies and their own hungers that they cannot stop for a moment to feel its goodness as it brushes against them。 And feel it now， so soft， so eternal， this wind against your good and living skin。I found this novel reminiscent （yet distinctly different from） The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey。 And her voice in some places was also reminiscent of Annie Dillard。 。。。more
MaryAnn
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Amazing story of young girl using her wit and love of nature to carve out a home i the wilds of young America。 You just kept rooting for her to make it！
Bex
，
Brutal and beautiful。 I have to go stare into space for a while now
Chris
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4。5
Rachel Nouvellon Maltas
，
I enjoyed the actual writing of this more than I enjoyed the plot， which sits in the crossroads of a survival novel， historical fiction and the horrors of nature。 It's an extremely vivid read， with a lot of description particularly relating to the sensations in the body and for that I thought it was great for making the character seem more 'alive'。 I enjoyed the actual writing of this more than I enjoyed the plot， which sits in the crossroads of a survival novel， historical fiction and the horrors of nature。 It's an extremely vivid read， with a lot of description particularly relating to the sensations in the body and for that I thought it was great for making the character seem more 'alive'。 。。。more
Vicki
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Adventures in the wilds of young English servant girl who flees the plague and starvation of the English fort at Jamestown。
Barbara Kochick
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Poetic and biblical in wording Groff captures the terror and beauty of a virgin land。 I was with the protagonist every agonizing and exhilarating step of the way。
Kate Guardado
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I was really excited for this book but gosh， I just couldn't get into it。 I finished it because I don't like giving up but it was really slow and boring for me。 It's a survivalist story， which I typically enjoy but there just wasn't enough there for me in the storyline。 I really had to struggle to finish it。 I was really excited for this book but gosh， I just couldn't get into it。 I finished it because I don't like giving up but it was really slow and boring for me。 It's a survivalist story， which I typically enjoy but there just wasn't enough there for me in the storyline。 I really had to struggle to finish it。 。。。more
Jaylynny
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Beautifully written （Groff of course， knows her stuff）， but in the end just too （DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU HATE SPOILERS YOUSE）。。。。。。 unrelentingly bleak and sad。 A small story， a small protagonist with a small life。 But， no life is small and all life is small in the vast bigness of the world。 I just was left 。。。 sad， that after saying over and over that humans are not meant to live a life alone， that this girl was left to live a life alone。 Beautifully written （Groff of course， knows her stuff）， but in the end just too （DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU HATE SPOILERS YOUSE）。。。。。。 unrelentingly bleak and sad。 A small story， a small protagonist with a small life。 But， no life is small and all life is small in the vast bigness of the world。 I just was left 。。。 sad， that after saying over and over that humans are not meant to live a life alone， that this girl was left to live a life alone。 。。。more
Mary McBride
，
4。5Groff’s portrayal of a young girl escaping a colonial settlement is poetic and beautiful and brutal。It’s a story of survival amidst an untamed wilderness and the strength and determination of the human mind， spirit and body。Masterful。
Kkraemer
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In this fever dream， the girl leaves the village to avoid those who would end her life。 She runs and runs and runs some more， into the wild， in which both memory and reality serve to terrify and inspire her。 She knows godliness。 She knows beauty。 She knows terror。 She lives。She has lived through the horrors of the plague in Europe and that in her village in the colonies。 She has known the love of a mother and a child and a man。 She has also known the evil that lives in so many hearts。As she runs In this fever dream， the girl leaves the village to avoid those who would end her life。 She runs and runs and runs some more， into the wild， in which both memory and reality serve to terrify and inspire her。 She knows godliness。 She knows beauty。 She knows terror。 She lives。She has lived through the horrors of the plague in Europe and that in her village in the colonies。 She has known the love of a mother and a child and a man。 She has also known the evil that lives in so many hearts。As she runs， she's overwhelmed by visions of the past and sustained by beauty: the berries， the birds in the sky， the fish left by a mother bear feeding her cubs。 The clouds。 The grubs。 The sound of the wind as it covers the earth， bringing renewal everlasting。This is a holy book。 。。。more
Rachel
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This is a beautiful， haunting book with absolutely gorgeous writing。 I kept rereading sentences just to stay with them longer。 Lauren Groff is incredible。
Susan
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