I was walking through my library after returning my Wells books and this was placed perfectly at my eye level. I did a double take a took the book in my hand, standing for a moment before deciding to give this book a go. I have been thinking about my problems with my phone and social media and thought this would be a helpful and interesting read for me to try to keep those forces at bay in my life.
This book is a very extreme 21st Century Irish equivalent to Walden. Author Mark Boyle swears off ALL electronic technology and plumbing and goes off grid to Knockmoyle, Ireland. I found myself rolling my eyes often because his agenda is not subtle and something I might call Hippie-dippie, but there is a certain idyllic romance to it. Early on, I found this book tonally pretentious and smug, but it takes one to know one I suppose. A quarter of the way through, I seriously considered taking it back to the library because I was having that much of a problem with the author's tone. I kept going because I had found just enough nuggets along the way I had hope there would be more, kind of like how scrolling an algorithm gives you just enough entertainment to keep scrolling. Halfway through I was glad I continued reading. The part that began to resonate with me the most was community. The neighbors all know and assist each other. The space of the pub was also very interesting to me because I've always been repulsed by American bar culture, but there is somethign much deeper in the sole pub of a European town.
Organizationally, I didn't mind how it read. I've seen complaints about it being disjointed and chaotic, but it's a journal. I expect a journal to be messy and all over the place with seemingly disjointed thoughts and stories. I had also seen complaints about Boyle being inauthentic for breaking his self-imposed rules. I actually loved those parts. To see him receive a ride in a car or use a strangers phone or accept a ham sandwich were all points where he did something he said he wouldn't. He did this in order to accept the kindness and generosity of strangers without being insufferable towards them and self-righteous. Overall, I found this read acceptable. I have complicated thoughts because of the tone and content, but if I'm honest, I find it kind of like a mirror. Not really in the sense that it shows me what I am in relation to our modern conveniences, but more in the sense of the type of person I can come across as when I have my head up my own ass.
"The best way to denounce something might ultimately be to renounce it."
"Patience is most critical at precisely the moment it is most difficult."
"Once you stop expecting life to be easy, life suddenly becomes a lot easier."