Underland: A Deep Time Journey is a book by Robert Macfarlane and the sequel to The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot. Initially published in English on 2 May 2019 by Hamish Hamilton in the UK and on 4 June 2019 by W. W. Norton & Company in the US, the book has been translated into over a dozen languages. An audiobook, read by Matthew Waterson, was also released in June 2019 by HighBridge Audio.
.jpg) First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Robert Macfarlane |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Matthew Waterson |
| Cover artist | Stanley Donwood[1] |
| Language | English |
| Subject |
|
| Published |
|
| Publication place | England |
| Media type |
|
| Pages | 496 |
| Awards | |
| ISBN | 978-0-393-24214-0 Hardcover |
| OCLC | 1054001747 |
| 551.447 | |
| LC Class | GN755 |
| Preceded by | The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot |
| Website | www |
| All identifiers refer to the Norton international edition, published in June 2019, unless otherwise noted | |
The book is a descriptive journey by the author of different subterranean landscapes that he explores, including caving in the Mendip Hills, the Catacombs of Paris, the Karst Plateau, an underground laboratory for detecting evidence of dark matter, and descending into a glacier's moulin among other explorations. These underground spaces represent "burial and unburial and deep time." Through these underground journeys the book sheds light on the impacts and consequences of human actions within the Anthropocene geological epoch.[6]
Reception
editUpon release, Underland was generally well-received. According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on 35 critic reviews with 26 being "rave" and 7 being "positive" and 2 being "mixed".[7] In Books in the Media, a site that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a 
(4.22 out of 5) from the site which was based on 15 critic reviews.[8] On Bookmarks Magazine Sep/Oct 2019 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a 
(4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with a critical summary saying, "Macfarlane is foremost a poet, “evoking place and mood with astounding economy” (Wall Street Journal)".[9]
The book has received awards and honours, including being a Sunday Times,[10] New York Times,[11] and Los Angeles Times[12] bestseller. It is a 2020 American Library Association Notable Book,[5] and has won The 2019 National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature,[2] The 2019 Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing,[3] and was named the 2020 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Robert Macfarlane on working with artist Stanley Donwood for the cover of Underland". www.penguin.co.uk. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ a b "2019 Winners of the National Outdoor Book Awards". National Outdoor Book Award. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ a b Flood, Alison (15 August 2019). "Robert Macfarlane finally wins Wainwright nature writing prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Stanford Dolman Travel Book o..." Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Notable Books List". RUSA Update. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ Dalrymple, William (8 May 2019). "Underland by Robert Macfarlane review – a dazzling journey into deep time". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "Underland". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Underland Reviews". Books in the Media. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Underland" (PDF). Bookmarks Magazine. p. 26. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Books: The Sunday Times Bestsellers, May 12". The Sunday Times. 12 May 2019. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "Science Books - Best Sellers". The New York Times. July 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Bestsellers List Sunday, 25 Oct 2020". Los Angeles Times. 21 October 2020. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 27 December 2020.