Underland
A Deep Time Journey
📘 About This Book
National Bestseller • New York Times "100 Notable Books of the Year" • NPR "Favorite Books of 2019" • Guardian "100 Best Books of the 21st Century" • Kirkus Reviews "Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far)" • Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award "Mesmerizing…Underland is a portal of light in dark times." —Terry Tempest Williams, New York Times Book Review In Underland, Robert Macfarlane delivers an epic exploration of the Earth’s underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land itself. Traveling through the dizzying expanse of geologic time—from prehistoric art in Norwegian sea caves, to the blue depths of the Greenland ice cap, to a deep-sunk "hiding place" where nuclear waste will be stored for 100,000 years to come—Underland takes us on an extraordinary journey into our relationship with darkness, burial, and what lies beneath the surface of both place and mind. Global in its geography and written with great lyricism, Underland speaks powerfully to our present moment. At once ancient and urgent, this is a book that will change the way you see the world.
📖 Summary
Robert Macfarlane's critically acclaimed book Underland takes readers on an epic and mesmerizing exploration of the Earth's hidden subterranean spaces, looking at how the underworld exists in myth, literature, cultural memory, and the physical land itself. Spanning a dizzying expanse of geologic time, the book serves as a profound portal of light in dark times, guiding us deep beneath the surface to examine our relationship with the planet. Through a series of extraordinary journeys, Macfarlane travels to diverse and remote locations, investigating both the natural wonders and human-made depths of our world. The journey begins in places like the prehistoric art preserved in Norwegian sea caves, where ancient human hands left their mark in the deep dark. It moves onward to the breathtaking, mesmerizing blue depths of the Greenland ice cap, revealing the fragile beauty and monumental scale of glacial formations. From there, the exploration plunges into the dark networks of underground rivers and catacombs, before ultimately arriving at a modern, deep-sunk hiding place designed to safely store nuclear waste for one hundred thousand years to come. Throughout these travels, Macfarlane weaves together science, history, philosophy, and personal adventure to question what lies beneath our feet and what our subterranean footprints say about our civilization. The underland becomes a mirror reflecting humanity's deepest fears, enduring myths, and the heavy responsibilities we carry for the future of the Earth. By descending into the dark, Macfarlane ultimately helps readers see the surface world with fresh eyes, fostering a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of time, memory, geology, and human existence.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Mesmerizing and poetic writing style
Fascinating blend of science, myth, and travel
Explores profound themes of deep time and ecology
Takes readers to unique and remote subterranean locations
⚠️ Cons
Pacing can be slow or contemplative for some readers
Heavy thematic focus on existential and environmental concerns
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of Underland? +
The book was written by Robert Macfarlane.
When was Underland published? +
It was published in 2019.
How many pages does the book contain? +
The book contains 373 pages.
What major awards has the book won? +
It won the National Outdoor Book Award and has been featured on numerous prominent best books lists.
What types of locations does the author explore? +
Macfarlane explores Norwegian sea caves, the Greenland ice cap, underground rivers, and nuclear waste storage sites.
