As those of you who have been around here for a while know, I suffer from all kinds of medical issues, both physical and mental. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an oddly rich yet short book that manages to encompass an entire piece of nature in incredible detail. Bailey became ill with an unknown condition that kept her bedridden and ill for a lengthy time. At first she felt frustration, then isolation, then depression. She loses not only her ability to take care of herself, but also her ability to experience nature.
One day a friend of hers brings her a dubious gift – a wild snail found in a nearby wood. At first Bailey’s reaction is one of incredulity. What is she supposed to do with this tiny creature? What does it even need in order to survive in her home? At first she places it in a potted violet, which it seems to like. It slowly begins to explore, taking small journeys, but always returning to sleep in its plant home. She begins to notice things – holes nibbled in her mail, interesting behaviours and predilictions for certain foods. As her relationship to this tiny being develops, she is slowly drawn into the small world inhabited by her companion, and she realizes that she needs to learn how to take care of it.
And so her research phase begins. She acquires a small aquarium and fills it with different types of natural matter, some from the forest that is the wild snail’s home. She discovers that snails need eggshells, so she provides these, to great effect. She watches and learns. And, though she doesn’t notice it, she begins to come back to life.
I loved this small book, for several reasons. I am easily fascinated by random things, so her sudden interest in the life of a snail made perfect sense to me. I was very engaged in learning about snails alongside her. I also loved that this small piece of nature became such a large part of her life. I’ve had experiences where a small seed becoming one tiny plant has made a huge difference to my own mental landscape. Which brings me to the main reason why I connected so strongly to this book – it’s an accurate and intimate look at what it is to inhabit a body that is broken, and what that does to your life and your mind. I’ve been through similar situations, I have multiple chronic medical conditions that I will always have to manage, I’ve been through chronic pain and mental health issues. I know what it is to become a prisoner to physical manifestations of bodily frailty that are not within your control. And I know the frustration of having a mind that is as active and alive as it ever was, but suddenly having neither the energy nor ability to do even the basics of taking care of yourself, let alone seeking out fulfilment beyond that from life. Your life can become very small, very fast.
But I also know how much of a difference having another living being depend on you – whether it’s a child, a pet, a plant or, indeed, a snail – can make to not only your mental wellbeing, but your will to live, and to recover. Sometimes being able to connect to a living being outside of your miserable self is a hugely therapeutic experience, as well as providing a tether in the healthy living world.
I adored this book. It may be small, but like the snail who inhabits its pages, it has a huge impact. I loved every moment I spent listening to it – so much, in fact, that I am currently re-reading the print copy so I can mark my favourite passages! I recommend this to every single one of you. It’s absolutely beautiful.
In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris —a common woodland snail.
While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own confined place in the world.
Intrigued by the snail’s molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and mysterious courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, providing a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this underappreciated small animal.
Told with wit and grace, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world illuminates our own human existence and provides an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive. – Goodreads
Book Title: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Author: Elizabeth Tova Bailey
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: Algonquin Books
Released: August 15, 2010
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Illness, Nature
Pages: 208
Date Read: August 24-25, 2023
Rating: 10/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.14/5 (16,884 ratings)
Wonderful review! You really captured what makes this little book so special 🙂
Sue
Book By Book
Thank you so much! I love this book so much. It is one I know I will always have nearby to reach for during bad health episodes, and it’s one I will be recommending far and wide. It was hard to try and write about why it meant to much to me, because the reason it meant so much was one that (hopefully) few readers have had to go through! It seems as if you very much get it, and for that I’m both sorry and feel a sense of solidarity!