The Fascinating Aural Experience of a Wild Snail Feasting

Kelly Kissinger: Never thought I’d read about a snail, however this is a fabulous book. It teaches you a lot about the life of a snail while teaching you to be aware of the small things in life that you don’t take time to see. Appreciate things around you. Id give this book 10 stars if I could! Always remember the snail!

United States on Feb 22, 2024

Pearl McMoon: A woman dealing with a serious illness when a friend brings her a snail to keep her company. She watches the little creature from her bed. She becomes so interested in the snail she does research. There's plenty of interesting facts on snails.

United States on Feb 04, 2024

Timothy Lee Kerr: “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating” is a serene masterpiece that immerses readers in the symbiotic dance of nature and human existence. Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s eloquent prose transforms a seemingly mundane snail into a profound metaphor, weaving a contemplative narrative that resonates long after the last page.

United States on Dec 27, 2023

jowita: One of the best books I have ever read. Beautiful writing style. Fully of knowledge. I recommend

Netherlands on Dec 12, 2023

WildAtHeart: I have been on my own journey into quietness and slow time this year, barely leaving the house and spending a lot of time in the garden communing with the wild creatures that also call this particular place home. I can really resonate with the way in which connection and communing with the snail brought meaning and a sense of purpose to the authors life. We live in an age where the human way of life is deemed the only one with any value or meaning. In reality there is a whole world out there, quietly going about its business of survival and living, with a lot of lessons to be learned if we only dare to slow down and listen. Let’s face it, we aren’t making a very good job of it at the moment. I love the quote on p 116 on the snails way of life
“The right thing to do is to do nothing, the place to do it is in a place of concealment, and the time to do it is as often as possible”
I think the world could do with a bit of snail time right about now, and this book could lead us there. I really recommend this book.

United Kingdom on Oct 11, 2023

Japan O'Phil: I can think of no better way to rate this splendid and unique little book than by borrowing the words that reviewers have used: moving, beautiful, funny, sweet, wise, and profound. It is all of these things. At first, looking at the unusual title I was in two minds as to whether or not to buy it, but reading the reviews convinced me to try it. I am not disappointed! Highly recommended!

Japan on Dec 02, 2022

Martin: In summary, The Sounds of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey is a memoir about the author, being bedridden and accompanied by a wild snail. What kept her in strive was her curiosity and interest in the snail she kept in a terrarium. I must say this is not a memoir for everyone, unless you're a snail enthusiast. The chapters are filled with captivating moments of her snail grazing on portobellos, producing slime, estivating during the summer months, laying eggs, and more. There's ample information on mollusks in general. Although not apparent, the chapters provide unique perspectives and golden nuggets (or writings) about life and purpose. One of my favorites is "Survival often depends on a specific focus: a relationship, a belief, or a hope balanced on the edge of possibility. Or something more ephemeral: the way the sun passes through the hard, seemingly impenetrable glass of a window and warms the blanket, or how the wind, invisible but for its wake, is so loud one can hear it through the insulated walls of a house." The isolation and dependence between Bailey and her snail created a society of their own. After reading, it is certainly wild (pun intended) to reflect on...

United States on May 18, 2021

coffee drinker in Calgary: For me this was an unexpected journey, one which captivates and calms me still. A meditation on the miracle of life for both snail and man. Thank you.

Canada on Apr 27, 2021

erika: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating è un libro bellissimo. Un esempio di coraggio e di interesse per il mondo delle lumache. Un libro da regalare ad amici, come ho fatto io.
This is a book I want to keep for myself and I have given it to friends. A marvelous example of courage and scholarly research into the life and history of the modest little snail.

Italy on Nov 09, 2019

Bruce: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

This little book of 184 pages I digested at one sitting. I couldn't put it down. From the opening quote of Florence Nightingale that "A small pet is often an excellent companion" to the farewell cameo from "Snails and Their Houses", 1888 about love-making among snails (sorry, but you will have to read the book yourself to find what was said there) the narrative held me spellbound. I thought I knew a good deal about snails, but this little book opened my eyes to a whole new world of discovery about terrestrial snail behaviour.
This is a true story. The author, Elisabeth Tova Bailey, was confined to bed with a debilitating and fluctuating chronic illness that she has fought for over two decades. During one year of this time she became intrigued with the behaviour of a snail that had taken up residence in a small potted plant that a friend had brought her as a present and which was placed next to her bed. Her fascination in the snail's midnight wanderings and reactions to small morsels of different foods introduced into its environment makes for fascinating reading. We are taken on a journey of discovery that includes observations of a hole...

United States on Feb 14, 2012