In the Name of the Hawk
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Summary
She began to train the hardest bird in the world to tame: the goshawk, a symbol of freedom and wildness. Day after day she lived in the hawk's world, leaving people behind and plunging into the wilderness sky. In the process, she reconnected with T. H. White, author of The Goshawk, a book she had read avidly as a child, and followed White's own solitary, hawk-training journey that so resembled hers.
A daughter who had suddenly lost her father, and a destitute writer who created the enduring Arthurian legends, echo each other across a century in the name of the hawk—some wounds never heal; in the name of falconry, they release the hawk in their hands, hoping that the line symbolizing habit, hunger, and companionship, the line falconers call "love," will never disappear…
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers currently experiencing loss or grief and seeking non-traditional paths to healing
- Those with a strong interest in nature writing, animal behavior, and the relationship between humans and nature
- Readers who appreciate a writing style that deeply integrates personal memoir with cultural-historical essays
- Literature lovers who crave emotionally sincere, beautifully written works of intellectual depth
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting a pure guide to falconry technique or outdoor adventure
- Readers who prefer fast-paced, strongly plotted narratives and lack patience for inner reflection and essayistic unfolding
Reading tips
- Read in a quiet environment, giving yourself space to immerse and reflect, following the rise and fall of the author's thoughts
- Pay some attention to the mentions and discussions of T. H. White and his book The Goshawk, which form an important dimension for understanding the emotional and cultural layers of this book
- While reading, consider the dual meanings of "taming" and "being tamed," and how wildness mirrors and heals our humanity
About the publisher
Shanghai People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list focuses on academic monographs and general-interest titles in philosophy, social sciences, politics and law, economics and management, and history. Among its books are Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties History in the Chinese Dynastic History series; The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in foreign literature; the Wenjing Classical Translation Illustrated Edition of The Complete Greek Tragedies of Euripides; and works of social theory such as Max Weber's Economy and Society and Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Its authors include Wang Zhongluo, J.R.R. Tolkien, Luo Niansheng, and Zhou Zuoren.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一部
- 第一章 耐心
- 第二章 失落
- 第三章 小世界
- 第四章 怀特先生
- 第五章 紧握
- 第六章 箱中繁星
- 第七章 隐形无踪
- 第八章 伦勃朗的室内画
- 第九章 成年礼
- 第十章 黑暗
- 第十一章 离家
- 第十二章 难以驯服
- 第十三章 坠落的爱丽斯
- 第十四章 系绳
- 第十五章 铃声为谁而响
- 第十六章 雨
- 第十七章 热
- 第二部
- 第十八章 自由飞翔
- 第十九章 灭绝
- 第二十章 躲藏
- 第二十一章 恐惧
- 第二十二章 苹果节
- 第二十三章 追思会
- 第二十四章 药
- 第二十五章 奇妙之地
- 第二十六章 时间飞逝
- 第二十七章 新世界
- 第二十八章 冬日纪事
- 第二十九章 进入春天
- 第三十章 震动的大地
- 后记
- 注释
- 致谢
FAQ
How is this book different from ordinary nature observation notes or animal stories?
Do I need knowledge of falconry or birdwatching to understand it?
Is the book's tone very heavy and sad?
Comments
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About the author
Public information about Helen Macdonald is limited. Judging from the four works held in the collection, her writing centers on essays, literary nonfiction, and social and cultural themes, with representative titles including Vesper Flights, the trilogy of nature writing on birds, H Is for Hawk, and Falcon. These works mostly revolve around birds and the natural world, blending close observation with a personal narrative voice to form a distinctive style at the intersection of nature writing and memoir. The hawks, falcons, and other birds in her writing are both objects of observation and entry points for reflecting on the relationship between humans and nature, as well as on grief and memory. Her prose combines the precision of natural history with literary introspection, and has thus drawn the attention of readers of nature writing. Because biographical information remains incomplete, this note offers only a brief outline of her subjects and approach.
Chen Jialin is a Chinese author of nonfiction, though publicly available information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot be confirmed. Two of her works are included in the collection: the "Wings of Nature Trilogy" and "In the Name of the Eagle," both of which fall within the category of nonfiction. Judging from the titles available, her writing centers on birds and the natural environment, with eagles and other birds of prey as her main subjects of observation and narration. She blends field observation with personal experience, and her work is concentrated in theme and inclined toward nature writing and life documentary. Such writing is usually both informative and literary, presenting the forms and habits of species while also conveying human attention to and reflection on nature. Because relevant materials are scarce, the full scope of her work and her writing style await further works and criticism; readers can nonetheless come to know her nature-focused, experience-based writing through the two works mentioned above.
