The Iambics of Newfoundland: Notes from an Unknown Shore

This is a very different book from Robert Finch. Unlike his previous collections of essays (Common Ground, The Primal Place, Outlands, etc.), which fall more under the "nature writing" category, "The Iambics of Newfoundland" is more tilted toward describing the people and culture of Newfoundland. To be sure, Robert Finch never made an artificial dividing line between "nature" and "human" in his other books and essays; he has always said that the landscape (of Cape Cod, which is most his other essays are based on) is a living landscape, changed and shaped by natural and human forces (I paraphrase). Nevertheless, if other books are 90% nature writing, this book probably has just 10%, so it reads more like a travelogue. Yet it distinguishes itself from other travelogues because although Finch humbly labeled himself as an "outsider" of this "unknown shore", he really has lived in Newfoundland for extended periods of time, and as always, his ability to observe and write about the details of the human lives and natural environment gives these essays tapestries of nuances, his descriptions of the accents and dialects of the local people are especially vivid and funny. I am very pleasantly surprised by this book because almost all other books by Robert Finch are about Cape Cod, which is all good, and it will take one a lifetime to really know a place. On the other hand, I have always wished he would venture to other places and write about them. Now, how about the Appalachia where you are originally from, Mr. Finch? I am sure you can do it. Back unto the book, the essays are mostly short ones about the local people and culture, but there are three pieces about a sailing trip from Cape Cod to Newfoundland, a caribou hunting trip and a snow crabbing trip, which give this collection some varied pace. The "nature" pieces are relatively few, but where they are, they are vividly detailed and written with clarity, as all other Finch essays. Some even have an ethereal quality (such as the one about jellyfish). Whether you want to know about the people and culture of Newfoundland, or just want to read a good travel book or some masterfully written essays, you should read The Iambics of Newfoundland. You will feel the rising and ebbing of the tide, the gentle rolling of the ocean and the undulating tundra.

Robert Finch's "The Iambics of Newfoundland" reconnected myself to my own experiences as a visitor to Newfoundland's shores. Having been "from away" Robert's book helped put into words the same generosity and concerns Newfoundlanders exhibited during my time on "The Rock". My definition of a typical Newfie had always been a person that helps though you didn't ask, does more than what you expect and then apologies because they felt they hadn't helped you enough. His book helps show what a truly wonderful community these people are and explains precisely how, after hundreds of years of hardship and uncertainty these families have endured, adapted but mostly kept that keen sense of humour and respect for their surroundings.