Reviews for Off-Season: Discovering America on Winter's Shore

The average rating for Off-Season: Discovering America on Winter's Shore based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-11-08 00:00:00 Donald Underwood I love the beach in winter, any beach, anywhere, the cool temperatures have a way of keeping away the tourists, and revealing the stillness, and the bareness, of life close to the water. While Ken McAlpine gives us glimpses of this scene, his stories are more snapshots: of the water, of the sand, of the small towns and decrepit boardwalks he found in his travels. And conversations with people, all kinds of people, some interesting, some not. Maybe I was expecting too much, or maybe Ken McAlpine tried to cover too much, but I was left with a feeling of just tasting these different places, and never really settling in for a good, long spell. I was left wanting more, but maybe this would suit those not as drawn to beaches as I am.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-08-05 00:00:00 Traci Casto While I think this author has a lovely knack for introspective description, I think this book is trying to do too many things at once. It's one thing to write a book about the solitary nature of travel, and another thing to write another book about how gentrification and industrialization threaten ecosystems (human and natural), and still another to attempt an anthropological review of a highly diverse group of people. To do all three at the same time without a more unifying thesis statement doesn't make for the easiest reading experience. It's too bad, because much of this is a brisk, fun read. It just left me with a sense of, "OK. So?"