Consolations by David Whyte
I don’t remember how or why I came across David Whyte’s work, but I’m very thankful I did.
Consolations is a collection of short essays and poems. Each entry is just a page or two—a few hundred words at most. But Whyte packs an incredible amount of meaning into that small space.
His writing has this rare combination: beautiful vocabulary and keen observation of how life is actually lived, paired with the deep craft of saying something meaningful in very few words. It’s the kind of writing that doesn’t exist much anymore. When we think of great books, we usually think of long novels. But there’s real mastery in creating something this short and this dense.
The book is short in length but not short in time. It takes a while to get through because each piece demands you slow down and think. It’s restorative and contemplative in the best way.
What I Liked
Whyte is an incredible writer. The vocabulary, the observations, the care in every sentence—it’s all there. And the format works perfectly. You can read one entry, sit with it, come back later.
This isn’t thought-provoking in an internet blog post or video essay kind of way. It’s deeper than that. Much more contemplative.
What I Didn’t Like
Not much to criticize here. If anything, I wish I could remember how I first found his work so I could thank whoever recommended it.
Wrap-up
If you’re looking for something meaningful and thought-provoking that isn’t just another long novel or shallow internet content, Consolations is absolutely worth your time. Highly recommended.
- Incredible writing with beautiful vocabulary and keen observations
- Perfect format for contemplative reading—short entries you can sit with
- Restorative and deeply meaningful without being preachy or over-earnest
- Takes longer to read than length suggests due to contemplative nature
- Limited criticism—hard to find significant flaws
