The Control of Nature by John McPhee
Published 1989 · 82,007 words · about 7 hours at an average pace · Nonfiction, Science Writing, Nature Writing, Literary Journalism
How hard is The Control of Nature to read?
The Control of Nature scores 70 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it quite demanding. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.
- Vocabulary: 78 out of 100
- McPhee employs extensive specialized terminology from hydrology, geology, and civil engineering, such as 'distributary waterscape,' 'hypotaxis,' 'potamology,' 'nuées ardentes,' and 'apalhraun.' While he often clarifies terms through context or explanation, the sheer volume of technical and precise vocabulary demands a high level of reader engagement, placing it above 'Moby-Dick' but below 'Gravity's Rainbow' in its encyclopedic scope.
- Sentence structure: 68 out of 100
- The text features long, complex sentences with multiple clauses and parenthetical asides, characteristic of McPhee's immersive style. While not reaching the extreme hypotaxis of Henry James or Faulkner, sentences frequently extend beyond typical lengths, requiring sustained attention to track intricate relationships between ideas and observations. This complexity is higher than '2666' but more navigable than 'In Search of Lost Time'.
- Abstraction: 65 out of 100
- McPhee grounds his narrative in concrete descriptions of landscapes, people, and engineering projects, yet frequently elevates to philosophical reflections on humanity's relationship with nature. The book consistently explores abstract themes like 'man against nature' and the 'control of nature' through specific, vivid examples, making it more abstract than 'The Great Gatsby' but less purely philosophical than 'Gravity's Rainbow'.
- Information density: 75 out of 100
- The book packs a high volume of scientific, historical, and anecdotal information into each page, detailing complex hydrological processes, engineering challenges, and the social impacts of these interventions. Readers must absorb numerous facts, names, and concepts, often presented without explicit transitions, demanding continuous attention akin to '2666' but less overwhelming than 'War and Peace'.
- Narrative indirection: 55 out of 100
- While McPhee's prose is clear and factual, the book's overarching meaning is largely inferred rather than explicitly stated. The author presents contrasting viewpoints—from the Corps of Engineers' confidence to geologists' fatalism—allowing readers to synthesize the complex implications of human intervention in nature. The narrative avoids direct authorial pronouncements, requiring readers to draw their own conclusions from the accumulated evidence and diverse perspectives.
- Symbolic density: 70 out of 100
- McPhee employs rich, recurring metaphors that elevate literal events into broader symbolic commentary, such as the Mississippi River and the volcano becoming personified adversaries in a 'war' against humanity. The levees are likened to the 'Great Wall of China' or the 'Maginot Line,' imbuing engineering feats with symbolic weight regarding human hubris and vulnerability. These symbols are woven throughout the factual narrative, enhancing its thematic depth without resorting to overt allegory, making it denser than 'To Kill a Mockingbird' but less abstract than 'Moby-Dick'.
- Ironic distance: 68 out of 100
- The text maintains a consistent, understated ironic distance, often highlighting the gap between human ambition and natural reality. McPhee presents the Corps' confident pronouncements and self-congratulatory language ('We harnessed it, straightened it, regularized it, shackled it') alongside evidence of their struggles and the river's inevitable power, creating a subtle critique of hubris. This irony is observational rather than satirical, allowing the reader to perceive the inherent contradictions in the 'control of nature,' similar to the nuanced critique in 'The Great Gatsby'.
- Resolution withholding: 80 out of 100
- The central conflict—humanity's attempt to control nature—is explicitly presented as ongoing and ultimately unresolved. The narrative concludes with geologists predicting inevitable capture and engineers acknowledging the continuous, uncertain battle, emphasizing that the 'slow-motion confrontation' has no foreseeable end. This withholding of definitive closure on the overarching theme is fundamental to the book's message about the limits of human power, creating a thematic irresolution higher than 'The Great Gatsby'.
- Structural complexity: 75 out of 100
- The book employs a non-linear, mosaic structure, weaving together historical accounts, scientific explanations, personal anecdotes, and multiple perspectives across different geographical locations and time periods. Frequent shifts between past and present, and the integration of diverse voices (engineers, geologists, locals, politicians), require the reader to actively synthesize information and connect disparate elements. This constant interweaving of historical and contemporary, scientific and personal, creates a layered reading experience more complex than 'Midnight's Children'.
How The Control of Nature is regarded
The Control of Nature holds a literary regard score of 69 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.