“So the Galapagos Islands could be hell in one moment and heaven in the next…” ~Kurt Vonnegut, Galapagos

NONFICTION

The Encantadas, Herman Melville, 1856. Melville journeyed here almost a decade after Darwin and found the “enchanted islands” to be the most desolate place he’d ever encountered. His descriptions, while accurate and poetic, reveal the disenchantment that he felt on his journey.

Galapagos Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide, David Horwell, 1999. Galapagos Wildlife focuses on the unique inhabitants of the Pacific islands west of Ecuador and covers every aspect of both land and marine wildlife.

Galapagos: World’s End, William Beebe, 1961. Account of a 1924 scientific expedition to the Galapagos.

On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin, 1859. In this influential work of scientific literature, Darwin introduced the controversial theory of evolution that contradicted the biblical story of how life began.

Teaching A Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters, Annie Dillard, 1982. This Pulitzer Prize-winning author has a wonderful essay, titled “Life on the Rocks,” on the islands’ natural history in this collection of writings.

The Voyage of the Beagle, Charles Darwin, 1845. The diary of the founder of evolutionary theory is a must for anyone visiting the islands that inspired him.

FICTION

Galapagos, Kurt Vonnegut, 1985. The late author’s darkly comic novel reviews the state of humankind from the skewed perspective of the survivors of an ill-fated cruise to the Galapagos Islands.

The Origin: A Biographical Novel of Charles Darwin, Irving Stone, 1980. No longer in print, this book is worth tracking down for its gripping telling of the life of Darwin.

The Evolution of Jane, Cathleen Schine, 1998. This novel by the author best-known for her book The Love Letter is a family saga that unfolds on a tour of the Galapagos so merges meditations on Darwin’s theories of evolution and family dynamics.

FOR CHILDREN

Nilo and the Tortoise, Ted Lewin, 1999. The story of a boy who is stranded on an island in the Galapogos and his encounters with animals. For ages 4 to 8.