From the first chapters of The Good Earth, to the part in Pillars of the Earth where Prior Phillip takes over Kingsbridge priory, to the protagonist taking care of Mr Bowditch in Fairytale… I have always found these portions of books to be soothing and eminently re-readable during tough times.
I don’t know if there’s a better term for what I am describing. I hope this makes sense. It’s the literary equivalent to those rug washing videos lol.
What are your favourites?
There’s a part of Moby Dick where he goes through the steps of what they do once they manage to kill a whale.
It’s fascinating, well-detailed, and just something I never thought about before. If I remember right, they can’t even get it up on the deck but instead have to tow it behind them while they drain the oil. Really fits the book too.
There’s also some very satisfying passages of checking and fixing a motorcycle in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintanance. Makes sense, I know, but again, it fits the purpose of the book.