- Joined
- Thursday March 30, 2017
The first new 'proper' book I have had in some time. My reading has mostly been confined to the Kindle recently - mostly for financial reasons. Which is fine - but it isn't the same as holding a book in your hands. This was a gift from friends who stayed the night to break their journey from Bournemouth to Skye on Thursday. An anthology of nature writing on Britain and Ireland - I like this sort of format - you can pick it up and put it down as you fancy. A few of the authors I have read already, some you would expect in such a volume: Robert Macfarlane, Roger Deakin, Nan Shepherd, Laurie Lee, George Monbiot and Gavin Maxwell. To name but a few. Some though, I've never heard of. The first piece I chose was by the poet John Clare (late 18th - mid 19th C.) an account of his 100 mile journey home to Northhamptonshire on foot after absconding from a psychiatric hospital in Epping Forest. I was aware of his importance as a poet - I'm not good with that form of literature, but never read him; I had no idea he had written any prose. At the time, much like most of his life, he was suffering from florid mental health problems and this really comes across; it is a very affecting piece. Nature and the journey were an attempt at self-medication for him. As I say, affecting. I look forward to what other jewels this book has between the covers. Yours - I.
@Blademonkey @Scotshave