We are counting down the last few days until Christmas now and we have arrived at day 21 of my Advent calendar. Today’s book is a collection of essays about nature by Richard Jeffries entitled The Open Air. These were originally published in 1885. I have never heard of this writer or his books. The author was apparently from a farming background and wrote essays and articles for newspapers and journals which were later collected into books.
I’m interested to read this book to see what a writer from over one hundred years ago thought of the countryside and how that may, or may not, differ from how we see rural life today. Quite a few of the books in my calendar have been about rural life and landscapes so it is a subject I shall be considering in 2024.
A quick flick through the book shows me that it is well written but accessible to the modern reader. The essays seem to be descriptive and to include subjects such as his favourite gun, the seasons in the forest, wild flowers he loves and what it feels like to enter the city of London from a rural area. Some of the essays are very short and none of them seem too long.
My edition of this book has been published by a small press in 2006 but it is in mint condition and seemingly unread. I shall read it.
Anne Is Reading 