Round About a Great Estate


Read by Steven Seitel

(4.7 stars; 13 reviews)

John Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) wrote of country life, natural history, and agricultural practice at a time when the industrial revolution was bringing great change to long-settled patterns of English life. In this book, a work of fiction, he aims to tell us something of "the former state of things before it passes away entirely.”

This is a gentle book with a keen eye for the beauty of the countryside, the uncultivated bonuses of plants and flowers; the antics of the birds and wild animals; and the agricultural practices, superstitions, and great generosity of the simple country folk who live on or about the Great Estate of the title. - Summary by Steven Seitel (3 hr 36 min)

Chapters

00 Preface 2:52 Read by Steven Seitel
01 Okebourne Chase. Felling Trees. 20:59 Read by Steven Seitel
02 Cicely. The Brook. 23:07 Read by Steven Seitel
03 A Pack of Stoats. Birds. 20:50 Read by Steven Seitel
04 Hamlet Folk. 22:53 Read by Steven Seitel
05 Wind-Anemones. The Fishpond. 22:58 Read by Steven Seitel
06 A Farmer of the Olden Times. 23:19 Read by Steven Seitel
07 The Cuckoo-Fields. 19:46 Read by Steven Seitel
08 Cicely's Diary. Hilary's Talk. 19:53 Read by Steven Seitel
09 The Water-Mill. Field Names. 20:49 Read by Steven Seitel
10 The Coombe-Bottom. Conclusion. 18:58 Read by Steven Seitel

Reviews

peaceful


(3.5 stars)

There's no plot here, it's just a relaxing vacation in the country at the end of the 19th century. The author truly has a gift for vivid nature description without sentimentality. Climb into your hammock, sip some lemonade, and enjoy.