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A John Clare Flora 2016 by M.M. Mahood

andrewspink's review

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5.0

Being a fan of John Clare as well as a botanist, I had high expectations of this book. I was not disappointed. The organisation is straightforward; the author takes us through all the species mentioned in Clare's works in the order they occur in the flora. Recent changes to taxonomy mean that several plants are in different families or genera than I learnt many years ago, and she helpfully explains the differences to keep us on track. More interestingly, there is a lot of information about the names that Clare used and how that differs from current English names. Also interesting, but rather depressing, we are also informed about all the species which Clare knew and have now become extinct in the area where he lived.
Of course the heart of the book are all the quotes from the poems where John Clare mentions the plants. Manhood takes care to explain their context, both in the landscape and in Clare's troubled life.
The book is a gem and a joy to read.
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