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A review by keepreadingbooks
Village Christmas And Other Notes on the English Year by Laurie Lee
3.0
I will admit, I mainly read this one for the Christmas bits. Or at least, that's why I picked it up in December rather than at any other point this year. And the winter/Christmas part was also by far my favourite, though that could be due to my Christmas-craving mood ;)
Laurie Lee writes in an accessible and very human way about growing up in the Cotswolds in a time where the digital age was still a sci-fi dream. Nature obviously plays a large part in his memories, and so do traditions, both Christian and pagan. That was the essence of village life in the early-to-mid 1900s - traditions, nature, harmony and not least community. Everyone knew everyone and children roamed the village 'roads' freely all year round.
It's idyllic, there's no doubt about that, and he laments the loss of that life more than once, but also admits that memories sometimes make things appear more rosy than they were - such as when he exaggerates how 'every' winter back then was filled with snow and clear days.
It's always difficult to read about other seasons in a particular season. My mood follows the seasons to a large extent, so reading about summer while getting ready for Christmas made it slightly odd - and probably accounts for the fact that after the 'winter' part, I was just eager to finish it and move on to my next Christmas read.
I don't doubt, however, that I'll read more of Lee's work in the near future!
/NK
Laurie Lee writes in an accessible and very human way about growing up in the Cotswolds in a time where the digital age was still a sci-fi dream. Nature obviously plays a large part in his memories, and so do traditions, both Christian and pagan. That was the essence of village life in the early-to-mid 1900s - traditions, nature, harmony and not least community. Everyone knew everyone and children roamed the village 'roads' freely all year round.
It's idyllic, there's no doubt about that, and he laments the loss of that life more than once, but also admits that memories sometimes make things appear more rosy than they were - such as when he exaggerates how 'every' winter back then was filled with snow and clear days.
It's always difficult to read about other seasons in a particular season. My mood follows the seasons to a large extent, so reading about summer while getting ready for Christmas made it slightly odd - and probably accounts for the fact that after the 'winter' part, I was just eager to finish it and move on to my next Christmas read.
I don't doubt, however, that I'll read more of Lee's work in the near future!
/NK