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A review by samwescott
After London: or, Wild England by Richard Jefferies
2.0
The method of world-building in this novel was very different than what I've generally experienced in post-apocalyptic/fantasy novels. Instead of burdening the story with clumsy explanations from characters or contrived plot devices that introduce new aspects of the world only when needed (cough*cough*JKRowling*cough), Jefferies just tells the reader about his world upfront. The first section of the novel, "The Return to Barbarism", is the literary equivalent to a nature documentary about a foreign landscape. With lovely attention to detail, this section of tedious description and explanation is made vibrant and compelling.
I wish the same could be said of the rest of the novel. The second section, "Wild England", is an adventure story set in the world that the reader is now acquainted with. It's a typical adventure story of a moody, privileged male protagonist who goes on a quest to seek his fortunes and runs into varied and assorted obstacles. The artful descriptions fall flat in this section of the book and the plot drags along by inches. The protagonist is unsympathetic and the plot seems aimless. The only exciting portion of the story was the discovery of what has become of London and that segment of the book over-corrects and swings into incongruous surrealism. I wasn't bothered by the abrupt ending because I did not feel invested in the adventure.
I recommend reading the first part slowly and savoring the detailed descriptions. They really are beautiful. But then feel free to write your own fanfiction set in Jefferies carefully constructed world, because the story he supplied really isn't that interesting.
I wish the same could be said of the rest of the novel. The second section, "Wild England", is an adventure story set in the world that the reader is now acquainted with. It's a typical adventure story of a moody, privileged male protagonist who goes on a quest to seek his fortunes and runs into varied and assorted obstacles. The artful descriptions fall flat in this section of the book and the plot drags along by inches. The protagonist is unsympathetic and the plot seems aimless. The only exciting portion of the story was the discovery of what has become of London and that segment of the book over-corrects and swings into incongruous surrealism. I wasn't bothered by the abrupt ending because I did not feel invested in the adventure.
I recommend reading the first part slowly and savoring the detailed descriptions. They really are beautiful. But then feel free to write your own fanfiction set in Jefferies carefully constructed world, because the story he supplied really isn't that interesting.