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A review by evfav
Shadowlands: A Journey Through Britain's Lost Cities and Vanished Villages by Matthew Green
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This book was more densely academic than I’d been expecting when I first picked it up, but I was very glad to find myself fascinated by the history and the stories Green tells alongside it.
I attended an event for the book tour and it was wonderful! Green’s discussions were engaging and his speech just as poetic as my favourite passages from the book. He obviously has curated an incredible talent as a wordsmith and storyteller!
I did find the first chapter the weakest point of the book for me, though I think this may have largely been down to me adjusting to an unfamiliar reading experience. If other readers experienced this, I could recommend jumping ahead to the second chapter, as I personally found the story of Old Winchelsea more exciting and engaging. Each chapter of the book tells a tale of a different abandoned settlement, and while there are references to past chapters that meaningfully build the themes of the book, I believe each can be read as a standalone tale.
Overall, Shadowlands is a thrilling and fascinating read with beautiful writing and meaningful contemplations on these abandoned settlements and our relationship with them as individuals, as communities, and as an island.
I attended an event for the book tour and it was wonderful! Green’s discussions were engaging and his speech just as poetic as my favourite passages from the book. He obviously has curated an incredible talent as a wordsmith and storyteller!
I did find the first chapter the weakest point of the book for me, though I think this may have largely been down to me adjusting to an unfamiliar reading experience. If other readers experienced this, I could recommend jumping ahead to the second chapter, as I personally found the story of Old Winchelsea more exciting and engaging. Each chapter of the book tells a tale of a different abandoned settlement, and while there are references to past chapters that meaningfully build the themes of the book, I believe each can be read as a standalone tale.
Overall, Shadowlands is a thrilling and fascinating read with beautiful writing and meaningful contemplations on these abandoned settlements and our relationship with them as individuals, as communities, and as an island.