| The Field By The River: Uncovering the Nature of Country Life | 
 enlarge | Author: Ken Burnett
Publisher: Portico
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £3.95
You Save: £9.04 (70%)
New (23) Used (3) from £2.05
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 75470
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 445
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.8
ISBN: 1906032327
EAN: 9781906032326
ASIN: 1906032327
Publication Date: July 5, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: New
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| Customer Reviews:
Bill Bryson has met his match - this is a delightful piece of writing. September 8, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
One of the secrets of good writing is to interest people in something that they are not especially interested in. The New Yorker specializes in drawing you into 10,000 word essays on obscure subjects - which you enjoy reading, because the writing is so good. And of course in the process you learn a lot about a subject you never thought much about before.
The secret of great writing is to make you very interested in the subject that you don't care about that much at all. Ken Burnett has pulled off that feat with this amazing book.
The thought about reading a book about a field never appeared all that high on my list of priorities in life. After all my nails need clipping, and there's always time for another coffee. However, let me heartily endorse this book as one worth your time, because you will enjoy it immensely.
Full disclosure: Ken is a friend. However I know a lot of writers and generally I don't write positive reviews about the books my friends write - even if they're good.
But Ken's writing is special. I read one of his books before I ever met him. I sent him an e-mail saying that his style reminds me of Bill Bryson's writing. A high compliment indeed. Ken's writing is charming, witty and insightful.
Without giving away too much, let me just say that midway through this book you'll find a delightful tale where Ken's wife disappears briefly. This alone makes the book worth reading.
So do yourself a favor, treat yourself to this book. And you'll be amazed by the things that you notice in the future, all around you.
Is there room for another "countryside" book? July 1, 2008
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
This book has been available for a couple of weeks in a certain large independent bookshop in London and is the latest in an increasingly long line of pastoral books written by someone who is lucky enough to be in a position to retreat into the country and luckily for us is in a position to describe the country in such an eloquent and interesting way. Written as a month by month almanac this book is more than just a "countryside" book. There are discussions on farming practice, mainly as pertaining to the part of Brittany where the author now lives and where the book is largely set, but also leads off on various tangents, most of which reflect the author's thoughts on how man is changing the countryside.
Not a travel book, not a memoir, not a "nature" book, yet all of these things, this book has already been described as a new "year in provence" which doesn't really do it justice as Ken Burnett does not have the smug self satisfaction that came across (at least for me) in that book.
This is a much "earthier" book and is all the better for it.
A lovely summer read
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