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needilup's review against another edition
3.0
Follows 4 seasons of shepherding. A realistic memoir of his farming life and an easy read. Australian farmers will easily relate. Not long after I read this book James was actually a guest speaker at a lamb conference in Perth, Western Australia!
alicemc25's review against another edition
5.0
I wouldn't have expected that I would become so emotional reading a book about sheep...! It is just so beautifully written with descriptions of the lake district farms and the people that live and work there, and reflections on the link between the past, present and future. A wonderful memoir about a way of life that is so far removed for most people.
ehoyal's review against another edition
4.0
Started off annoyed with this book due to the authors tone and attitude. But as it went along it was fascinating to get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the fell farmers. Even though I’m far from a farmer, I connected with some of his writing about englands countryside and being connected with the seasons. Would recommend if you’re ever visiting the Lakes
hilaryjsc's review against another edition
4.0
Completely delightful while making me rethink how I think about landscapes like the Lake District. Would love if he wrote about the Unesco World Heritage work he's done.
albon's review against another edition
5.0
2017 review:
That's it, I'm packing my bags and leaving for the country side to become a farmer.
The Shepherd's Life is the memoir of a shepherd. And that's it. Sure, he does a couple of other things too, like attend university in Oxford (despite flunking in school) and getting married, but mostly this book is about him and sheep.
If this books sounds extremely uninteresting to you, don't read it, because you will most likely be bored out of your mind. But if you're in any way interested in farming, or sheep, or just how people who reject the life "in the fast lane" and live a more traditional life live, definitely check this out.
Because I really, really loved it. The writing is incredible atmospheric. I highlighted so many good quotes, and if I'm being completely honest I cried a couple of times for some reason. Everything just felt so emotional. I feel like I really connected with James Rebanks (and I can't wait to keep up to date with his life on twitter).
As you can probably tell I'm failing to find the words to explain how much this book resonated with me, so I'll just leave you with a quote that I found really poignant:
«My grandfather was, quite simply, one of the great forgotten silent majority of people who live, work, love, and die without leaving much written trace that they were ever here. He was, and we his descendants remain, essentially nobodies as far as anyone else is concerned. But that’s the point. Landscapes like ours were created by and survive through the efforts of nobodies. That’s why I was so shocked to be given such a dead, rich, white man’s version of its history at school. This is a landscape of modest hardworking people. The real history of our landscape should be the history of the nobodies.»
That's it, I'm packing my bags and leaving for the country side to become a farmer.
The Shepherd's Life is the memoir of a shepherd. And that's it. Sure, he does a couple of other things too, like attend university in Oxford (despite flunking in school) and getting married, but mostly this book is about him and sheep.
If this books sounds extremely uninteresting to you, don't read it, because you will most likely be bored out of your mind. But if you're in any way interested in farming, or sheep, or just how people who reject the life "in the fast lane" and live a more traditional life live, definitely check this out.
Because I really, really loved it. The writing is incredible atmospheric. I highlighted so many good quotes, and if I'm being completely honest I cried a couple of times for some reason. Everything just felt so emotional. I feel like I really connected with James Rebanks (and I can't wait to keep up to date with his life on twitter).
As you can probably tell I'm failing to find the words to explain how much this book resonated with me, so I'll just leave you with a quote that I found really poignant:
«My grandfather was, quite simply, one of the great forgotten silent majority of people who live, work, love, and die without leaving much written trace that they were ever here. He was, and we his descendants remain, essentially nobodies as far as anyone else is concerned. But that’s the point. Landscapes like ours were created by and survive through the efforts of nobodies. That’s why I was so shocked to be given such a dead, rich, white man’s version of its history at school. This is a landscape of modest hardworking people. The real history of our landscape should be the history of the nobodies.»
kelbi's review against another edition
4.0
A memorable book. I don’t think it was at all well organised as the narrative was all over the place. But that is a small quibble. I read it in a sort of dream like state and let it just sweep over me. The author does write very well and the story he tells about farming with sheep in the Lake District is very interesting.
mikedmac's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0