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Meadowland cover art

Meadowland

By: John Lewis-Stempel
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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Summary

Meadowland gives a unique and intimate account of an English meadow’s life from January to December, together with its biography.

In exquisite prose, John Lewis-Stempel records the passage of the seasons from cowslips in spring to the hay-cutting of summer and grazing in autumn, and includes the biographies of the animals that inhabit the grass and the soil beneath: the badger clan, the fox family, the rabbit warren, the skylark brood and the curlew pair, among others. Their births, lives, and deaths are stories that thread through the book from first page to last.

©2014 John Lewis-Stempel (P)2014 Soundings

What listeners say about Meadowland

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting book ruined by the narrator

Had to give up and buy the book as the narrator is incredibly irritating and unsuited to the text. He randomly emphasises the wrong syllables and words and appears to have no understanding of the text whatsoever.
Such a shame, as this could have been a great audiobook.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The wonders of nature spoilt by the narrator

Note to narrator: This is a story about the wonders of the English countryside, not an episode of Top Gear.

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7 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Frustrating read.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The mismatch between the reader's performance style and the text.

While this is not a contender for a contemporary classic of nature writing, (John Lewis-Stempel is ok but no polished, prose stylist) the first person perspective is an engaging landsman's account based upon diary entries and is full of little treasures.

Unfortunately David Thorpe is miscast. His rather emphatic, workmanly rendition sounds like a youthful townie rather than the mature countryman writing about deep connection to place and regional context. There's a prevailing sense of tonal inauthenticity throughout I found difficult to ignore.

I suspect a modest authorial lyricism is also somewhat submerged by this reading. I'm not looking for a Hovis voice-over, but the soul of Mr. Lewis Stempel is that of an authentic contemporary son of the soil, and his account balances unsentimental truth with an admiration for the visionary perspective offered by predecessors picking up pen as plough. So there's a gentle grace to it which has been somewhat downplayed in this particular audio version. Pity.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Meadowland?

At one point the author is obliged to reap the field using a scythe. The spirit of the experience is beautifully captured I thought.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Thorpe’s performances?

Yes, but only if I thought the type of book was compatible with his style.

Was Meadowland worth the listening time?

Certainly.

Any additional comments?

Fans of this sort of stuff would probably be better off reading the book for themselves.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An evocative & enlightening diary of country life

I've read this book in one sitting and then listened to it over a year so as to embrace the seasonal changes he describes so beautifully. I love his disdain for lawns, those 'green deserts marinated in chemicals' and it's easy to see why when he explains (sometimes brutally) the vast life that thrives in his Hereford farm. As well as seasonal change, there's historical change too. Long gone are the days of tweed and bacon sandwiches depicted by James Herriot, now the modern vet is dressed like a 'forensic scientist', determining whether his beloved cows will live or die. Some readers may find the odd description a little jarring in terms of shooting and death. But I found this pragmatic and refreshingly honest to the realities of rural life - and I'm a vegetarian.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful and thoroughly captivating

This book is so wonderfully descriptive and a real education. A truly delightful and captivating read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Transported to a distant and beautiful meadow

chapter on the hand cutting of meadow absolutely brilliant with dry humour and delightful observations. Loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

ruined by a terrible narrator

everyone I know loves this book, but it is like listening to someone read out a shopping list or John Major reading it out. There is no reflection of the poetry of the prose. if I had written this beautiful book I would be distraught to listen to this robotic rendition. He would have been better off narrating the book himself. I have to go and buy the book itself so I can enjoy it without this truly godawful narration.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written book.

I cannot recommend this enough, ecology, biology, folklore, history poetry about our beautiful country. An absolute pleasure to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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England oh Albion

To live in England & not see the country would be a great shame, hence have this as your trip to England.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • LH
  • 06-02-23

Great insight

Lovely, informative, interesting and engaging . Reminds me of years gone by and what we had. Hopefully enlightens people to create habitats for our native flora and fauna

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