English Pastoral

An Inheritance

304 pages

English language

Published July 15, 2020 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:
9780241245729

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3 stars (1 review)

2 editions

Review of 'English Pastoral' on 'GoodReads'

3 stars

James Rebanks is a historian and farmer. English Pastoral is a memoir that presents a view of English farming beginning during his grandfather's farming days and ending in 2020 at the book's publication.



The book is divided into three parts, and these are subdivided into short sections that hold anecdotal tales or brief arguments about the benefits or problems with different farming practices. Rebanks presents a nuanced view, influenced by his reading of Rachel Carson and his life on his family's farm. The overall narrative is about striking a balance between industrialisation in farming and keeping traditions alive, presented with some suggestions for future farming in the last chapter.



The short sections can be enjoyable, but the writing is not very strong and the sections often jump from one topic to another or become repetitive, particularly in the first section. The book could easily have been edited down to about …