- Paperback: 270 pages
- Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; New edition edition (Dec 1980)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192812661
- ISBN-13: 978-0192812667
- Product Dimensions: 18.2 x 11.6 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 510,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
In two parts. I. The Relapse into Barbarism. II. Wild England. With an introduction by John Fowles.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First published in 1885; and this still reads pretty fresh. Slightly old-fashioned, perhaps; but fresh. Jefferies is a wonderful describer of nature, and nature is one of the main protagonists here. In this book civilization has gone under, nature has come back, and only small groups of humanity have banded together in a tribal, or at most medieval/baronial, fashion. The centre of England has become a vast sweet-water lake, where some ships ply; other communication is very difficult, because of the tractless forests and hostile tribes. Felix Aquila, our hero, is a bit of a stranger among his own people; he lacks the keen prowess for war and is more of a thinker. He feels slighted by his family and that of the woman he loves, and decides to build a canoe and go exploring on the great lake. His travels and travails are the stuff of this book - but more than just an adventure story coupled to a post-disaster world this is very good writing indeed. Thoughts about human disequality and ones feelings towards that; about feeling different, and the difficulty of coping; and the power of a dream, and doing something about it. A mild and thoughtful epic, a good tale, and some beautiful writing make this an excellent book.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Interesting book marred by rather poor quality, print-on-demand book design. It shouldn't cost any more to produce a copy that doesn't look amateurish.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jefferies' AFTER LONDON is one of the earliest sample works of 'post-catastrophe' fiction in English: one of those books which deal with events after dire events have wrecked civilisation, frequently reducing it to barbarism. It is divided into two parts: the first, and shorter, being a detailed account of the resurgence of nature in the aftermath of an (unspecified) national disaster; the second a more conventional account of the society which remains, which has reverted back to a variant of medieval feudalism. Hero Felix seeks to justify and claim the love of Aurora, an idealised figure beyond his reach due to the social strictures of his time. He sets out his man-made canoe to prove himself and his encounters with the world make up the remainder of the book. The novel finishes rather abruptly; bearing in mind how close it appeared to the end of Jeffries' own life that was marked by failing health, one wonders if a sequel was planned or if the writer was obliged to end things earlier than he might otherwise have wished.
As a writer Jefferies' main stengths lay in the power of his descriptive prose - something recognised and valued by his contemporary readership - which is almost photographic in style, revealing a real love of nature and natural phenomena. No surprise, then, that the best parts of AFTER LONDON are those from in the first part. Written, it seems by some unnamed future natural historian, the first section has also been the most influential on later writers. The second part often has the same static, observational quality which, given the needs of narrative of this part is sometimes less effective. Felix's quest is in no hurry getting started and a modern reader, used to modern pacing, may feel restless. However the two or three chapters which later describe Felix's entry and exploration of the black swamp play again to Jefferies' strengths as a writer, providing an apocalyptic vision made both real and symbolic at the same time. This hellish journey is, undeniably a great highlight of his book and worth the wait.
AFTER LONDON's odd structure is both a strength and a disadvantage: it allows Jefferies to play to his strengths as naturalist but also weakens the structural integrity of his work, leaving any real action to wait while the reader is left to guess at suggested origins of the narrator who, presumably, recounts both halves but who leaves little clue as to his own historical perspective. Modern readers however will still find much to enjoy in an original work which contains (in this reviewer's opinion) some of the most remarkable scenes and sustained descriptions of the natural world in English fantasy.
As a writer Jefferies' main stengths lay in the power of his descriptive prose - something recognised and valued by his contemporary readership - which is almost photographic in style, revealing a real love of nature and natural phenomena. No surprise, then, that the best parts of AFTER LONDON are those from in the first part. Written, it seems by some unnamed future natural historian, the first section has also been the most influential on later writers. The second part often has the same static, observational quality which, given the needs of narrative of this part is sometimes less effective. Felix's quest is in no hurry getting started and a modern reader, used to modern pacing, may feel restless. However the two or three chapters which later describe Felix's entry and exploration of the black swamp play again to Jefferies' strengths as a writer, providing an apocalyptic vision made both real and symbolic at the same time. This hellish journey is, undeniably a great highlight of his book and worth the wait.
AFTER LONDON's odd structure is both a strength and a disadvantage: it allows Jefferies to play to his strengths as naturalist but also weakens the structural integrity of his work, leaving any real action to wait while the reader is left to guess at suggested origins of the narrator who, presumably, recounts both halves but who leaves little clue as to his own historical perspective. Modern readers however will still find much to enjoy in an original work which contains (in this reviewer's opinion) some of the most remarkable scenes and sustained descriptions of the natural world in English fantasy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nice idea, poor execution.
I read this book because it was highly spoken of by reviewers of other post-apocalyptic books. But to be honest, I found it quite disappointing. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Connor
Am I the only one who doesn't like this book?
This isn't a terrible book in itself, but I personally didn't enjoy it very much. I read it purely because it's one of the earliest examples of apocalyptic fiction that I could... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Dr. Andrew Phillips
Eerie backdrop, somewhat disappointing plot
This novels portrays a well drawn and quite eerie depiction of a London and an England after some devastating apocalypse has transformed the landscape and driven away or killed... Read more
Published 14 months ago by John Hopper
Interesting but annoying
I read this book on the strength of another of Richard Jefferies' books - Bevis - that I enjoyed as a child. This was somewhat less enjoyable. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Alistair
A voyage through post-apocalyptic England
First published in 1885; and this still reads pretty fresh. Slightly old-fashioned, perhaps; but fresh. Read more
Published on 13 April 2008 by H. Beentje
A voyage through post-apocalyptic England
First published in 1885; and this still reads pretty fresh. Slightly old-fashioned, perhaps; but fresh. Read more
Published on 13 April 2008 by H. Beentje
Amazingly prophetic
Written in the mid 19th century, this novel rings so true today, its scary ! If you are into dystopia, this is for you.
Published on 9 July 2007 by Mr. P. S. Taylor
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