Countryman's Year

by David Grayson

Hardcover,Octavo, 1943, Green Cloth, PP.270, Illustrations By Thomas Fogarty

Genres: Nonfiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Pen-name of Ray Stannard Baker


Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name

Reviews

[Daphyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want this book to end as I’ve enjoyed it so very much. An ode to nature and living life in the present.

[Jenclone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel the need to defend this author against the other reviewer here - Booker T. Washington said "You cannot keep the Negro in the gutter without staying there with him", and quoting this hardly qualifies as an inappropriate racial slur. I can't figure out what else there could be, unless the references to his Polish neighbors growing onions? Well... they were Polish, and they grew onions. (shrugs) Oh well.

This guy seems to have been from the old stock of New England country intellectuals, those who read widely, loved to think, gloried in the outdoors, and respected their fellow humans. He kept bees with enthusiastic care and collected books about them. He tramped through the woods and fields in the dead of winter reflecting on lines from ancient classics. He had a wry sense of humor and found deep joy in everyday experiences. I love this book - the glimpses of rural Massachusetts in the 1930's! - and need to find an old copy for myself (this one has to go back to the library).

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am browsing through this book at an enjoyable pace, a page per day when the dates are available. I love the daily happenings meeting with random feelings and thoughts about the universe which seem to be stimulated by the beauty of life around. Grayson has a lofty narrator's voice and I find his descriptions inspiring. Sometimes I have to grimace at inappropriate racial slurs. I do think that this book is worth having, in fact I carry my first edition copy that I found in a free box around with me in my bag almost every day.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book. I read it all in one go, but I think I will be reading it again over the whole year. So many wonderful thoughts to meditate on, quotes that celebrate nature and the art of simple living. Topics range from farming, bees, religion, lifestyle, thoughts on modern living, nature appreciation, and just wondering about the meaning of life. I highly recommend this book. Perfect for seasonal contemplations.