Wednesday 2 March 2016

Book Review: The Forest

THE FOREST
This is a massive tome. I really enjoyed it. It is 784 pages long! One cannot finish it in one sitting, and it takes time to digest it all. I thought it amazing. There is such a epic story that shows the how human changed over the years. It covers 6 families, of varied segments of society, over 900 years all who live in this 100,000 acre woodland in southern England.

He is a prolific author and I truly enjoyed his style. It is a rich, amazing book, and I have thought of it several times, and suggested it to a number of fellow bloggers. Life in Canada is very different from these anciently civilised countries, where the land has been inhabited for ever, resources are exploited and people vie for work or land.

It is an historical fiction, and I enjoy seeing how people's lives have changed from a Hunting and Gathering Society, to Agricultural, and so on. With technology, as well as the changes biopsychosocial and emotional changes over time, it makes for a thoughtful read. (I taught Primary/Junior student teachers one semester: Social Studies-Mar. 2005.  This would have been a good background read. )  




THE FOREST (2000) is the natural companion to SARUM. From the time of the Norman Conquest to the present day, the New Forest, which lies just south-east of Sarum on England's southern coast, has remained an almost mystical place, famous for its deer, ancient oaks, thatched cottages and forest ponies. It has also been known for smuggling, the building of great sailing ships, and witchcraft


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@Barrie Summy


From hunter - gatherers, to techies! Life sure has changed. I first began working on this PPT while trying to teach my grade 6 students the differences in hunting and gathering societies, then agricultural societies, and on into the newest eras.




6 comments:

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
There is a Nepean River bordering Western Sydney, rising in the Southern Highlands and ending at the settlement of Richmond - The more I study the Canadian map, the more I find similarities to OZ!!! YAM xx

troutbirder said...

I taught 8th grade World Geography in a 2 hour class with our English teacher and we focused our shared curriculum with YA novels. It was a great plan and lots of fun...:)

William Kendall said...

That does sound like a demanding read!

Karen said...

I am right in the middle of THE FOREST right now. I picked it up as soon as I finished SARUM.
Edward Rutherford is one of my favorite authors. I first "met" him when I read his book "NEW YORK". My ancestors were among the first (white) Dutch settlers in what is now New York City. They were soon followed by some of my British ancestors. Their genealogy and stories are well document. I found that Rutherford's book fleshed out what I already knew.
Respecting his work as I did, it was only natural that his British stories should follow.
I hope he has a new book out soon!

Linda McLaughlin said...

Sounds fascinating, but I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge of a 784-page book! Worth a try, though.

Red said...

Now I've read many Edwin Rutherfurds. I like historical fiction.