Friday 23 November 2012

A Countryman's Lot, book review

I don't normally read very much at all, but just lately I seem to have made some interesting choices from the library. Also winter is the time for reading anyway, the best place to be is snuggled up with a book, wrapped up and warm. I have taken to reading first thing in the morning. I go downstairs to put the kettle on, come back up and see to my ablutions and brush my teeth, then pop back down and make a mug of steaming hot coffee. Pure bliss as I crawl back into bed and read for an hour or so. A lovely way to start the day.
This is a cracking good read, it was entertaining with plenty of laughs, and it's easy reading. This is the first time I have had a large print book, I always thought they were for people with either a visual impairment, or elderly people with failing sight. I found it so much easier to read. If I glanced away from the book at any time I was able to quickly get back to where I was, rather than getting totally lost in a sea of tiny print and reading the same bit twice untill I eventually found where I had left off. The book didn't make my arms ache either as I was able to hold it further away from my face, so much more comfortable.
I've copied the blurb on the back of the book, cheating I know but it saves me writing an outline of the story. Max and Vicki buy a place at Ramsthwaite, a village that is not listed in my map book, so I assume this is a made up name.
There are a lot of funny characters in the story, Fiery Frank and Little Petal, Apple Tom, Rabbit Joe, Fatty Batty, and Thievin Jack the butcher, to name a few. There are snippets of a Yorkshire dialect splattered throughout, which help to bring the stories alive. Some of it you have to say out loud, as it looks really strange in print. 'Yon little fella, he's supping out of a pittle pot' is, The little man over there is drinking out of a potty. 'The buggers had necked some stuff', means they had eaten a lot.

The stories of unusual finds during house clearances, was a hoot, they found a load of pornography in the house of an elderly gentleman who had passed away. Maybe not so much a gentleman after all, ha ha.

The story of the ducks escaping, and their attempts to capture them made me laugh, especially the bit when they were in the reeds in the river and Baz decided to sail out to them in an old bath tub, with disasterous consequences. He fell in and managed to lose his clothing, emerging from the water totally naked.

I had better not tell you any more, in case you want to read it, but the whole book is light hearted and funny. There are two other books in the trilogy, The Luck of a Countryman, and A Countryman's Lot. I will keep my eyes open for them. The author now lives in Leyburn in North Yorkshire, one of my favourite places. For lovers of the Yorkshire Dales this book is a cracking read.
Toodle pip.  

14 comments:

  1. You make it sound a good read. I shall request it from my local library on Tuesday. Have a good weekend. We, in Herefordshire, are ready for the weather; bad forecast for tomorrow.

    Dianne - Hereford

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  2. Your review of this book is as entertaining as the book sounds so I've put it on my wishlist. I'll be on the lookout for it in our charity shop.

    Elizabeth - Ayr

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  3. "Visually impaired" does not mean blind as a bat. I'm thinking you may have a bit of visualy impairment, like it or not. The book does sound good, probably not available here. but I can look. Reading has no season for me, never has.

    I needed to read a book for school and did not want to buy the novel. I could only find a large print copy of the book in the library. Reading large print caused me to have a horrendous tic in my eye that required a trip to the opthamologist. That book almost cost me an A because the doctor said not to read for a few days...sure, no reading in a Lit class.

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    1. Maybe I should explain. I am short sighted, I do not consider that a visual impairment as it can be corrected by wearing specs. I worked for The Royal Institute for the Blind (RNIB) for a while, and learnt about different kinds of blindness, which cannot be corrected with specs. I consider this to be visually impaired.

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  4. I can spell...lol. Typing is the problem. "visual impairment" is how it is spelled.

    I,too, have visual impairment even though I ear glasses.

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  5. that sounds like a book I would enjoy. Thanks for the review. I have a book review blog as well.

    Gill in Canada

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  6. Sounds a good read. I've got to take some books back so will look out for it.

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  7. I wonder if that's the same James Herriott that wrote "All Creatures Great and Small"? I can see the title of the book you are reading and it looks like it says "James Herriott". Is that right? I love his books! He was a veterinary surgeon and practiced for many years in the Yorkshire Dales. I'll have to check that book out.

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    1. Hi K. The quote on the front was written by James Herriot the vet. He didn't write the book. The author is Max Hardcastle. Sorry if I confused you.

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  8. I'm never without book on the go. I've been reading serious books just recently and could do with a chuckle.
    Jane x

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    1. Some light hearted reading can lift the spirits in this gloomy weather we're having. My next book is heavy going.

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  9. Definitely getting that book from the library, thanks for the heads-up. I read first thing for an hour in the morning - too tired at night and too busy during the day most days.

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  10. Hi Ilona, Thanks for straightening that out. I wasn't sure.

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  11. This sounds like one I'd enjoy reading, I wouldn't have heard of it without you mentioning it in recent posts so thanks for this review :)

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