Far Away and Long Ago A History of My Early Life W H Hudson 9781530057573 Books
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W.H. Hudson was a late 19th century English naturalist who also wrote historical fiction such as The Purple Land that England Lost Travels and Adventures in the Banda Oriental, South America (1885)
Far Away and Long Ago A History of My Early Life W H Hudson 9781530057573 Books
William Henry Hudson is an interesting case in that he belongs to two literatures, that of Great Britain and that of Argentina, where he is sometimes referred to as Guillermo Enrique Hudson. All of his writings are in English, yet he has secured for himself a spot in the Argentinean canon. This is nothing short of a miracle. He may not be as highly regarded in Great Britain, and this makes sense when one considers the competition at the time he was producing his works. _Far Away and Long Ago_ represents my first experience of Hudson's work. This book is revered by many Argentineans, and I now count myself as one of them._Far Away and Long Ago_ covers Hudson's life from the first impressions he recalls up to his fifteenth birthday, so we're roughly speaking of the years 1844 to 1859. This is the time of Juan Manuel de Rosas, one of the many turbulent epochs Argentina has experienced. Now, many books have been written about this period, and Argentina's so-called national novel, José Mármol's _Amalia_ (1851) depicts life during those years. What makes _Far Away and Long Ago_ interesting is that this is the perspective of a foreigner. Yes, Hudson was actually born in Argentina, but as he says in this memoir he always referred to England as "home" (something his brother found funny), and he moved there when he was in his early thirties. A reading of _Far Away and Long Ago_ will reveal an interesting, hybrid observer, one that is neither Argentinean nor British, but a combination of both. As an American/Argentinean hybrid, I could relate to his situation (the transnational condition), and I understand it perfectly. One belongs neither here nor there, or one belongs in both places, but in both places one's perspective remains that of an outsider.
This memoir is characterized by a nostalgic outlook. To Hudson, boyhood was paradise, and this sense of bliss was heightened by the fact that he spent it in a relatively wild place, a sort of Garden of Eden. It was inevitable that he should develop an interest in nature that often borders on pantheism. The most beautiful passages in _Far Away and Long Ago_ are those in which Hudson describes his close relationship with Nature. This is expected of an author who wrote books titled _Argentine Ornithology_ (1888), _The Naturalist in La Plata_ (1892), and the two-volume _Birds of La Plata_ (1920). In fact, Hudson was so in love with the natural world that in time he ceased to think about the possibility of an afterlife. He devotes quite a few pages of his memoir, by the way, to his struggle with religious concepts, and while I do not agree with his views I found the development fascinating to read.
Hudson's descriptions are vivid and unforgettable. Not many people seem to read him today, and he may be read more in translation by Argentineans than in the English-speaking world, but he was definitely a master of the craft of prose. John Galsworthy said of him: "For all living authors--now that Tolstoi has gone--I could least dispense with W. H. Hudson." Hemingway was another admirer, particularly of _The Purple Land_ (1885; Hudson's first and probably most famous book) and of _Far Away and Long Ago_. Like Hemingway, Hudson has a keen eye not only for landscape, but also for detail. His descriptions of the local flora and fauna (especially of birds) are meticulous, minute. The Pampas, that dry, flat region of Argentina (the Argentinean Texas, as I call it), will come alive as you read this book. _Far Away and Long Ago_ is also full of memorable characters, such as the beggar known as "The Hermit," Mr. Trigg the schoolmaster, Margarita the nursery maid, Anjelita [sic, should be Angelita], Don Gregorio Gandara [probably Gándara], Don Evaristo Peñalva, Father O'Keefe, and of course, Hudson's family (I was quite moved by his portrayal of his relationship with his mother), and the many gauchos who philosophized with the young naturalist the way Viejo Vizcacha philosophizes in Argentina's national epic, José Hernández's _Martín Fierro_ and its sequel (1872, 1879).
Memorable scenes abound. Hudson relates, for instance, the shock he experienced upon witnessing for the first time the slaughter of cattle, an impression of horror that--quite understandably--never left him. There are also descriptions of the famous fights between gauchos, the ones you may have read about in some pages by Borges. One of my favorite chapters was the one that deals with his first visit to Buenos Aires, the Capital. Even back then, Buenos Aires was quite perplexing, even overwhelming. Hudson paints an interesting portrait of Juan Manuel de Rosas too, and he relates the effects that civil war had on his family. Rosas is a figure that still causes great division among Argentineans. To give an example, in the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza, a subway station was given the name Juan Manuel de Rosas, and this caused quite an uproar: Justo José de Urquiza was Rosas' enemy, the one who defeated him. Hudson does not come to a conclusion regarding Rosas, but he does present several perspectives on this contradictory figure.
I enjoyed _Far Away and Long Ago_ (or _Allá lejos y hace tiempo_, as it is known in Argentina) so much that I will continue to read Hudson. I'm specially interested in his novels, of which at least two are regarded as masterpieces: _The Purple Land_, and _Green Mansions_ (1904). Incidentally, his second novel, _A Crystal Age_ (1887), is an early example of dystopian fiction. All of these, and many more of Hudson's books, are now available for free.
_Far Away and Long Ago_ has been adapted to film at least twice, both times in Argentina. I've seen the 1978 version, directed by Manuel Antin (who also directed _Juan Manuel de Rosas_, and adaptations of Cortázar's short story "Circe" and Güiraldes' gaucho novel _Don Segundo Sombra_). I remember enjoying the film; how faithful it is to the text, I cannot say, as it's been a while since I saw it. If I ever watch it again, I'll come back and add a comment here.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
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Tags : Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life [W. H. Hudson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. W.H. Hudson was a late 19th century English naturalist who also wrote historical fiction such as The Purple Land that England Lost: Travels and Adventures in the Banda Oriental,W. H. Hudson,Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1530057574,HISTORY General
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Far Away and Long Ago A History of My Early Life W H Hudson 9781530057573 Books Reviews
Where the tall Pampas grass grows, you are taken on a voyage seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in the wild Argentine plain. Images abound, and characters emerge thrilling the reader and inviting you in to explore this rich environment.
I especially liked the concept of the rich Spanish cattle baron after 100 years of living in the pampas how there were no longer any vegetable gardens and nice aromatic blossoms, as the livestock of all kinds subsequently destroyed all of the frivolities of life. This book is references in Hemmingway's "Garden of Eden".. Thanks for the heads-up Hem!
Very well-written memoir from a childhood immigrant to Argentina. A boy describes life in 1840-50 on the Pampas with his family of English middleclass. The surroundings were perfect for exploring on foot and horseback. Lots of wildlife were easily observed and the boy became a naturalist. Gauchos herded cattle and had a wild adventurous culture, and nature was generally benign but sometimes destructive. Much later in life Hudson wrote Green Mansions, which led to a movie of the same name. (the movie had that name; I'm not sure about the book.)
This is almost an adventure book, about a boy who was free to do what he loved, wander the large untamed area around his home in Argentina, alone or with a pony, discovering secrets of the birds and other creatures of those vast grasslands. Also, I discovered here that it was Hudson who had written "Green Mansions", a book I read in my grandfather's library when I was young enough to find it strange and disturbing (man's inhumanity). I would recommend this as a very interesting and rather unusual read.
I read about Hudson’s work in a literary piece about ‘great forgotten literature.’ Far Away and Long Ago was the favored of the books. It is his biography of his early years on the pampas south of Buenos Aires.
The early and late nineteenth century were years of great isolation in this part of the world. Many Europeans settled in Argentina, which was then one of the two or three richest countries in the world. But those on the pampas were rich, with vast estancias; they survived with smaller, often poor estancias, some times with bizarre, lonely individual surviving through simply iron will; then, the gauchos, with only a bedroll and what would be carried on horseback. The violence and beauty of the landscape is always there, too.
Hudson was driven by his interest in birds and, secondly, in other animals and wildlife. His descriptions of birds in their environment, of snakes under the house, of fishermen in Buenos Aires, of violent fights between gauchos it is all part of an amazing youth. He saw more by ten or twelve years of age than many of us see in an entire life time. I will read on in his story of when of his return to and adult life in England.
This is one of the most interesting books I have read in my long lifetime. It is difficult to imagine more contrasting environments for a boy to be raised in than the Pampas of Argentina and any part of England, and this is the autobiography of an English boy whose family was transplanted to long ago, rural Argentina. This was then an an era when the Argentine flora, fauna, weather and people contrasted sharply with most people's idea of a traditional English way of life.
I particularly enjoyed the author's descriptions of Argentine birdlife and of the now vanished Pampas as they then existed. The author's upbringing of total freedom in rural Argentina is in stark contrast to today's totally programed and structured American childhood.
William Henry Hudson is an interesting case in that he belongs to two literatures, that of Great Britain and that of Argentina, where he is sometimes referred to as Guillermo Enrique Hudson. All of his writings are in English, yet he has secured for himself a spot in the Argentinean canon. This is nothing short of a miracle. He may not be as highly regarded in Great Britain, and this makes sense when one considers the competition at the time he was producing his works. _Far Away and Long Ago_ represents my first experience of Hudson's work. This book is revered by many Argentineans, and I now count myself as one of them.
_Far Away and Long Ago_ covers Hudson's life from the first impressions he recalls up to his fifteenth birthday, so we're roughly speaking of the years 1844 to 1859. This is the time of Juan Manuel de Rosas, one of the many turbulent epochs Argentina has experienced. Now, many books have been written about this period, and Argentina's so-called national novel, José Mármol's _Amalia_ (1851) depicts life during those years. What makes _Far Away and Long Ago_ interesting is that this is the perspective of a foreigner. Yes, Hudson was actually born in Argentina, but as he says in this memoir he always referred to England as "home" (something his brother found funny), and he moved there when he was in his early thirties. A reading of _Far Away and Long Ago_ will reveal an interesting, hybrid observer, one that is neither Argentinean nor British, but a combination of both. As an American/Argentinean hybrid, I could relate to his situation (the transnational condition), and I understand it perfectly. One belongs neither here nor there, or one belongs in both places, but in both places one's perspective remains that of an outsider.
This memoir is characterized by a nostalgic outlook. To Hudson, boyhood was paradise, and this sense of bliss was heightened by the fact that he spent it in a relatively wild place, a sort of Garden of Eden. It was inevitable that he should develop an interest in nature that often borders on pantheism. The most beautiful passages in _Far Away and Long Ago_ are those in which Hudson describes his close relationship with Nature. This is expected of an author who wrote books titled _Argentine Ornithology_ (1888), _The Naturalist in La Plata_ (1892), and the two-volume _Birds of La Plata_ (1920). In fact, Hudson was so in love with the natural world that in time he ceased to think about the possibility of an afterlife. He devotes quite a few pages of his memoir, by the way, to his struggle with religious concepts, and while I do not agree with his views I found the development fascinating to read.
Hudson's descriptions are vivid and unforgettable. Not many people seem to read him today, and he may be read more in translation by Argentineans than in the English-speaking world, but he was definitely a master of the craft of prose. John Galsworthy said of him "For all living authors--now that Tolstoi has gone--I could least dispense with W. H. Hudson." Hemingway was another admirer, particularly of _The Purple Land_ (1885; Hudson's first and probably most famous book) and of _Far Away and Long Ago_. Like Hemingway, Hudson has a keen eye not only for landscape, but also for detail. His descriptions of the local flora and fauna (especially of birds) are meticulous, minute. The Pampas, that dry, flat region of Argentina (the Argentinean Texas, as I call it), will come alive as you read this book. _Far Away and Long Ago_ is also full of memorable characters, such as the beggar known as "The Hermit," Mr. Trigg the schoolmaster, Margarita the nursery maid, Anjelita [sic, should be Angelita], Don Gregorio Gandara [probably Gándara], Don Evaristo Peñalva, Father O'Keefe, and of course, Hudson's family (I was quite moved by his portrayal of his relationship with his mother), and the many gauchos who philosophized with the young naturalist the way Viejo Vizcacha philosophizes in Argentina's national epic, José Hernández's _Martín Fierro_ and its sequel (1872, 1879).
Memorable scenes abound. Hudson relates, for instance, the shock he experienced upon witnessing for the first time the slaughter of cattle, an impression of horror that--quite understandably--never left him. There are also descriptions of the famous fights between gauchos, the ones you may have read about in some pages by Borges. One of my favorite chapters was the one that deals with his first visit to Buenos Aires, the Capital. Even back then, Buenos Aires was quite perplexing, even overwhelming. Hudson paints an interesting portrait of Juan Manuel de Rosas too, and he relates the effects that civil war had on his family. Rosas is a figure that still causes great division among Argentineans. To give an example, in the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza, a subway station was given the name Juan Manuel de Rosas, and this caused quite an uproar Justo José de Urquiza was Rosas' enemy, the one who defeated him. Hudson does not come to a conclusion regarding Rosas, but he does present several perspectives on this contradictory figure.
I enjoyed _Far Away and Long Ago_ (or _Allá lejos y hace tiempo_, as it is known in Argentina) so much that I will continue to read Hudson. I'm specially interested in his novels, of which at least two are regarded as masterpieces _The Purple Land_, and _Green Mansions_ (1904). Incidentally, his second novel, _A Crystal Age_ (1887), is an early example of dystopian fiction. All of these, and many more of Hudson's books, are now available for free.
_Far Away and Long Ago_ has been adapted to film at least twice, both times in Argentina. I've seen the 1978 version, directed by Manuel Antin (who also directed _Juan Manuel de Rosas_, and adaptations of Cortázar's short story "Circe" and Güiraldes' gaucho novel _Don Segundo Sombra_). I remember enjoying the film; how faithful it is to the text, I cannot say, as it's been a while since I saw it. If I ever watch it again, I'll come back and add a comment here.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
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