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Loading... The Gardener's Year (original 1929; edition 1984)by Karel Capek
Work InformationThe Gardener's Year by Karel Čapek (1929)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. remembering reading this in bed Wilkinson Court - how funny then and now ( ) Entertaining and humorous thoughts on what it means to be a gardener with cute illustrations by the author throughout that remind me of Thurber. Lots of great aphorism material in here that gardener's will appreciate: "The life of a gardener is full of change and active will." "A real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil." and the opening line "There are several different ways in which to lay out a little garden; the best way is to get a gardener." Capek's style in this was so fun and accessible that it made me want to read his other prose work, so now I have the collection of his 3 novels waiting on my shelf. I read R.U.R. years ago in a theatre class, and though it is notable for coining the word "robot," I had no idea he had more colloquial works without the heavy allegory. Entertaining and humorous thoughts on what it means to be a gardener with cute illustrations by the author throughout that remind me of Thurber. Lots of great aphorism material in here that gardener's will appreciate: "The life of a gardener is full of change and active will." "A real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil." and the opening line "There are several different ways in which to lay out a little garden; the best way is to get a gardener." Capek's style in this was so fun and accessible that it made me want to read his other prose work, so now I have the collection of his 3 novels waiting on my shelf. I read R.U.R. years ago in a theatre class, and though it is notable for coining the word "robot," I had no idea he had more colloquial works without the heavy allegory. Famous Czech author Karel Capek entertains readers with a month-by-month rendering of real life gardening. He totally enjoys getting carried away in his subject, making a case for October actually being Spring for gardeners, as well for the "Now!" of buds, and the steaming glory of a newly delivered mound of fresh manure. His humor combines well with his brother Josef's line drawing interpretations until "the malice of human souls" deforms their country courtesy of The Munich Pact. Though Karel Capek often mentions women favorably, all his fellow gardeners are male. No reason is offered though maybe this was standard in the early 20th century...? He once raised vegetables to the tune of crunching "...every day one hundred and twenty radishes, because no one else would eat them...." He further admits that he has become tenderhearted about eating what he has grown: "If I were obliged to eat my roses or nibble the flowers of lilies-of-the-valley, I think I should lose the respect which I have towards them." And they toward him! Although I am a rather clumsy gardener and I am plagued by rabbits and gophers and deer ( oh my!), I do share Capek's enthusiasm for gardening. I re-read this book every year. It inspires me and gives me solace in the long dark days of Winter. This is a light-hearted introduction to the work of Karel Capek, one of the best European writers from the last century. no reviews | add a review
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It is seldom that a practical guide to gardening attains the level of a literary masterpiece, still more seldom that a book on gardening can amuse and instruct even those who have no garden to plant., nor the faintest interest in acquiring one. The GardenerGC ?O s Year is a charismatic product of Karel CapekGC ?O s genius: amusing, informative, and full of a quizzical interest in people, animals and plants.In this new version, Geoffrey Newsome GC ?o the highly acclaimed translator of CapekGC ?O s witty Letters from England GC ?o has captured the grace and irony of the original Czech, to produce a volume that No library descriptions found. |
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