Return to Akenfield

Portrait of an English Village in the 21st Century

By: Craig Taylor

Narrated by: Stephen Thorne

Thirty-five years after the publication of Ronald Blythe's classic portrait of an English village, Akenfield, Craig Taylor returned to the Suffolk village on which the book was based. He sought out locals who appeared in the original book to learn how their lives had changed, met newcomers, and interviewed Ronald Blythe himself.

The result reverberates with the voices of the villagers: young farmers, retired orchardmen, and Eastern European migrant workers talk about farming in an age of globalisation; commuters, weekenders, and retirees discuss the realities behind the rural idyll; and the local priest, teacher, and pub owner describe the daily pleasures and tribulations of village life.

©2006 Craig Taylor (P)2007 Soundings

Terrible local accents ...again

Terrible local accents ...again. And Local place names, such as Darlinghoo, become Darling goo for this unreliable narrator, who gave Akenfield the same treatment, creating a sense of distance and suggesting a lack of knowledge or cultural understanding. This book, like Akenfield, is excellent, but why the publisher didn't choose someone with local connections or knowledge to support and add to, rather than detract from, both critical projects is a disservice to the author, to Suffolk, and to its memory.

What a pleasure!

Living in France I thought that I would discover a brand new world in rural England. In fact people have the same type of preoccupations or way of life. But it was a pleasure to hear that reader who makes us discover the different points of view of this small town inhabitants . Lively and very pleasant, a real bowl of fresh air.