The Village and The Library

The Village is Crabbe’s corrective to the rosy-tinted view of English village and rural working class life. He was a stark realist, as a priest and surgeon having been privy to so much of actual, rather than ideal, life. The Library is his appreciation of the value of books and literature. George Crabbe (1754 – 1832) was an English poet, surgeon, and clergyman. He is best known for his early use of the realistic narrative form and his descriptions of middle and working-class life and people. Lord Byron described him as "nature's sternest painter, yet the best." Crabbe's poetry was predominantly in the form of heroic couplets, and has been described as unsentimental in its depiction of provincial life and society. Though his poetry has fallen out of favor, he was greatly appreciated by Wordsworth, Scott, Byron, Coleridge, and others - Summary by David Wales (1 hr 21 min)

Chapters

The Village, Book 1	22:41	Read by David Wales
The Village, Book 2	13:59	Read by David Wales
The Library, Part 1	27:31	Read by David Wales
The Library, Part 2	17:01	Read by David Wales

Reviews

Several typos???

(3.5 stars)

Eric S.

Comparing with the Gutenberg text of the Village pt.2 some words are misread. I don’t know offhand whether the problem is in the Gutenberg transcription (and that the recording goes back to a better source) or if - re eg “ye Poor, who still lament your fate” (Google Books confirms still is right, not shall as in this recording, in all printed editions I can find as early as 1829.)

shocking but so true

(5 stars)

Michael Ohalloran

what a good man George crabbe must have been,that tells the truth how people of the village or any village suffered. so sad