I saw this book on a Library Journal list of some sort recently, and downloaded a copy from Gutenberg. I found the introductory sections fascinating, where it was a sort of natural history of the post-apocalyptic landscape and its effect on wild and feral animals. The second section was pretty low-key; I wasn't terribly interested in the character of Felix. The societal and cultural setting was far more intriguing. The fact that this book was written in the late 1800's also made me view it with slightly less high expectations, since it really was a very early example of futuristic science fiction. ( )

This book was of interest to me because I read and collect post-apocalypse fiction. The first part of the book is a study of what has happened in nature as a result of the fall of mankind, and while some of it is interesting, it quickly becomes monotonous hearing about the three kinds of wild dogs, the three kinds of wild cats, the three kinds of wild pigs. The second part of the book, detailing the adventures of a young noble in what is left of civilization, has only the slightest connection to this setup--aside from a a few references to the ancients and a brief visit to what is left of London, it could be taking place in medieval England. Still it held my interest. My most serious criticism is that story reaches a certain point and simply stops there, for no reason I could see, with no resolution, nothing much learned, it doesn't even point towards anything. It's as if the author set it aside intending to pick it up later and never got around to it. ( )

Mainly of interest to me for who it influenced: William Morris, who appreciated Jefferies' love of nature but didn't see why a post-civilization Medievalist agrarian society couldn't be a happy place if you just took away exploitation, systemic violence and oppression, and Jeff Vandermeer, who must have loved the creepy horrorscape of a destroyed London reverted to pestilent, corpse-filled swamp, since his Area X is an analogue, if on a much broader canvas. ( )

It's really interesting comparing this to modern post-apocalyptic literature, particularly in the depiction of the post-apocalyptic world and in the things it things it concerns itself with. It's idyllic in a way, an England returned to its natural state—for the most part there is nothing to 'clean up' where in most of what I consider to be post-apocalyptic literature the world itself is destroyed and the survivors are shown dealing with that. This book concerns itself largely with the loss of knowledge, particularly as it concerns politics and warfare, alongside the little things, like fifty years without tea.

The darkest part was also my favourite: the journey into the heart of ravaged London, still toxic and completely unrecognisable. I liked the book (aside from the inevitable sexism and other prejudices of the time) and there were some particularly lovely insights and descriptions, but it would have been more to my taste if there had been more of that. ( )

Not world-building, just pages and pages of dry description of environment, animals, weapons - dull, didn't finish. ( )