Summary

Remembering Peasants: A Personal History of a Vanished World by Patrick Joyce is a non-fiction book about the history of peasants in Europe, mostly in Ireland. It also serves as a slight memoir of Joyce’s family history.

Thoughts

Not what I was hoping for this book to be. I was expecting more of a journalist collecting personal stories from peasants about their daily lives. Instead, it’s a very dry history of peasants – defining peasants, the population and decline of peasants, life and death rituals, houses, etc. 

The topics and chapters were poorly arranged throughout the book, and I found the syntax difficult to follow. Several times I found myself thinking this chapter is unnecessarily long, with paragraphs that don’t seem to fit the topic. I finished it but it came at a price.

Now, I have learned a few tidbits about peasants here and there, and I enjoyed the photographs shared in the book. But, ultimately, I felt this to be as dry as a university textbook.

I think the book could’ve been great if it went through a few more rounds of editing. If the chapters were better organized, and the writing more concise, it would’ve offered a smoother read.

Rating & Recommendation

I rate this book a 2 out of 5. It’s dry, long, and confusing. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are interested in learning about peasants.

Check out Remembering Peasants: A Personal History of a Vanished World by Patrick Joyce on Goodreads or Amazon Canada.

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Rating scale:
1 out of 5 = Hated it!
2 out of 5 = Didn’t like it.
3 out of 5 = It was okay.
4 out of 5 = It was great!
5 out of 5 = Absolutely loved it!