The Stubborn Light of Things cover art

The Stubborn Light of Things

A Nature Diary

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Stubborn Light of Things

By: Melissa Harrison
Narrated by: Melissa Harrison
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £21.99

Buy Now for £21.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

*Read by the author*

A nature diary by award-winning novelist, nature writer and hit podcaster Melissa Harrison, following her journey from urban south London to the rural Suffolk countryside.

'A writer of great gifts.' Robert Macfarlane

'The journal of a writer to compare to Thomas Hardy. Melissa Harrison is among our most celebrated nature writers.' John Carey, The Times

A Londoner for over twenty years, moving from flat to Tube to air-conditioned office, Melissa Harrison knew what it was to be insulated from the seasons. Adopting a dog and going on daily walks helped reconnect her with the cycle of the year and the quiet richness of nature all around her: swifts nesting in a nearby church; ivy-leaved toadflax growing out of brick walls; the first blackbird's song; an exhilarating glimpse of a hobby over Tooting Common.

Moving from scrappy city verges to ancient, rural Suffolk, where Harrison eventually relocates, this diary - compiled from her beloved Nature Notebook column in The Times - maps her joyful engagement with the natural world and demonstrates how we must first learn to see, and then act to preserve, the beauty we have on our doorsteps - no matter where we live.

A perceptive and powerful call-to-arms written in mesmerising prose, The Stubborn Light of Things confirms Harrison as a central voice in British nature writing.

©2020 Melissa Harrison (P)2020 Faber Audio
Ecosystems & Habitats Environmentalists & Naturalists City England
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Consolation of Nature cover art
Forget Me Not cover art
Cornerstones cover art
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway cover art
The Farmer's Wife cover art
Wild Fell cover art
A Complete Guide to British Birds cover art
On the Plain of Snakes cover art
A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion cover art
My Garden World cover art
British Woodland cover art
The Circling Sky cover art
Hermit cover art
The Book of Wilding cover art
Two for Joy cover art
Orchard cover art

Critic reviews

"A writer of great gifts." (Robert Macfarlane)

"A nature writer with a knowledge and eye for detail that recalls Thomas Hardy and John McGahern.'" (The Times)

What listeners say about The Stubborn Light of Things

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    32
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    32
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    32
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

I loved Melissa Harrison's podcast she made during lockdown. This didn't quite measure up because in the podcast she is right there in the habitat, crawling through bushes etc. and there was music too. However, as I can't keep listening to the podcasts on repeat this is the next best thing!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nature comes alive

You can lose yourself in the nature descriptions and suddenly you’ve learned loads too. Perfect for drifting off to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful book.

Absolutely beautiful book, and wonderfully read. I will be buying it as a book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful book. Beautiful, informative, highly recommend

I listened to this in 3 days because it’s hard to turn off. A really lovely story, beautifully read. It’s interesting and informative, never dull. Highly recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Uplifting and depressing

The reason for calling this book both uplifting and depressing being all the facts about the decline in nature, due to only one factor. The greed of mankind. Having been a vegan and nature environmentalist for the past 30 years I know all these sad facts. I guess I bought the book in the hope of being uplifted. I do hope though, that this book will open the eyes and ears of those who are not yet aware of the fact that nature and wildlife is suffering due to being abused by mankind.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

educational

Really enjoyed this reading, Melissa has a lovely reading voice, and I love that she used the Latin names so I can look them up and learn more. I love her humour and how she brings everything to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful companion!

What a delight this book is. To share the gentle, perceptive and generous observations of Melissa Harrison is a deep and lasting pleasure.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Urban to rural nature diary

An honest exploration of the sparse urban areas of nature and nature in rural Suffolk.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful