Tropic Days

Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James), 1852-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 490K words
Chapters: 50

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Tropic Days by E. J. BanfieldAuthor: Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James), 1852-1923,Language: English, Class: DU: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: History of Oceania (South Seas), Release Date: Jan 1, 2005

Editor's review

Banfield lived for years on an island off northeastern Australia, and this collection of essays is written from the perspective of a nature observer, centering on the plants, birds, animals, tides, and daily livelihood of a tropical island. The prose is plain and concrete, often beginning with a walk, a storm, or the habits of a creature, rendering wild life with warmth and detail. It does not seek complete classification like a systematic natural history but reads more like the observation diary of a long-term resident, carrying a sense of place and time. For today's readers its value lies in seeing how early settlers dealt with an unfamiliar environment, and in the patient attention characteristic of nature writing. Suitable for readers who enjoy nature essays and are curious about Australian scenery, to be read in installments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy nature essays and naturalist observation
Those curious about northeastern Australia and island life
Learners who want to build nature-related English vocabulary through public-domain texts
Readers who prefer short sketches that can be picked up and put down at will

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic biology or scientific field guides
Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Those who need modern ecological annotations and contemporary interpretation

Reading tips

Read selectively by piece, starting with chapters on birds, plants, or tides.
Consult a map for the island's location while reading to build a sense of space before attending to details.
Keep a nature notebook recording the species and phenomena mentioned for easy reference.
Read only one or two pieces at a time, leaving room to feel the pace of the author's long residence.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a scientific work or a literary essay?

It is literary nature writing. The author records plants, animals, and daily scenery based on long experience of island life, emphasizing observation and feeling rather than systematic classification or experimental research, so it should not be used as a scientific field guide or ecology textbook.

Can I read it without knowing about Australia?

Yes. Most pieces begin with concrete scenes and creatures, so the barrier is low; but knowing the island's location and tropical environment in advance makes the seasons, tides, and species easier to follow. Look up unfamiliar place names as needed.

Is it better to read straight through or in pieces?

Better in pieces. Each piece stands relatively independent, and reading straight through can tire you with dense observational detail; one or two pieces a day, with notes, better conveys the author's patient attention to nature.

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About the author

Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James), 1852-1923 Author

Edmund James Banfield (E. J. Banfield, 1852–1923) was an English essayist best known for his writing on life in the tropical islands. Public information about him is limited, and few biographical details are recorded here. Judging from the four works of his held in the collection, Banfield observed and wrote about the natural scenery and daily life of tropical islands over many years. His representative works, My Tropic Isle, The Confessions of a Beachcomber, Tropic Days, and the Dutch translation Bekentenissen van een strandvonder: Het leven op mijn tropisch eiland, are mostly written in the first person, in an unhurried style with a naturalist's attention to detail, unfolding the particulars of coastal, woodland, and island life. Such writing partakes of both natural history and the personal essay, preserving a vivid portrait of tropical island life in the early twentieth century and retaining lasting value for readers of this kind of literature.