This is not an autobiography in the ordinary sense of the word, as it contains no history of the events of Richard Jefferies' life. It is not concerned with his birth or marriage, his actions or fortunes but is an outpouring of his soul. Like many others, Jefferies found himself at odds with the world. He saw the beauty of the land, the grandeur of the sea, the interest of life - above all of human life - but he was not satisfied. He longed for more beauty, a fuller grandeur, a deeper interest. This feeling completely mastered him, and in this book, first published in 1883, he poured out with what strength he possessed the intensity of his longing.