Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life

In Short

This vivid autobiography records W. H. Hudson’s childhood on the mid-nineteenth-century Argentine pampas. Raised in an isolated homestead surrounded by vast green plains, giant thistles, and abundant wildlife, young Hudson grows up as a budding naturalist. The memoir traces his early domestic life, his encounters with eccentric local figures and wandering tutors, and his intense spiritual connection to nature. After facing severe illness and spiritual doubt in his adolescence, he reflects on how his primitive love for the earth sustained him through subsequent years of poverty and urban isolation.

The Story

The narrative begins at the author’s birthplace on the Argentine plains, where his earliest memories center on the surrounding landscape, a singular ombu tree, and the family’s old sheep-dog. Soon after, the family moves to a new home, an estancia surrounded by a vast plantation, a moat, and an abundance of wildlife. Here, the boy’s world expands rapidly. He spends his days outdoors, observing the seasonal changes of the pampas, from the sudden growth and fall of giant thistles driven by the southwest pampero wind to the extraordinary migrations of bird species.

As he grows, his home becomes a crossroads for a colorful cast of characters. He receives erratic instruction from a series of eccentric tutors, including Mr. Trigg and an unholy former priest, while observing the unique social world of the pampas. He encounters local gauchos, eccentric neighbors like Don Gregorio with his obsession for piebald horses, and Don Evaristo, who lives peacefully with six wives. He witnesses moments of sudden violence and drama, such as the legendary singer Barboza boasting of his past deadly duels, and learns the local arts of self-defense.

Parallel to these social experiences is the boy's deep, emotional awakening to the natural world. A pivotal moment occurs when the death and burial of the family’s old dog, Caesar, introduces him to the agonizing reality of mortality. Distressed by the thought that all living things must die, he seeks comfort from his mother, who reassures him with her faith in an afterlife. His obsession with nature deepens into a mystical passion; he experiences intense, almost physical delight at the sight of brilliant flowers, like fields of scarlet verbenas, and the synchronized singing of thousands of field finches in blooming peach trees.

In his early teens, during a visit to Buenos Aires, the youth contracts a severe illness that leaves his health compromised. Doctors predict a short life, plunging him into a long period of physical suffering and acute spiritual crisis. Confronted with theological doubts and the writings of modern thinkers, he struggles with the loss of his traditional religious faith. However, he gradually discovers that his true salvation lies in his enduring, mystical communion with the earth itself. Realizing that his physical life will persist far longer than predicted, he emerges from his ordeal with an unshakable love for the earth, carrying this primitive delight with him into his later years.

How It Unfolds

The journey begins The author recalls his earliest years at his birthplace on the pampas, marked by memories of the landscape, an ombu tree, and an old sheep-dog. Soon the family migrates to a new estancia, where the surrounding plantation and wildlife kindle the boy's passion for the natural world.

Awakening to mortality Following the death and burial of the old dog Caesar, the child is overwhelmed by the harrowing discovery of death. He seeks solace from his mother, who offers him comfort through her belief in the immortality of the soul and the divine promise of eternal life.

Life on the pampas The boy explores the vast plain, observing bird migrations, giant thistle fields, and the seasonal pampero storms. He witnesses the colorful lives of neighboring gauchos, eccentric landowners, and a succession of peculiar tutors who arrive to educate the children.

Crisis of body and faith During a trip to Buenos Aires in his mid-teens, he absorbs a illness that leaves him chronically frail and facing a grim medical prognosis. Confined to home, he endures a painful period of religious doubt as he grapples with books that challenge his early beliefs about the soul.

Reclaiming the earth Defying his physicians' early death sentence, he comes through his spiritual struggle with a renewed devotion to the visible world. His childhood passion for nature matures into an enduring joy that sustains him through all future hardship.

The People

• W. H. Hudson (The Author as a Boy): Desires a total immersion in the physical beauty of nature and an understanding of the universe. What stands in his way is the agonizing revelation of mortality, severe illness, and religious doubt. He ends up transforming his childhood nature-worship into a lifelong spiritual anchor.
• Hudson's Mother: Desires to nurture and protect her children's emotional and spiritual well-being. What stands in her way is her child's overwhelming anguish when confronted with death and existential fear. She remains a comforting, gentle presence whose strong faith guides her son through his earliest mental crises.
• Mr. Trigg: Desires employment and respectability as a schoolmaster despite his flawed, unstable character. What stands in his way is his own inner degeneration and volatile nature. He ends up leaving the household to become a homeless wanderer on the great plain.
• Don Gregorio Gandara: Desires to breed and possess an endless variety of uniquely patterned piebald horses. What stands in his way is the unpredictability of natural genetics, as non-piebald foals are worthless to him. He ends up spending his days continuously riding among his herds, satisfied only by his uniquely shaded steeds.
• Don Evaristo: Desires a peaceful, harmonious domestic life while maintaining a patriarchal household with six wives. What stands in his way are societal norms, though his neighbors accept his choices without protest. He ends up expanding his estate and successfully maintaining a united, affectionate family across multiple locations.

In Its Own Voice

"I only remember myself as a common little boy--just a little wild animal running about on its hind legs, amazingly interested in the world in which it found itself."

Looking back at his transition from early toddlerhood, the author describes his earliest self-conscious identity as an intensely curious young creature.

"When I recall this event I am less astonished at my ignorance than at the intensity of the feeling I experienced, the terrible darkness it brought on so young a mind."

Reflecting on the death of his childhood dog, Hudson recalls the profound emotional impact that the realization of mortality had upon his young mind.

"The happiness was never lost, but owing to that faculty I have spoken of, had a cumulative effect on the mind and was mine again, so that in my worst times, when I was compelled to exist shut out from Nature in London for long periods, sick and poor and friendless, I could yet always feel that it was infinitely better to be than not to be."

In the closing reflection of his memoir, the author explains how his youthful love for nature provided an enduring inner strength throughout his adult life.

What It's Really About

Beneath its rich recollections of South American wilderness and frontier society, the book is a meditation on the origin and preservation of the human sense of wonder. Hudson investigates how a child's innate, physical delight in colors, sounds, and wild creatures can evolve into a deep, mystical reverence for existence. The narrative explores the conflict between rigid dogmatic faith and the direct, personal revelation found in the natural world. Ultimately, it argues that a deep communion with the earth is a vital spiritual force—one capable of sustaining the human spirit through grief, physical frailty, existential despair, and the deadening isolation of modern urban life.

Why Read It Today

This memoir offers a rare, luminous window into an untamed world that has largely vanished. Readers who enjoy natural history, travel writing, or reflective biography will find Hudson’s prose deeply evocative and strikingly precise. His descriptions of the Argentine pampas—from the thunderous chorus of burrowing rodents to thousands of yellow finches singing among pink peach blossoms—possess a breathtaking visual quality that makes the landscape feel instantly alive.

The book does present certain challenges for modern readers. Its episodic pace reflects nineteenth-century literary traditions, moving leisurely between personal memory, detailed ornithological observations, and local folklore. Furthermore, its casual depictions of frontier violence, animal slaughter, and historical social hierarchies reflect the unvarnished attitudes of its era.

Yet these historical elements only heighten the book's authenticity. What remains with the reader long after finishing is Hudson’s profound capacity for joy. In an age often marked by distraction and disconnect from the environment, his fierce, lifelong devotion to the living earth feels remarkably fresh, offering a timeless reminder of the solace found in the natural world.