''The Story of my Heart 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 Jefferies' innermost soul. Like many others, he 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 The Story of my Heart he poured out with what strength and what skill he possessed the intensity of his longing.'' - from the Preface by C. J. Longman