The Minor Pleasures of Life is an anthology, “selected and arranged” by Rose Macaulay, of writing (mostly from the 17th century) about, well, the minor pleasures of life: Dancing. Making a Fuss. Pet Animals. Showing Off. Snacks between Meals. Taking Umbrage.

The book is a treasure, being a collection of some of the most determinedly human writing of that (or any other) century.

This blog is a tribute to Macaulay’s work, and a celebration of minor pleasures, which we should always take wherever and whenever we can find them.

The Minor Pleasures of Life is sadly out-of-print, but used copies are easily obtainable. The entire text is also available via Internet Archive, here.