《四季随笔》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中对隐士赖克罗夫特醉心于书籍、自然景色与回忆过去生活的描述，其实是吉辛的自述，作者以此来抒发自己的情感，因而本书是一部富有自传色彩的小品文集。

吉辛穷困的一生，对文学名著的爱好与追求，以及对大自然恬静生活的向往，在书中均有充分的反映。本书分为春、夏、秋、冬四个部分，文笔优美，行文流畅，是英国文学中小品文的珍品之一。

以下是由网友分享的《四季随笔》节选 - 冬 02的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

I came home this afternoon just at twilight, and, feeling tired after my walk, a little cold too, I first crouched before the fire, then let myself drop lazily upon the hearthrug. I had a book in my hand, and began to read it by the firelight. Rising in a few minutes, I found the open page still legible by the pale glimmer of day. This sudden change of illumination had an odd effect upon me; it was so unexpected, for I had forgotten that dark had not yet fallen. And I saw in the queer little experience an intellectual symbol. The book was verse. Might not the warm rays from the fire exhibit the page as it appears to an imaginative and kindred mind, whilst that cold, dull light from the window showed it as it is beheld by eyes to which poetry has but a poor, literal meaning, or none at all?

我今天下午外出散步，回到家时已是黄昏，我觉得疲倦，还有点冷，便蜷缩在火炉前，接着懒懒地躺在炉旁的地毯上。我手里拿着一本书，开始借着炉火的光阅读。几分钟后，我站起来，发现借着昏暗的天光，书本上的字还清晰可辨。这种照明的突然变化，让我产生一种奇特的感觉；这真有些出乎意料，因为我忘记了夜幕还没有降临。我从这个奇妙的小经验里看到一种智慧的象征。我手上这本书是一本诗集，火光发出的温暖光线照亮书页，就像诗句呈现在一个富有想象力和理解力的头脑面前，而窗户透进来的寒冷阴暗的光照在书上，就如同它在那些认为诗歌只有贫乏的字面意义或是全无意义的读者眼里一样。