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A Reader's Guide to Writers' Britain
Touring the places that captured the imaginations of Britain's most enduring and popular literary figures, A Reader's Guide to Writers' Britain is both a splendid bedside companion and an indispensable travel guide. Every location is brought gloriously to life with anecdote and incident: Wordsworth's Lakes, Dickens' London, Robert Louis Stevenson's Edinburgh, Dylan Thomas' Wales. There are also places that inspired children's authors, from A.A. Milne to Beatrix Potter, as well as presentday favorites, like Dick Francis and Ellis Peters. This newly updated guide features 600 contemporary and historical pictures, regional maps, and a generous section on museums and houses open to the public.
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First published December 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 27, 2015
'A Reader's Guide to Writer's Britain' splits the United Kingdom into nine key areas: The West Country, Souther England, South-East England, London, Eastern England, The Midlands and Cotswolds, Wales and the Marches, Northern England and Scotland. Though some of these categories are broader than the others, and thus difficult to wield, Varlow keeps a steady pace throughout and leads her reader on a geographic introduction to literary space and place the United Kingdom.
With the eternal caveat that the texts featured are a selection and not a indicative totality, Varlow ranges freely over medium and genre and picks authors ranging from Alan Ayckbourn in Scarborough, John Betjeman and his teddy bear Archibald in Oxford and Aphra Behn in Wye and Westminster Abbey.
That rich and comprehensive selection criteria is something that marks this as a book worthy of attention; with regards to children's literature, it omits some that I would have thought worthy of inclusion such as Northern Lights from Philip Pullman (Northern Lights was published in 1995; A Reader's Guide to Writer's Britain was published in 1996 and revised yearly 1997 through 2000 to finally being reprinted as an updated edition in 2004.) but takes time to break some textual conventions with others. Varlow strays out of the boundaries of Cumbria when discussing Beatrix Potter and touches on her work set in Gloucester and Wales. Varlow also talks about JM Barrie's birthplace in Kirriemuir, Scotland and how this influenced his thoughts on the Lost Boys. Briefly done so, and yet vitally done, and this is something I commend this edition for greatly.
Structurally though this book proves problematic to navigate. Each page is split into two columns of text, interspersed with pictures and call out boxes, and this creates a busy effect upon the reader. It's worth taking the time to persevere with this book for the comprehensive amount of texts covered and for the care Varlow takes in uncovering connections between the authors and texts. She talks, for example, of how Carroll visited Tennyson and how Queen Victoria was taught painting by Edward Lear: "Had a drawing lesson from Mr Lear, who sketched before me and teaches remarkable well." (2004:45). It's in these moments, this little asides, that 'A Reader's Guide to Writer's Britain' shines.
With the eternal caveat that the texts featured are a selection and not a indicative totality, Varlow ranges freely over medium and genre and picks authors ranging from Alan Ayckbourn in Scarborough, John Betjeman and his teddy bear Archibald in Oxford and Aphra Behn in Wye and Westminster Abbey.
That rich and comprehensive selection criteria is something that marks this as a book worthy of attention; with regards to children's literature, it omits some that I would have thought worthy of inclusion such as Northern Lights from Philip Pullman (Northern Lights was published in 1995; A Reader's Guide to Writer's Britain was published in 1996 and revised yearly 1997 through 2000 to finally being reprinted as an updated edition in 2004.) but takes time to break some textual conventions with others. Varlow strays out of the boundaries of Cumbria when discussing Beatrix Potter and touches on her work set in Gloucester and Wales. Varlow also talks about JM Barrie's birthplace in Kirriemuir, Scotland and how this influenced his thoughts on the Lost Boys. Briefly done so, and yet vitally done, and this is something I commend this edition for greatly.
Structurally though this book proves problematic to navigate. Each page is split into two columns of text, interspersed with pictures and call out boxes, and this creates a busy effect upon the reader. It's worth taking the time to persevere with this book for the comprehensive amount of texts covered and for the care Varlow takes in uncovering connections between the authors and texts. She talks, for example, of how Carroll visited Tennyson and how Queen Victoria was taught painting by Edward Lear: "Had a drawing lesson from Mr Lear, who sketched before me and teaches remarkable well." (2004:45). It's in these moments, this little asides, that 'A Reader's Guide to Writer's Britain' shines.
August 25, 2016
(Skimmed for future travel info.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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