The best book I have read this summer is 'In Search of England' by H.V.Morton. It is a travel book written as Morton motored around England in the 1920s. They were the days of care-free motoring, and the author blithely took which ever road took his fancy. The attraction of the book is that is gives us a glimpse at a world that for many had not become modernised; people were still intrigued at the sight of a motor car. Morton also wrote with immense skill; he viewed the world as a poet might. This is an extract from his first impression of Cornwall:
There is a strangeness about Cornwall. You feel it as soon as you cross the Tor Ferry.
The first sight that pleased me was a girl with a shingled head driving a cow with a crumpled horn. I knew, of course, that I was in fairyland! And the next thing was a village that was trying to climb a hill. One whitewashed cottage had reached the top, but the others had stuck half-way, with their gardens gazing in a rather surprised manner over their chimney-pots. In these lovely, disorderly gardens some of the oldest men I have ever seen had apparently taken root in the act of watching the bean-rows.
(With thanks to VR for recommending this marvellous book)
H V Morton's stuff is excellent - In Search of Wales and Ireland are also very interesting. For grittier guides, try JB Priestley's English Journey (1934)
ReplyDeleteHi Tim. I was so taken by the passage you referred to in this book that I had to order it. The book came this morning and I've already started reading. I'm only a few pages in but I'm already feeling enchanted by it. I'm off down to Devon and Cornwall on Thursday and this book is going to be my holiday read.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendation.
I have loved the whole thing; makes me want to set off and copy his journey to compare notes. I hope the holiday was good too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, it was - we had a lovely time.
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