Journal Entry 1 by soffitta1 from Ávila, Ávila Spain on Tuesday, May 10, 2011

I picked this up a couple of years ago as my parents live in East Anglia. I have read The Emigrants by the author and like his style.

The author spent many years in England, and here he is tramping around Norfolk and Suffolk, with some physical and mental diversions. He comments on nature, small villages, inhabitants and muses on their links to the wider world (and vice versa).

With a very fluid narrative, the descriptions move from what he is seeing to the first person recollections of who he is speaking to or about. This keeps you on your toes, and adds a certain level of authority, true or not, to this reminiscing. The stories are linked with East Anglia, but also show famous connections, such as that of Joseph Conrad's. Sebold doesn't only talk of the connection, but also gives Conrad's life story, including the experiences that led to him writing Heart of Darkness.

As with The Emigrants, there is the theme of exile, enforced or self-imposed. In Sebold's account of staying in Ireland, in the house of an Anglo-Irish family, we see them cut-off from the world outside, their ways and house crumbling around them. There is also an element of the fantastic, of huge shoals of herring or the man making a model of the temple in Jerusalem in his barn, a hobby which has taken over his life.

Sebold has reminded me that there is more to sleepy-seeming Norfolk and Suffolk than meets the eye, while their fishing and naval heyday may be behind them, there is still much to be uncovered. He has also put flesh onto the bones of names that I only knew from hearing over the tannoy on the train to my parents'.

Recommended for keen travellers, whether they be real or armchair, and those who like a long story with lots of asides. 

Journal Entry 2 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, May 23, 2011

Thanks so much for your donation soffitta1. This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.
 

Journal Entry 3 by soffitta1 at Ávila, Ávila Spain on Friday, May 27, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (5/27/2011 UTC) at Ávila, Ávila Spain

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Chosen from the Euro 1001-Library VBB. 

Journal Entry 4 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, June 02, 2011

Received today, have added it to my tbr pile. A few to read before it but looking forward to this one. 

Journal Entry 5 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I really tried to get in to this several times without much success I'm afraid. I'm finding that to be the case with lot of the 1001 books - maybe I'm just not clever enough :s

Reserved for the 1001 VBB.  

Journal Entry 6 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Released 4 wks ago (5/2/2012 UTC) at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom

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On its way to saskiasosmile as part of the UK 1001 library VBB - hope you like it! 

Journal Entry 7 by saskiasosmile at Whitby, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, May 04, 2012

Thanks very much for sending this book!