A book review, of sorts

[metame]

I think this is the longest I've ever spent reading a book, and all for the right reasons. I was given it by Toby and ar_gemlad last Christmas (being 2006) so has taken me near on a year and a half

Comments

[uitlander]

Ooh. I read about Isabella Bird a long time ago when I was in Newcastle, and tried to find copies of some of her stuff to take with me on fieldwork. Unfortunately none of it was in print, so its great to know project Gutenberg is covering her. Instead I settled for Edith Durham's 'High Albania' which I'm afraid proved to be rather heavy going and distracted me from the search for Bird.

[killalla]

Interestingly, I know someone who performed Isabella Bird for the Adventurer's Club at the Great Dickens Christmas Faire in San Francisco. (I was Sadayakko Kawakami for that,'cause well, asian.) As far as your excerpt goes, the period description of longboard surfing certainly sounds accurate, (I don't surf myself, and have been out exactly once, ever...) and certainly, the descriptions I've had of her and her writings are very positive. You may also be interested in the Russell Cotes' adventures - there's even a manga comic adaptation of their travels, produced by their museum in Bournemouth, it's called The Japanese Drawing Room - see http://www.grovel.org.uk/japanese-drawing-room-the/

P.S. Are you guys going to be here or at home later this summer? Because I might be in Spain in August...

[metame]

Russell Cotes'

I was walking past there about a month or so ago - it has a slightly bad rep for not doing enough with it's collection, but a graphic novels a great wotsit. I shall keep an eye out for it. Though part of what I like is the first-person-ness of Isabella's stuff. The earlier stuff in particular reads like what it is - letters to her non-travelling sister.

August

Planning to be here pretty much throughout - so do come visit!

[_kent]

Completely crushed that it turned out not to be a book about really challenging Guitar Hero tracks that you can only get in Japan.

[ar_gemlad]

Hooray for old books! Really glad you enjoyed it :)

[metame]

A mighty fine present. Almost like you guys know me....