A bit of a gallimauphry of catching up with bits and bobs today. And when I went to dig out this photo from when I acquired the book I’m reviewing, I was cheered to note that I have actually read all the books on this pile (these are books that Cari gave me when she came to visit in August 2018 and two that I bought on my trip round Stratford with her (I can’t remember how many I ‘encouraged’ her to buy …)). So a quick review of the first of the #20BooksOfSummer I’ve read, recaps of two wonderful reads for Shiny New Books, one incoming from a lovely publisher and a note about what I’m reading now as I accidentally left it a bit late after the publisher kindly sent it to me …
George T. Eggleston – “Tahiti”
(23 August 2018, Blue Cross charity shop, Stratford-Upon-Avon)
For a book published in 1956 this is not toooooo colonialist or patronising, although it does need to be read through a careful and modern-day lens. We tour the Society Islands of French Polynesia (still part of France even now) with an enterprising couple who think nothing of popping over to Tahiti to find a yacht to crew / take them island-hopping. They note that French has not really taken hold as the language of the country (and do attempt to learn the local language and even include a vocab list in the back of the book) and also point out the “ravages of ‘civilization'” – and I hadn’t realised that Tahitians and others participated in World War I and II and that many lost their lives in France in those wars. However, George’s wife Hazel does have to do all the supplying and cooking and is only allowed to get a bit comically cross when she’s castigated for having a rest while he and their captain do the washing up, even though she is marked out as a highly competent sailor elsewhere in the book.
There are nice little maps at the start of each chapter, and cheerful and respectful descriptions of the islands and the islanders, as well as some good sailing narratives. A sweetly outdated guide to how to repeat the journey is included in the back of the book. He’s no Harold Nicolson but this was a pleasant read. I also loved the list of authors on the back flap of the book. The Travel Book Club reprinted this book, but the list of authors is so lost to me now – Freya Stark and J. B. Priestley yes, and a vague memory of a Tschiffely horse book, but what about all the others? My social media friends were similarly baffled!
This was Book 1 in my #20BooksOfSummer
Other booky loveliness …
I read two fantastic books from Thames & Hudson in June to review for Shiny New Books. I’m so fortunate that they give me the run of their catalogues twice a year. I read one other which hasn’t been published yet and am in the middle of my fourth at the moment!
“Tracks: Walking the Ancient Landscapes of Britain” by Philip Hughes is the ideal art book for the nature, archaeology, history, geology and/or map enthusiast. I said, in part,
Being a Thames & Hudson book (the paperback edition of an initial hardback, and lacking the endpapers of the former edition), the quality is high, the reproductions lovely, and all the details there, author biographies, lists of his exhibitions and a decent index.
This is a fairly short review as it’s an easy book to read quickly, not much text, lots of images. However, it’s a book you will want to return to again and again. The spare images, with no fussy detail, are calming to view and the notes charming. Highly recommended.
Read the full review here.
Then I read the first of the two Grayson Perry books in the set (hooray Grayson), “Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years”, edited by Catrin Jones and Chris Stephens, which was a great introduction to the artist’s early life, inspirations and themes. I said,
I loved reading Perry’s dialogue with his earlier self and his earlier work. He admits in his essay that he hasn’t seen many of the works since they were sold decades ago, and had often not kept records of them – “it has been wonderful to be reacquainted with the outpourings of a different me”, and he notices that he is more forgiving of them and compassionate about himself than he was at the time … What a treat to read the artist’s reactions to his own former self, seeming now so distant.
Read the full review (and see some images from the book) here.
Then I was fortunate enough to receive Lev Parikian’s “Into the Tangled Bank” from the super publisher Elliott & Thompson. They published the wonderful “Seafarers” by Stephen Rutt, which I reviewed for Shiny last year and came out in paperback this week and were kind enough to offer me a couple of new reads to say thank you for me writing that and sharing about the paperback. This is about the relationship the British have with nature and looks fab, and I’ll be sending in my review to Shiny soon (it’s out in early July). What a clever cover, with the inevitable crisp packet woven into the image of nature at its finest.
And finally, although I’m still reading the big monograph on Grayson Perry, having just finished Book 2 of my 20Books as well and having seen the announcement about their new books coming soon (in August), I realised with horror that I’d never got to the third book that Dean Street Press kindly sent me in January from their selection they were publishing then (I reviewed and Miss Read’s “Fresh From the Country” and D.E. Stevenson’ “Vittoria Cottage” from that batch earlier in the year, the Miss Read having arrived in physical paperback form for my birthday from my best friend!). So I pulled Doris Langley Moore’s “Not At Home” (the cover is so super and I will need to be buying a paper copy!) up on the Kindle and have enjoyed starting this just-post-WWII novel of household battles.
So, art, more art, mid-century women and travel – not a bad representation of my usual reading. And while we all try to get to grips with how we can approach Black Lives Matter awareness-raising and support in a meaningful way, I am thrilled to say that I’m chatting with a couple of friends about having them guest-post on here about the books by and about People of Colour that they’ve been getting hold of and reading. This is particularly useful when I can’t add to my collection due to the popular books going out of stock all over the place (which is a Good Thing).
Jun 07, 2020 @ 16:58:09
I was just part of the way through writing this and your comment popped up on my blog! Really like the sound of Tahiti. I did find this about the Travel Book Club:
http://www.topshambookshop.co.uk/2012/05/may-30th-window-feature.html
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 17:10:37
Sunday early evening = the traditional time for reading blog posts?! And that is interesting, thank you! Would you like me to send you Tahiti? The dust jacket is a bit shabby and I have written my name on the flyleaf but it’s an absolutely OK reading copy and I don’t think I need to keep it. Message me your address via the contact form and I’ll try to get to the PO when it’s not too busy, if you’d like it!
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 17:48:47
Are you sure? I feel that I should send you some in return too. I can send via twitter DM is that is easier?
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 17:49:58
Yes that’s fine and nothing needed in return! Send it however is easiest.
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 17:21:47
I am currently in middle of Oona out of order and really loving it
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 17:27:38
Oh, that sounds like a really interesting idea for a book!
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 18:48:09
The guest post sounds like a marvellous idea – I shall read with interest. And I love the backs and flaps of book club books – there are always interesting sounding things I’ve never heard of!!
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 05:32:24
Yes, I used to love my Iris Murdoch ones for what they said about previous books, too. And I hope the guest post thing comes off and can help share about more of the important books than I can manage to get hold or or read.
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Jun 07, 2020 @ 21:59:01
I’m curious about the guest posters as well… 😉
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 05:33:22
I really hope we can make it work – a couple of women of a similar age and outlook to me who have got hold of different books, so I can spread the word about good anti-racism resources more thoroughly.
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 08:29:49
Tahiti sounds like an interesting travel book, clearly of its time in the expectations put on George’s wife. Look forward to seeing those guest posts.
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 10:58:09
Yes, that aspect was very “of its time” but she was at least also a skilful sailor!
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 10:28:19
Tahiti doesn’t seem to pop up much in books these days. Although when it does it’s always a treat to discover, or rediscover. Polynesia is always a place worth visiting.
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Jun 08, 2020 @ 10:58:42
I’ve encountered it elsewhere; Paul Theroux has an Oceania book I’d like to revisit.
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Jun 11, 2020 @ 02:11:49
Yay for these bookish updates! And I’m glad you’re keeping the BLM spirit alive by having potential guest posters write about books by Black people and people of color. Also, I appreciate you reading critically to suss out any colonialism, so important. (:
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Jun 12, 2020 @ 08:06:02
I read quite a lot of older travel books so it’s always important to look out for these colonial (and generally oppressive!) things (I’ve recently been working on an exploration book by a POC which is very exciting, though). I keep coming back to that oceans book I read and how careful it was to honour indigeneous people and different communities’ roles in the history of the seas.
I am resisting bombarding this blog with millions of book reviews on BLM issues all at once, because that felt a bit performative when I thought about it carefully but between what I have to read and what my friends will hopefully be able to post, I will keep a firm stream running in that area for a good while to come, while keeping going with my other books and interests, if that makes sense.
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Jun 13, 2020 @ 13:15:04
yes! I love that and that makes sense – I think that white and non-Black POC can tread carefully about how we support the cause to ensure we’re uplifting actual Black people and not just making it about ourselves 🙂 and it’ll be important to keep the stream running for awhile (like forever) beyond when these protests may die down
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