Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Doubleday (1967), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 210 pages
Description
An eloquent elegy on the past of a county she loved so much - The Times 'There was a smell in the air of tar and rope and rusted chain, a smell of tidal water. Down harbour, around the point, was the open sea. Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known. Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone . . . I for this, and this for me.' Daphne du Maurier lived in Cornwall for most of her life. Its rugged coastline, wild terrain and tumultuous weather inspired her imagination, and many of her works are set there, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek. In Vanishing Cornwall she celebrates the land she loved, exploring its legends, its history and its people, eloquently making a powerful plea for Cornwall's preservation.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member libbromus
"A parson, when he turns odd, does it thoroughly, especially if he lives in Cornwall; in fact, he may be said to go the whole hog."
King Arthur, King Mark (Marcus), Tristan & Iseault, Avalon, Tintagel, Carlyon, Warleggan, Copper Mining, Helstone, Pirates of Penzance, Manderley. It's all here and
If you're like me, everything has been coming up Cornwall lately. Recently discovered the 2004 BBC North & South miniseries which I have watched over and over again 3 times. Then I read the book. Then I listened to it read to me by Juliet Stevenson. I'm besotted with it all. Then Poldark started on Masterpiece, so I drooled over that for the duration of the series. In the meantime I'm listening to the Mists of Avalon most of which takes place in Cornwall. I'm also listening to H is for Hawk which takes a lot from T.H. White who wrote Once and Future King which is all Cornwall. Then I remember that one of my favorite books and movies of all time is Rebecca. That was in Cornwall? I had no idea! And you know Sense & Sensibility, well those Dashwoods are packed off to Cornwall. I hadn't caught that before. And I just watched the 2008 BBC Sense & Sensibility miniseries, which is far and away better than the movie, highly recommended, and the Cornwall-ness of their new abode is all too romantically apparent in the miniseries.
So, back to this book. If your life has been coming up Cornwall, this is a neat travelogue with lots of juicy stories interspersed with the history. And written by Daphne du Maurier, bonus!
If you're not curious about Cornwall, this book will NOT float your boat.
King Arthur, King Mark (Marcus), Tristan & Iseault, Avalon, Tintagel, Carlyon, Warleggan, Copper Mining, Helstone, Pirates of Penzance, Manderley. It's all here and
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more.If you're like me, everything has been coming up Cornwall lately. Recently discovered the 2004 BBC North & South miniseries which I have watched over and over again 3 times. Then I read the book. Then I listened to it read to me by Juliet Stevenson. I'm besotted with it all. Then Poldark started on Masterpiece, so I drooled over that for the duration of the series. In the meantime I'm listening to the Mists of Avalon most of which takes place in Cornwall. I'm also listening to H is for Hawk which takes a lot from T.H. White who wrote Once and Future King which is all Cornwall. Then I remember that one of my favorite books and movies of all time is Rebecca. That was in Cornwall? I had no idea! And you know Sense & Sensibility, well those Dashwoods are packed off to Cornwall. I hadn't caught that before. And I just watched the 2008 BBC Sense & Sensibility miniseries, which is far and away better than the movie, highly recommended, and the Cornwall-ness of their new abode is all too romantically apparent in the miniseries.
So, back to this book. If your life has been coming up Cornwall, this is a neat travelogue with lots of juicy stories interspersed with the history. And written by Daphne du Maurier, bonus!
If you're not curious about Cornwall, this book will NOT float your boat.
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LibraryThing member classyhomemaker
I really enjoyed reading through this. I'm so thankful to be able to read books about places I've never been. I think Daphne du Maurier was a very intelligent woman and had a way of telling a story that keeps our attention and interest, even if we don't fully understand the subject.
I'd never read
Very enjoyable read.
I'd never read
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anything nonfiction about Cornwall---but all the good vintage gothics are set there and I've read a whole lot of them! The book had several really interesting parts. I was especially intrigued with the idea of the miners working under the sea bed, accessed from the caves cut in the cliffs above. How treacherous! I also finally took the time to look up the word, "furze"---a term I'd wondered about since seeing a house called The Furze on an episode of Miss Marple. Very enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Daphne DuMaurier, longtime resident of Cornwall, shares her passion for the area by taking a look at how things have changed over the years. She discusses how it figures in the Arthurian legends as well as in her own books. She takes a look at industry, religion, social classes, geography, the sea,
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trade, and much more. She also looks at the connection the Bronte sisters had to Cornwall. It's fascinating, and the author's love for Cornwall shines in the narrative. The book includes many photographs that help readers unfamiliar with the area visualize it. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1967