Publication
Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, 2006, c2004.
Collection
Call number
Fiction Q
Physical description
162 p.; 21 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:Anna Quindlen first visited London from a chair in her suburban Philadelphia home--in one of her beloved childhood mystery novels. She has been back to London countless times since, through the pages of books and in person, and now, in Imagined London, she takes her own readers on a tour of this greatest of literary cities. While New York, Paris, and Dublin are also vividly portrayed in fiction, it is London, Quindlen argues, that has always been the star, both because of the primacy of English literature and the specificity of city descriptions. She bases her view of the city on her own detailed literary map, tracking the footsteps of her favorite characters: the places where Evelyn Waugh's bright young things danced until dawn, or where Lydia Bennett eloped with the dastardly Wickham. In Imagined London, Quindlen walks through the city, moving within blocks from the great books of the 19th century to the detective novels of the 20th to the new modernist tradition of the 21st. With wit and charm, Imagined London gives this splendid city its full due in the landscape of the literary imagination. Praise for Imagined London: "Shows just how much a reading experience can enrich a physical journey." --New York Times Book Review "An elegant new work of nonfiction... People will be inspired by this book." --Ann Curry, Today "An affectionate, richly allusive tribute to the city." --Kirkus Reviews.… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member Whisper1
This book was fun! It was great to travel to London with Anna. A confessed lover of books, and an early reader, Quindlen set the goal of visiting the primary haunts of London that were so prominently featured in books she read since childhood.
Touring the home of Charles Dickens, visiting the small,
Walking in the village of Knightsbridge brought images of Forever Amber, observing the areas in London where the burnt out buildings from WWII are still preserved for historical purpose, Quindlen thought of Doris Lessing and her book The Four Gated City, and Elizabeth Bowens novel The Heat of the Day.
This was a delightful tale of the literary contributions and images that the wonderful city of London has bestowed upon those who love to read.
Recommended
Touring the home of Charles Dickens, visiting the small,
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narrow alley ways of the settings for Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, this self professed extrovert likened herself to the character of Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejuidice when locals were taken aback by Quindlen's chatty and open effusiveness.Walking in the village of Knightsbridge brought images of Forever Amber, observing the areas in London where the burnt out buildings from WWII are still preserved for historical purpose, Quindlen thought of Doris Lessing and her book The Four Gated City, and Elizabeth Bowens novel The Heat of the Day.
This was a delightful tale of the literary contributions and images that the wonderful city of London has bestowed upon those who love to read.
Recommended
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LibraryThing member SLuce
A National Geographic series by writers on traveling. Have not read many of the authors so did not enjoy as much as well read people would.
LibraryThing member craso
I picked this book up because I enjoy novels set in England and I would like to visit that country someday. The book is an enjoyable read, but it reads like two separate books; one about British literature and one a travelogue about London. Quindlen could have done a better job of bringing these
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two ideas together. I wanted more about specific places in London, how those places are portrayed in novels, and how they appear in modern London. Instead you read about Quindlen's love of reading British author's like Dicken's and then you read about what a nice place London is to visit. Show Less
LibraryThing member anamuk
I was quite intrigued by this since I've belived for some time that London is
only real for people that live (as a dear friend would have it) ITP, that is
within the M25. For the rest of us London is a place constantly re-invented by
the media, in the case of Ms Quindlen & myself through books. As an
she seems to be gripped by 19th centuary London, Holmes & Dickens play a large
part.
She writes about her impressions and the odd gulf between British English &
American, it won't guide you round London in any helpful way, but it might open
your eyes to bits of the place.
only real for people that live (as a dear friend would have it) ITP, that is
within the M25. For the rest of us London is a place constantly re-invented by
the media, in the case of Ms Quindlen & myself through books. As an
Show More
Americanshe seems to be gripped by 19th centuary London, Holmes & Dickens play a large
part.
She writes about her impressions and the odd gulf between British English &
American, it won't guide you round London in any helpful way, but it might open
your eyes to bits of the place.
Show Less
LibraryThing member burnit99
I've long been a fan of Anna Quindlen's fiction and essays, but this book was a bit of a hard slog. The book is a series of reflections on literary London, the London that appears in some of the world's great literature (Dickens figures heavily here, among others), and how that compares with the
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real London of today. This would be a great read for an Anglophile who had read all the authors cited within. Unfortunately, I can't really lay claim to either, other than having read a few Dickens books and making vague plans to travel to London some day. I did particularly like her vocabulary exploration, near the end of the book, of colorful Englishisms, some of which I knew from my own readings, and many of which were delightful and new. In the best of possible worlds, Quindlen would offer to be my tour guide when I visit London someday. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
I fully expected to breeze through this little book and totally love it. Sometimes life doesn't turn out as you expect and this was just one of those times. The beginning was wonderful as is the concept, but the execution just didn't enthrall me. I never felt I'd returned to the London of the past
Still this was an interesting exercise from one of my favorite authors, and fun to sit on Quindlen's shoulder to hear her comments when she reads some of the greats.
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that I met through my books, or the London I lived in myself in the 70's or visited in the 80's. There were some great references, and I know Quindlen loves this city as much as I do (indeed, I'm always amazed when I find someone who doesn't love London.) And though my introduction to London came from writers of the past, it is via present day writers (and Dr Who) that I am able to visit the city again and discover it's current day vibrancy. Still this was an interesting exercise from one of my favorite authors, and fun to sit on Quindlen's shoulder to hear her comments when she reads some of the greats.
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
A fun little book comparing fictional and real London. Cute.
LibraryThing member Turrean
I enjoyed this, especially because I was just home from my own trip to London. The author mentions and even quotes lots of my favorite books set in London, but the book seems to have no organizing principle. Occasionally she'd talk about one writer or one neighborhood for a few pages, or the
I kept thinking of all the children's books I've read that were set in London!
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dramatic rebuilding of London after the war, but not consistently. She wanders cheerfully from topic to topic. I kept thinking of all the children's books I've read that were set in London!
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LibraryThing member LadyoftheLodge
Interesting review of London as seen from a literary viewpoint. I wished for a list of all the books the author mentioned, and a map of London!
LibraryThing member Iambookish
I so identified with the author regarding London and literature. Granted I haven't been that many places, but London is my favorite place. Walking the streets never gets old, and I feel and see history in every step.
If it wasn't so darn expensive, I would live there in a second!
If it wasn't so darn expensive, I would live there in a second!
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
The writing was solid, but the topic was one I wasn't actually interested in. So I stopped after a chapter or two.
LibraryThing member SESchend
Very quick and engaging read of what it's like to experience London from both fictional and reality-based perspectives. Fun tromp through history, fiction, and little bits of memoir. Most likely of interest more to writers than to travelers, though.
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Quindlen’s memoir pays homage to a city she loved for decades before she ever visited in person. For most of her life, she knew London only through its rich literary heritage and the description of authors like Dickens and Doyle. London is the city I called home for several years in my early
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twenties, so it’s a city I knew well once upon a time. I enjoyed revisiting it through Quindlen’s memoir, but, sadly, Quindlen’s memoir didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. Show Less
LibraryThing member classyhomemaker
Absolutely fantastic! I agree with every sentiment. I started this travelogue/bookish bio/love story early this afternoon and read it straight through, stopping only to feed my family dinner. It's hard to put into words the way Quindlen captured the feel of visiting places in England for the first
"Hyde Park, Green Park, Soho, and Kensington: I had been to them all in my imagination before ever setting foot in England. So that by the time I actually visited London in 1995 for the first time, it felt less like an introduction and more like a homecoming."
That's exactly how I felt when first visiting England in 2013. It was brand new yet very familiar and my feeling of homesickness has led me back three more times since. In fact, one of the most difficult things for me about the COVID restrictions the last 18 months is the fact that I can't freely travel back to this place that occupies such an enormous part of my emotions.
I appreciated how the author had avoided visiting London until her mid 40s, lest she find it disappointing and not what her mind had painted it up to be. She, of course, was pleasantly relieved to find that it was all she thought it would be and more. "When I turn the corner into a small, quiet, leafy square, am I really seeing it fresh, or am I both looking and remembering?" Yes. Exactly. This is one of the few "American in England" memoirs I've read in which the author seems to appreciate the realness of the experience and to separate out the fantasy to see England in its truth.
Additionally, I loved the analogy of all the "Londons" throughout history being piled atop one another like layers of earth. The history doesn't ever really disappear from this ancient city upon an ancient island---it just builds and morphs and adds to itself with each new era.
If I find any fault with the book, it's with the negligence of the editor. Quindlen overuses words like "chockablock" and "chuffed"---after discussing how she can't help but use British English in her writing. Their overuse, coupled with the fact that she doesn't start this until the second half of the book, shows that she probably doesn't actually use these words as often as she claims. She definitely adopts a different voice about half way, as well, leading me to believe she wrote part of the book and then put it away for quite awhile before pulling it out to finish. Oh, and I did get a little weirded out when she began talking about Freud in the context of her relationship with her teenage son... All this can be forgiven, however; it's truly an enjoyable read.
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time, but I think this quote says it best:"Hyde Park, Green Park, Soho, and Kensington: I had been to them all in my imagination before ever setting foot in England. So that by the time I actually visited London in 1995 for the first time, it felt less like an introduction and more like a homecoming."
That's exactly how I felt when first visiting England in 2013. It was brand new yet very familiar and my feeling of homesickness has led me back three more times since. In fact, one of the most difficult things for me about the COVID restrictions the last 18 months is the fact that I can't freely travel back to this place that occupies such an enormous part of my emotions.
I appreciated how the author had avoided visiting London until her mid 40s, lest she find it disappointing and not what her mind had painted it up to be. She, of course, was pleasantly relieved to find that it was all she thought it would be and more. "When I turn the corner into a small, quiet, leafy square, am I really seeing it fresh, or am I both looking and remembering?" Yes. Exactly. This is one of the few "American in England" memoirs I've read in which the author seems to appreciate the realness of the experience and to separate out the fantasy to see England in its truth.
Additionally, I loved the analogy of all the "Londons" throughout history being piled atop one another like layers of earth. The history doesn't ever really disappear from this ancient city upon an ancient island---it just builds and morphs and adds to itself with each new era.
If I find any fault with the book, it's with the negligence of the editor. Quindlen overuses words like "chockablock" and "chuffed"---after discussing how she can't help but use British English in her writing. Their overuse, coupled with the fact that she doesn't start this until the second half of the book, shows that she probably doesn't actually use these words as often as she claims. She definitely adopts a different voice about half way, as well, leading me to believe she wrote part of the book and then put it away for quite awhile before pulling it out to finish. Oh, and I did get a little weirded out when she began talking about Freud in the context of her relationship with her teenage son... All this can be forgiven, however; it's truly an enjoyable read.
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Language
ISBN
9780792242079