Two Years in the French West Indies (Lost and Found Series) - Softcover

Hearn, Lafcadio

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1566563704 ISBN 13: 9781566563703

Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc, 2001

Synopsis

By the 1930s Western books about China were common. But a book about the West, and particularly London, written by a Chinese author, was a rarity -- and continues to be so.Chiang Yee's account of London, first published in 1938, is original in more ways than one. Not only one of the first widely available books written by a Chinese author in English, it also reverses the expected conventions of travel writing. For here the exotic subject matter is none other than London and its people, quizzically observed as an alien culture by a visiting foreigner. Immersing himself in the strange rituals of London life, Chiang Yee set out to learn about Londoners, their habits and their pleasures. In pubs and cafes, cinemas and art galleries, he watched the locals at work and at play. Fascinated by such social conventions as afternoon tea and discussing the weather, he tried to make sense of British society, treating his subjects with a mix of wonderment and affection. As he lived through the capital's various seasons, and endured the notorious London fogs, Chiang Yee's affinity with the city and its people grew.Illustrated with the author's own atmospheric sketches, The Silent Traveller in London is also a book about China and a world in transition. Comparing London with his native land, Chiang Yee draws parallels and contrasts, seeking to rectify misunderstandings and stereotypes regarding Chinese life.First published in 1890, this book offers one of the most detailed and poetic accounts of day-to-day life in the Caribbean ever written.Describing the island's landscape, its flora and fauna, its colonial architecture and rural villages, Hearn provides an invaluable picture of aCaribbean colony where slavery is a recent memory and race an all-important matter of identity.

About this title

About the Author:

Hearn (1850-1904) was born in Levkas, Greece, as the son of Greek and British parents. In 1869 he went to the United States and did various work, finally as a journalist. In 1890 he came to Japan and taught English in Japanese schools, and became a Japanese citizen under the name of Koizumi Yakuma. He died in Tokyo.

From Library Journal:

Interlink's newest series, "Lost and Found," aims to revive great works of travel writing by updating them with a new foreword while preserving the unique vision and experiences of each writer. These two inaugural titles will surely be welcomed back in both public and academic libraries. Greek-born journalist, translator, and world traveler Hearn (1850-1904), who remains best known for his Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan and Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation, has vibrantly reported his travels in French-ruled Martinique during 1887-89. Consisting of "A Midsummer Trip to the Tropics," 12 sketches of Martinique life, a folktale, several short folk music scores, and period illustrations, this poetic account provides views of much that has now disappeared. Hearn's unusual perception of light and color as well as his detailed vintage prose both render a unique and subtle portrayal of the various peoples of Martinique in the early post-slavery period. Students of medieval art and history should applaud the reissue (with new author's preface) of Mullins's 1974 classic. In this compact account, Mullins, a scholar and wordsmith par excellence, makes each "Christ in Majesty" on the tympanums of pilgrimage road churches vivid. In the early 1970s, he followed much of the Santiago pilgrimage road on foot, tracing routes of the Christian faithful, who traveled to Spain to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela in medieval times. Detailing the sights along the four main routes passing through France from Paris, Vezelay, Le Puy, and Arles, Mullins eloquently discusses the special iconography of pilgrimage churches, the lore of relics, the art of reliquaries, and the life and journey of early pilgrims and their influence on European culture. An astute work based on well-founded sources and the author's erudition, this tome is highly recommended. Margaret W. Norton, Oak Park, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1566563704
• ISBN 13: 9781566563703
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 338