Allegorizings
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- €13.99
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- €13.99
Publisher Description
'Almost nothing in life is only what it seems.'
Soldier, journalist, historian, author of forty books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such seminal moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution and so much more. Now, in Allegorizings, published posthumously as was her wish, Morris looks back over some of the key moments of her life, and sees a multitude of meanings.
From her final travels to the USA and across Europe to late journeys on her beloved trains and ships, from the deaths of her old friends Hilary and Tenzig to the enduring relationships in her own life, from reflections on identity and nations to the importance of good marmalade, it bears testimony to her uniquely kind and inquisitive take on the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This shrewd posthumous collection from Morris (1926–2020) (Thinking Again) showcases the prolific writer's personal musings and memories. The 45 essays are bite-size, and in the foreword, Morris calls the entries her most personal. True to her oeuvre, the pieces include travelogues, tributes to great ships, and odes to glimmering cities, and also dig into her own life. "Dreaming Dreams" sees Morris recounting a dream that coaxed a confession of an "unlovely habit," nose-picking as an adult, which in turn leads to a stream of thoughts on memory, shame, mortality. "Transcendental Town" covers her fascination with Tournus, France, while "Invisible Loyalty" sheds light on her position as a Welsh-English "culturist" (rather than nationalist). Morris's meditations are consistently charming—in "Sneezing," she writes that "among all clearances, the sneeze stands alone." "The Nijinksi of Grammar," meanwhile, is an ode to the "graceful" exclamation point. Where these snapshots come together is in Morris's steady unwinding of her idea that life is never what it seems, that imagination plays a role in constructing reality, and that living is a "majestically impenetrable allegory." Morris's fans will love these essays, and she's bound to win new devotees, too, with a parting gift that's gently wise and emotionally stirring.
