Tue, 03 Jul 2007
von Arnim, Solitary Summer
Elizabeth von Arnim, Solitary Summer
free download at Gutenberg.org
Gutenberg.org has a large variety of books for
free download and these include many hard to get
classic titles. The best thing for reading them is
a pocket PC or gadgets like the Nokia 770 and 800.
A laptop could do as well.
This book is by a woman born in 1866 in Sydney,
Australia who later married a Prussian nobleman. After
a little time living in Berlin they moved to the
family estate near the Baltic sea.
This book recounts, not really a solitary summer, as
the full cast of family, servants, and villagers are
all there, but one without the usual coterie of
invited visitors. She takes us around her garden and
surrounds and gives us a wonderful snapshot of the
time. And in her summer wanderings she might help
modern summer vacationers to slow down and feel the
grass, smell the flowers, and generally establish a
little low-key voluptuousness.
von Arnhim died in 1941 in Charleston, South
Carolina. She wrote a number of books and was picked
up for reprinting by the feminist publishers, Virago.
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Wallpaper travel, Berlin, Dubai, LA
Wallpaper Travel series - Berlin, Phaedon
Goodness, if anyone got the impression that
Wallpaper magazine was about outsiders to cool looking
in after IPC Media took over, then this book confirms
it. The whole thing smacks of picking up on one
or another well-known factlet to show that they're
in-the-know, followed by complete nonsense.
There are some well-known restaurants, shops, etc
mentioned but really, you're better off reading our
own short guide to Berlin, here.
Dubai
This is a little better and Dubai being a relatively
uncomplicated place, so it should be. In all these titles
there are an abundance of nice photos. The main choice
you need to make here is city or beach with the beach
being the more popular choice and in this area this
guide doesn't get it at all and certainly doesn't pick up
on any finer points- and yes, people do go there for
some serious winter beach time.
There are little sneers on the way through. These
are redundant as who goes to Dubai for "good" taste?
LA
This is the best of these three and while we
wouldn't give it 4 stars, it does at least seem to
have a little basic understanding of the place which is
more than can be said for the others. Or maybe LA is
beyond understanding and any random assortment would
do. And, hmmm, Venice Beach? Would you only mention
Muscle Beach and tatstastic? How about the boho, beat,
rock 'n' roll underpinnngs - Jim Morrrison of the Doors
hung out there one summer and some interesting artists
live there now.
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pre Dec 04 reviews are here