MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Literary A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor

ccowie · 03-20-2014, 05:55 PM

I had much the same reaction to this book as Bookpossum. The language and style is beautiful and I was struck by the way that he was so well received in so many places. I wonder a little how much of the insights he shares were actually experienced at the time or whether they grew in the 40 some odd years between recording his initial diaries and the time that he actually wrote the book. Some of my travel experiences have deepened over the years as events took root in the person I was and then merge with new experiences and who I’ve become to change them somewhat. For example, I love this comment he makes on pg 87: “We have all invented a half-bogus golden age to embower us when we eat and drink away from home.” That’s either a remarkably present and thoughtful 18 year-old, or one who’s reflected repeatedly on a collection of experiences.

I did find it a little eerie to read about his travels knowing full well what was about to transpire in that area of the world. There was scene in the book (can’t seem to find it now) where he was with some new friends in a restaurant or eating outside and he was confronted by some brownshirts. He seemed a little stymied by the situation. I hope I’m remembering this correctly. It reminded me a little of the movie Cabaret, which I haven’t seen in about 25 years, but where the backdrop of WWII provided a dark shadow over a lot of mundane details of people’s lives who just weren’t waking up to the gravity of the situation.

Again, I really enjoyed how beautifully written this book is. This is the first time I’ve set an annual reading challenge and I notice that some target a number of books and others a number of pages. I think I’ll stick with a book goal because I don’t read every book at the same speed. I read On The Trail of Genghis Kahn this month as well, as I’m sure others did. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but read it in about a third the time I took to read A Time of Gifts. I also read some sections two or three times in one sitting, just to see everything in what was being described, but not losing the beauty of how a paragraph or thought was constructed.

03-20-2014, 05:55 PM	#15
ccowie Hiding with an ereader Posts: 391 Karma: 3987376 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kitchener Ontario Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony PRS 950, Ipad 2, PRS 350	I had much the same reaction to this book as Bookpossum. The language and style is beautiful and I was struck by the way that he was so well received in so many places. I wonder a little how much of the insights he shares were actually experienced at the time or whether they grew in the 40 some odd years between recording his initial diaries and the time that he actually wrote the book. Some of my travel experiences have deepened over the years as events took root in the person I was and then merge with new experiences and who I’ve become to change them somewhat. For example, I love this comment he makes on pg 87: “We have all invented a half-bogus golden age to embower us when we eat and drink away from home.” That’s either a remarkably present and thoughtful 18 year-old, or one who’s reflected repeatedly on a collection of experiences. I did find it a little eerie to read about his travels knowing full well what was about to transpire in that area of the world. There was scene in the book (can’t seem to find it now) where he was with some new friends in a restaurant or eating outside and he was confronted by some brownshirts. He seemed a little stymied by the situation. I hope I’m remembering this correctly. It reminded me a little of the movie Cabaret, which I haven’t seen in about 25 years, but where the backdrop of WWII provided a dark shadow over a lot of mundane details of people’s lives who just weren’t waking up to the gravity of the situation. Again, I really enjoyed how beautifully written this book is. This is the first time I’ve set an annual reading challenge and I notice that some target a number of books and others a number of pages. I think I’ll stick with a book goal because I don’t read every book at the same speed. I read On The Trail of Genghis Kahn this month as well, as I’m sure others did. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but read it in about a third the time I took to read A Time of Gifts. I also read some sections two or three times in one sitting, just to see everything in what was being described, but not losing the beauty of how a paragraph or thought was constructed.