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Letters from London
A sparkling collection of essays that illustrates the infinite variety of contemporary life in London—from the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of The Sense of an Ending, "an exceptionally accomplished [and] ingenious stylist" ( The New York Review of Books ).
"A splended collection of journalism ... uniformly fine, closely observed and informative." — The Wall Street Journal
With brilliant wit, idiosyncratic intelligence, and a bold grasp of intricate political realities, the celebrated author of Flaubert's Parrot turns his satiric glance homeward to England.
"A splended collection of journalism ... uniformly fine, closely observed and informative." — The Wall Street Journal
With brilliant wit, idiosyncratic intelligence, and a bold grasp of intricate political realities, the celebrated author of Flaubert's Parrot turns his satiric glance homeward to England.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
26 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
Julian Barnes
173 books6,750 followersJulian Patrick Barnes is an English writer. He won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 with The Sense of an Ending, having been shortlisted three times previously with Flaubert's Parrot, England, England, and Arthur & George. Barnes has also written crime fiction under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh (having married Pat Kavanagh). In addition to novels, Barnes has published collections of essays and short stories.
In 2004 he became a Commandeur of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His honours also include the Somerset Maugham Award and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. He was awarded the 2021 Jerusalem Prize.
In 2004 he became a Commandeur of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His honours also include the Somerset Maugham Award and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. He was awarded the 2021 Jerusalem Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 7, 2022
Eseuri, comentarii politice, reportaje, recenzii scrise de JB pentru The New Yorker (1990-1995).
Mi-au plăcut îndeosebi eseul despre „falsuri” prilejuit de o expoziție la British Museum (cel mai teribil fals e, firește, „păstrăvul cu blană” descoperit în Canada), eseul despre grădinile-labirint din Marea Britanie și comentariul foarte amuzant al meciului de șah pentru titlul mondial (1993) dintre Nigel Short și Garry Kasparov.
Textele despre viața politică englezească din anii 80 și de la începutul anilor 90 ai secolului trecut au devenit oarecum fanate, deși umorul lor a rămas necruțător.
Rețin că JB n-a simpatizat-o deloc pe Margaret Thatcher. Cartea ei de memorii, The Downing Street Years, i s-a părut prozatorului englez remarcabilă doar „prin colosala, deloc surprinzătoarea vanitate pe care o emană”.
Un pasaj despre nefericirea de a fi vlăstar regal:
„Imaginaţi-vă ce consecinţe are o astfel de existenţă pentru modul de a-ţi percepe propria identitate. Nu ai nimic care să semene, de departe măcar, cu o slujbă, deşi din cînd în cînd poţi eventual să ţii un discurs (de obicei scris de altcineva) şi să inaugurezi o fabrică. Dispui de un simulacru de putere, fără a avea putere reală, şi de o amintire vagă a ceea au păţit strămoşii care au guvernat cu prea multă lăcomie... Călătoreşti prin lume ca şi cînd ai fi un manechin de vitrină animat făcînd reclamă la produsul unic şi misterios al esenţei britanice. În cinstea ta se dau recepţii, ţi se fac temenele, eşti ferit de ambuteiaje. Dar, într-un anume sens, nu exişti: eşti ceea ce alţii decid că eşti, eşti doar ceea ce pari a fi”.
N-am înțeles de ce traducătorul n-a intitulat volumul Scrisori din Londra.
Mi-au plăcut îndeosebi eseul despre „falsuri” prilejuit de o expoziție la British Museum (cel mai teribil fals e, firește, „păstrăvul cu blană” descoperit în Canada), eseul despre grădinile-labirint din Marea Britanie și comentariul foarte amuzant al meciului de șah pentru titlul mondial (1993) dintre Nigel Short și Garry Kasparov.
Textele despre viața politică englezească din anii 80 și de la începutul anilor 90 ai secolului trecut au devenit oarecum fanate, deși umorul lor a rămas necruțător.
Rețin că JB n-a simpatizat-o deloc pe Margaret Thatcher. Cartea ei de memorii, The Downing Street Years, i s-a părut prozatorului englez remarcabilă doar „prin colosala, deloc surprinzătoarea vanitate pe care o emană”.
Un pasaj despre nefericirea de a fi vlăstar regal:
„Imaginaţi-vă ce consecinţe are o astfel de existenţă pentru modul de a-ţi percepe propria identitate. Nu ai nimic care să semene, de departe măcar, cu o slujbă, deşi din cînd în cînd poţi eventual să ţii un discurs (de obicei scris de altcineva) şi să inaugurezi o fabrică. Dispui de un simulacru de putere, fără a avea putere reală, şi de o amintire vagă a ceea au păţit strămoşii care au guvernat cu prea multă lăcomie... Călătoreşti prin lume ca şi cînd ai fi un manechin de vitrină animat făcînd reclamă la produsul unic şi misterios al esenţei britanice. În cinstea ta se dau recepţii, ţi se fac temenele, eşti ferit de ambuteiaje. Dar, într-un anume sens, nu exişti: eşti ceea ce alţii decid că eşti, eşti doar ceea ce pari a fi”.
N-am înțeles de ce traducătorul n-a intitulat volumul Scrisori din Londra.
August 28, 2019
This book made me want to move to London more than anything else, besides my true love living there or whatever. So then I moved to London. And then I didn't really dig London, so I came back. And years later, I re-read this, and it kinda made me want to move to London again.
Then I got over it but know what I haven't gotten over? How freaking sexy Julian Barnes looks in this edition's author photo. He's all, "I'm one of the greatest living writers. I know it. You know it. Just look at me."
Ooo! And then there's this one:
Then I got over it but know what I haven't gotten over? How freaking sexy Julian Barnes looks in this edition's author photo. He's all, "I'm one of the greatest living writers. I know it. You know it. Just look at me."
Ooo! And then there's this one:
September 24, 2012
Perhaps a little dated, Julian Barnes' "Letter from London" column ran in the New Yorker from 1990 to 1995. But he's such a lovely, brilliant writer, that even if only as historical documents, this is a fun read.
Mr Barnes has such a way with words. Perhaps a silly thing to say of a writer, that is his craft of course. I was intending to read one or two pieces at a time, interspersed between other things, but in the end, I just ploughed right through it. Who knew fifteen year-old British politics could be so interesting? Lovely stuff.
Mr Barnes has such a way with words. Perhaps a silly thing to say of a writer, that is his craft of course. I was intending to read one or two pieces at a time, interspersed between other things, but in the end, I just ploughed right through it. Who knew fifteen year-old British politics could be so interesting? Lovely stuff.
May 2, 2024
Publicistic work rarely survives the tides of time. Reading a detailed depictions of current affairs in the nineties is a rather boring enterprise. Some witticisms from the Thatcher era are timeless though.
It was perhaps surprising that an Englishman's "letters from London" abound in self-inflicted irony and lack patriotic enthusiasm as compared with so-called "letters from Paris" (see "Nothing to Declare" for comparison). Yet, perhaps not so much. Mr Barnes has the reputation of a Francophile.
Anyways, this rounds up my Barnes readings. Hope he stays prolific and brings new staff on the market. Always an anticipated delight.
It was perhaps surprising that an Englishman's "letters from London" abound in self-inflicted irony and lack patriotic enthusiasm as compared with so-called "letters from Paris" (see "Nothing to Declare" for comparison). Yet, perhaps not so much. Mr Barnes has the reputation of a Francophile.
Anyways, this rounds up my Barnes readings. Hope he stays prolific and brings new staff on the market. Always an anticipated delight.
September 21, 2008
I choose this for my list simply because I love the introduction and the bit about the fact checkers at the New Yorker.
August 20, 2019
I don’t know why I suddenly picked up this book out of nowhere. Maybe it was near me, maybe I like the binding – whatever is the reason, I am happy for picking it up. The articles (mostly political) are well-researched, full of mirth, impartiality and compassion. I rarely look into the intricacies of politics, which is not a great thing to confess but that’s that. Let alone Great Britain, I hardly know much about Indian politics. But reading those articles on Thatcher’s resign and the accompanying tumult, the extraordinary effect of the ordinary character of John Major, the election of 1992: the race between Letwin and Glenda – they were simply gripping. Even without having much context of the politics in Britain, the reading is hugely rewarding, as Barnes is able to spin tasty long articles from extremely boring affairs, solely due to his unmatched penmanship. The conspiracy and gossip between princess Di and prince Charles, their personal fights, their royalty (or the supreme moral image of the Great Britain) being questioned are shown and made understood quite precisely. The dishonesty of Lloyd's in the 1990s, the comical and passive reaction of the British government when a celebrated writer receives death threats from everywhere because he exercised his freedom of writing; it all reported with responsibility and understanding you wouldn't find so often. Even though, the effectiveness of such articles become questionable after so many other developments so many years later, the articles are still very enjoyable if one one has some spare time.
December 9, 2021
It seems I’m reading lots of things that relate to or are of the 90s at the minute. This collection of articles that Barnes wrote for ‘The New Yorker’ is very entrenched in the minutiae of 90s UK culture but I found most of the articles presented here pretty interesting and charming, if at times a bit dry.
October 10, 2008
Not all of the trivia these essays are larded with have aged especially well, but I picked this up again to reread the longish and very good chapter on the financial crisis at Lloyd's of London in the early 90s and it still seems to me a model of reporting on complex financial phenomena.
October 29, 2015
Strangely enough I've never really got into any of Barnes' novels. But I love his essays and this collection is no exception. True, they are somewhat dated and so more of a historical value than when they were written but still very thought-provoking and entertaining.
March 22, 2017
3.5
*Only read a couple of the chapters for a seminar and it's an easy read. Ironical and even comical some times, Barnes captures the raw truth behind England's most controversial and important moments.
September 30, 2021
In the early '90s, Julian Barnes tried to explain British current affairs to readers of The New Yorker in a series of humorist pieces collected in Letters from London. A large proportion of the book is about the House of Commons - the fall of Thatcher, and rise of her successors, as well as scandals involving minor MPs - but also such British moments as the opening of the Chunnel, the Lloyd's financial disaster, and Royal Family gossip, among other things. I've been a fan of Barnes' novels since, well, exactly this era, but have only really been discovering his essay work recently. And I love it. British news distilled through perfect words, witty asides, and the thematic control of, yes, a novelist, is sort of how I want to get all my news. Alas. Barnes takes no prisoners, offering amusing personal observations along with the socio-political commentary, with just the right dose of historical irony. The fact that the essays begin near the end of a long Conservative rule does seem to speak to the present-day United Kingdom (and observers). I don't know that it makes me feel better about my Anglophilia though...
March 29, 2022
Journalism is the first draft of history, and Barnes’ well-crafted copy surely counts as a fine example. Even if it’s about such now-obscure scandals as the financial ruin that befell the ‘names’ (i.e. private underwriters) of Lloyd’s of London.
This collection of long-form reporting for the Atlantic explains the politics and society of early-1990s Britain to an American audience. It’s a world that has long since vanished - Thatcher still haunts the corridors of power, email is still a few years away - but Barnes’ first draft is an excellent guide through Britain’s recent history.
This collection of long-form reporting for the Atlantic explains the politics and society of early-1990s Britain to an American audience. It’s a world that has long since vanished - Thatcher still haunts the corridors of power, email is still a few years away - but Barnes’ first draft is an excellent guide through Britain’s recent history.
December 16, 2024
Pretty interesting, learnt a lot of not helpful information but funny to read about who was a big deal then that I've never heard of now and who was a footnote but very important to the society we now live in. Either way I need to stop reading random books I got from my dead family member's houses and actually get back to books on my want to read list.
January 22, 2017
https://ch3815h.wordpress.com/2013/12...
Cartea, o serie intreaga de articole de presa de pe vremea cand la inceputul anilor ’90, Julian Barnes autorul era crespondent jurnalistic al The New York Times la Londra exprima cu o nonsalanta si o lejeritate a discursului jurnalistic asezonat cu piperul ironiei tipic britanice, gustate functie de gust in privinta intensitatii satisfactiei cu care este perceputa de public viata acelor ani prin via si mereu contemplativa munca de analiza fina dusa pe meleagurile natale pentru o publicatie de renume nord- americana. Ironia este prezenta la fiecare pas in capitolele ce compun structural cartea, care nu poate fi asimilata unui roman, pentru ca personajele nu sunt aceleasi, iar stilul auctorial desi prezent cam pe acelasi firmament in toate relatarile expuse in paginile cartii, e mai degraba un roman document, asemenea unui set de scrisori ce stau marturie si dovada vie a unui punct de vedere propriu, profesionist emis in jobul de corespondent local in capitala Regatului Unit pentru corporatistii mediatici americani.
Nu este un roman autentic, pentru ca desi are valente de roman istoric, datand perioada temporala in care s-au intamplat o serie intreaga de evenimente marcante pentru istoria poporului britanic consemnate de Julian Barnes, el atesta mai degraba o calitate de a infora publicul strict jurnalistic adecvat prin calitatea autenticitatii unui document, decat artisticitatea propriu-zisa presupusa de opera de arta, munca slefuita permanent. Este mai degraba un corespondent globlizant si mai actual al Dridriului alecsandrian pasoptist, un roman epistolar, ce comporta pe langa informare prinsa-n timp si o caracteristica biblica, ce da autenticitate cuvintelor adunate intre coperte. Bunaoara, familia Al Fayed scrie istoria recenta a regatului britanic, ce pare a-si pierde la nivelul coerentei conservatoare de la carma conducerii fraielor statului calitatea de pastrator de traditii si obiceiuri rutiniere, ci fiind mai degraba deschis spre nou, prea nou pentru o familie dinastica ce a condus lumea secole de-a randul, coruptie mica si foarte mare demascata de presa de scandal nisata pe politic si economic a vremii este caricaturizata de autorul cartii in informarile de peste ocean, unde ca sa dea marca unui adevarat stil scriitoricesc apreciat de catre academia royala engleza, spune ceva ironic despre felul de a percepe businessul mediatic in America, secrete mici, pardonabile despre sefia breslei si a felului in care aceasta vede munca in indeplinirea rolului de atins prin fixarea unor targeturi ce comporta adeseori o critica vehementa a demersului impus cu tagma celorlalrle atribute profesionale presupuse de fisa postului. Or, stim bine ca si la cei mici, orice propozitie afirmata in care rostim de mai multe ori ca adulti prefixul ne-, copilul isi va aloca destule resurse de memorie si creativitate pentru a putea sa probeze acel ne- afirmat de noi, prin imboldul crescut acaparant pentru ei de a vedea dincolo de ne- cum e prin propria situare acolo.
Cursivitate si lectura de o savoare ce te prinde fara sa vrei s-o mai lasi din mana, toate le intalnesti intre copertele unei carti, ce aminteste si de scenariul unui film ce implica la randu-i Marea Britanie in prim-plan, altfel descrisa, poate, sau la fel, dar nu atat de canalizata pe aspectul monarhic, cat pe cel laicizat al conducerii de stat. Filmul se cheama Ghost writer, sa nu uit sa o spun, desi Londra nu-mi aduce topo-biografic prea multe amintiri placute.
Cartea, o serie intreaga de articole de presa de pe vremea cand la inceputul anilor ’90, Julian Barnes autorul era crespondent jurnalistic al The New York Times la Londra exprima cu o nonsalanta si o lejeritate a discursului jurnalistic asezonat cu piperul ironiei tipic britanice, gustate functie de gust in privinta intensitatii satisfactiei cu care este perceputa de public viata acelor ani prin via si mereu contemplativa munca de analiza fina dusa pe meleagurile natale pentru o publicatie de renume nord- americana. Ironia este prezenta la fiecare pas in capitolele ce compun structural cartea, care nu poate fi asimilata unui roman, pentru ca personajele nu sunt aceleasi, iar stilul auctorial desi prezent cam pe acelasi firmament in toate relatarile expuse in paginile cartii, e mai degraba un roman document, asemenea unui set de scrisori ce stau marturie si dovada vie a unui punct de vedere propriu, profesionist emis in jobul de corespondent local in capitala Regatului Unit pentru corporatistii mediatici americani.
Nu este un roman autentic, pentru ca desi are valente de roman istoric, datand perioada temporala in care s-au intamplat o serie intreaga de evenimente marcante pentru istoria poporului britanic consemnate de Julian Barnes, el atesta mai degraba o calitate de a infora publicul strict jurnalistic adecvat prin calitatea autenticitatii unui document, decat artisticitatea propriu-zisa presupusa de opera de arta, munca slefuita permanent. Este mai degraba un corespondent globlizant si mai actual al Dridriului alecsandrian pasoptist, un roman epistolar, ce comporta pe langa informare prinsa-n timp si o caracteristica biblica, ce da autenticitate cuvintelor adunate intre coperte. Bunaoara, familia Al Fayed scrie istoria recenta a regatului britanic, ce pare a-si pierde la nivelul coerentei conservatoare de la carma conducerii fraielor statului calitatea de pastrator de traditii si obiceiuri rutiniere, ci fiind mai degraba deschis spre nou, prea nou pentru o familie dinastica ce a condus lumea secole de-a randul, coruptie mica si foarte mare demascata de presa de scandal nisata pe politic si economic a vremii este caricaturizata de autorul cartii in informarile de peste ocean, unde ca sa dea marca unui adevarat stil scriitoricesc apreciat de catre academia royala engleza, spune ceva ironic despre felul de a percepe businessul mediatic in America, secrete mici, pardonabile despre sefia breslei si a felului in care aceasta vede munca in indeplinirea rolului de atins prin fixarea unor targeturi ce comporta adeseori o critica vehementa a demersului impus cu tagma celorlalrle atribute profesionale presupuse de fisa postului. Or, stim bine ca si la cei mici, orice propozitie afirmata in care rostim de mai multe ori ca adulti prefixul ne-, copilul isi va aloca destule resurse de memorie si creativitate pentru a putea sa probeze acel ne- afirmat de noi, prin imboldul crescut acaparant pentru ei de a vedea dincolo de ne- cum e prin propria situare acolo.
Cursivitate si lectura de o savoare ce te prinde fara sa vrei s-o mai lasi din mana, toate le intalnesti intre copertele unei carti, ce aminteste si de scenariul unui film ce implica la randu-i Marea Britanie in prim-plan, altfel descrisa, poate, sau la fel, dar nu atat de canalizata pe aspectul monarhic, cat pe cel laicizat al conducerii de stat. Filmul se cheama Ghost writer, sa nu uit sa o spun, desi Londra nu-mi aduce topo-biografic prea multe amintiri placute.
August 3, 2008
Julian Barnes was London correspondent for The New Yorker from 1989 to 1994. This book is a collection of columns written during that period.
And it's terrific. Barnes is extraordinarily smart and unfathomably erudite, qualities which - oddly enough - don't always serve him well in his fiction (he can't help showing off, which distracts the reader and detracts from the writing). But in a collection of reportage pieces like this one, his intelligence and breadth of knowledge add to the quality of the essays.
He is also hilarious. This list of sub-entries under the index entry for "clothes" gives an indication of how funny he is -
Queen's jodhpurs
shabbiness of MPs
reduced shabbiness of MPs
Nonna Longden's knickers
tantric influence on Mrs Thatcher's wardrobe
John major's grey suits
John Major's underpants
Glenda Jackson's wardrobe
positive smartness of Labour MPs
badnews cufflinks
Queen's clothing allowance
coat-folding at Buckingham palace
more badnews cufflinks
regal aspect of Mrs Thatcher's frocks
incineration of Chanel dresses
Queen's fuchsia ensemble
British underwear
Tony Blair's jacket
Pirie knot for bow ties
The list of sub-entries under the index entry for "Margaret Thatcher" is side-splittingly funny, but too long to include in this review, alas.
And it's terrific. Barnes is extraordinarily smart and unfathomably erudite, qualities which - oddly enough - don't always serve him well in his fiction (he can't help showing off, which distracts the reader and detracts from the writing). But in a collection of reportage pieces like this one, his intelligence and breadth of knowledge add to the quality of the essays.
He is also hilarious. This list of sub-entries under the index entry for "clothes" gives an indication of how funny he is -
Queen's jodhpurs
shabbiness of MPs
reduced shabbiness of MPs
Nonna Longden's knickers
tantric influence on Mrs Thatcher's wardrobe
John major's grey suits
John Major's underpants
Glenda Jackson's wardrobe
positive smartness of Labour MPs
badnews cufflinks
Queen's clothing allowance
coat-folding at Buckingham palace
more badnews cufflinks
regal aspect of Mrs Thatcher's frocks
incineration of Chanel dresses
Queen's fuchsia ensemble
British underwear
Tony Blair's jacket
Pirie knot for bow ties
The list of sub-entries under the index entry for "Margaret Thatcher" is side-splittingly funny, but too long to include in this review, alas.
June 2, 2012
Als Auslandskorrespondent im eigenen Land schrieb Barnes 1990 bis 1994 für den New Yorker über London. Schon das Vorwort, in dem er über die Wortklauberei (stilistisch und inhaltlich) der Redaktion schreibt ist amüsant, seine Beschreibung des englischen Parlaments – und das zur Thatcher-Ära – grandios und entlarvend. Der Leser lernt viel über englische Politik, langweilt sich dabei aber nie. Etwas schade fand ich es, dass Barnes nicht stärker auch andere Themen aus dem Londoner Alltag aufnimmt, aber vermutlich lag das am Konzept dieser Beiträge. Gut gefielen mir auch die Kapitel über die Tradition der Pantomimen an Neujahr, die Verbreitung von Fälschungen in England, die Beschreibung englisch-französischer Animositäten (Kapitel zur Eröffnung des EuroTunnels) und der ambivalenten Haltung der Briten zur Rushdie-Affäre.
July 29, 2016
This book surprised me from the very first article. I felt like it represented all I like about British literature and culture: that wonderful idiosyncrasy, the witty rhetoric... I had read a couple of books by Julian Barnes before, but I didn't like them as much as this one. Perhaps it's the format, a collection of essays published in The New Yorker, the kind of journalistic style I truly enjoy. Or maybe it's the topic: a detailed description of British politics, cultural life and significant events in the early 90s. That alone could raise the book to the top for a true anglophile as myself. Or perhaps it's just Barnes's writing, even if it meant reading the Oxford dictionary entry of one in each 5 words.
Overall, a delightful read that I wouldn't recommend to any of my friends, and that I'll keep together with Wodehouse and co.
Overall, a delightful read that I wouldn't recommend to any of my friends, and that I'll keep together with Wodehouse and co.
June 17, 2011
I enjoyed this a great deal. The period of history it covers is one I lived through and yet didn't have a particularly detailed knowledge of since I was aged 10-15. For instance, I knew that the poll tax was crassly awful but I didn't know quite why. Now I do.
Oh, and here's something droll. In the article about Salman Rushdie, Julian Barnes refers to a fellow scrivener being unable to attend a fundraiser for an Oxford college as he has "unavoidably gone skiing".
Barnes writes that the "fictioneer's freemasonry" prevents him from naming him, but if you leaf through the index as I did, you'll see the entry: McEwan, Ian: unavoidably goes skiing, 293. Named and shamed!
Oh, and here's something droll. In the article about Salman Rushdie, Julian Barnes refers to a fellow scrivener being unable to attend a fundraiser for an Oxford college as he has "unavoidably gone skiing".
Barnes writes that the "fictioneer's freemasonry" prevents him from naming him, but if you leaf through the index as I did, you'll see the entry: McEwan, Ian: unavoidably goes skiing, 293. Named and shamed!
September 8, 2011
Once I grew accustomed to Julian Barnes' writing voice, so different from the kinds of things I read on a daily basis for my job, I enjoyed this book very much. Yes, it's been almost 20 years since most of the pieces were written. Yet having read it, I feel I understand more about England, and about topics that will still resonate when I visit there later in 2011.
June 13, 2012
I found this at a hostel in Sumatra, and exchanged Emergency Sex for it, which is interesting because they both served to remind and educate me about the 90's. It was also good to read this after The Rotter's Club, which cover the preceding years in England. Odd to come across three books in random hostels that go so well together.
March 31, 2014
oooh, snap! barnes delivers again!
you know, if books were like drinks, barnes' would be some kind of a tonic.
something with an addictive taste and a fizzle, but with enough alcohol to burn its way down when you swallow it.
you know, if books were like drinks, barnes' would be some kind of a tonic.
something with an addictive taste and a fizzle, but with enough alcohol to burn its way down when you swallow it.
May 14, 2017
Skipped most of the political essays because of my ignorance of UK politics of the 70's and 80's - but enjoyed the other essays. Bit of humor, sarcasm - what I find typical English understated descriptions. Always enjoy Julian Barnes' writing.
June 17, 2012
bit out of date now as relate to politics of the early 90s so bit before my time of being aware of politics but interesting in places
July 9, 2012
Good. Witty, acerbic. I wish I had read it earlier when the essays had more impact. The imapact was lessened as the events seemed to long ago.
September 5, 2012
strangely interesting even though it's about 20 year old events.
September 21, 2013
Liked it, liked the elegant language but boy, am I tired of reading it! It was like an unnecessary return to the old days I can vaguely remember.
February 20, 2014
I didn't finish it. Wasn't what I thought it would be.
October 2, 2015
It would have been a full five fat stars had it not been for the horrendously boring chapter on mazes. Too bad...
June 27, 2022
Julian Barnes, francophile revendiqué, ne peut pas ignorer les échos voltairiens du titre de ces "Lettres de Londres". Aussi n'est-ce pas aux Français qu'il les a d'abord adressées mais aux lecteurs du "New Yorker" dont il fut au début des années 1990 le correspondant en Angleterre, chargé de faire découvrir et d'expliquer aux cousins d'Outre-Atlantique les particularités, pour ne pas dire les bizarreries, des Britanniques : s'il mentionne la Marmite et le cricket, il s'attarde beaucoup plus sur ces étrangetés majeures que sont la famille royale ou Mrs. Tchatcher, mais aussi sur des sujets de civilisation comme les échecs ou le goût des labyrinthes végétaux. Trente ans plus tard, cette collection d'articles est toujours d'une lecture très profitable. Si le détail a vieilli, les fondamentaux restent, et notamment cette étrangeté particulièrement remarquable qu'est une Constitution non écrite. De manière plus fine, Barnes observe la manière dont son pays a été marqué par le tchatchérisme qui, par bien des aspects, continue après Thatcher ; il livre ainsi une analyse mélancolique de la disparition des groupes de petits chanteurs au moment de Noël. Que l'occasion ait fait le larron (comme lorsqu'il suit la campagne électorale de l'actrice Glenda Jackson) ou qu'il s'astreigne à un véritable travail d'enquête et de rencontres, Barnes prend son rôle très au sérieux et accomplit un véritable travail de journaliste. Mais il l'accomplit sans esprit de sérieux et nous donne également l'occasion de bien rire, qu'il cultive l'art du portrait vache ou pointe avec un humour forcément britannique les manies et les contradictions de ses compatriotes. Un article demeure pour moi quelque peu hermétique : c'est celui qui est consacré à la vague de banqueroutes personnelles de souscripteurs du géant de l'assurance Lloyd's. Barnes a beau expliquer les particularités étonnantes de cet établissement qui fonctionne (ou fonctionnait à l'époque) comme une bourse et non pas comme une compagnie, bourse sur laquelle les "Names" (associés cooptés participant à la garantie générale par l'acceptation d'une responsabilité individuelle illimitée) investissent leur argent dans l'espoir de fructueux rendements, jamais je n'ai réussi à la lecture de l'article à comprendre vraiment les arcanes financiers de la chose, si bien sûr toute ma compassion est allée aux pigeons plumés dans des opérations qui semblent, au Royaume-Uni, avoir donné lieu à quelques pénibles actions en justice entre parties rivales, alors qu'il est probable qu'en France le Parquet aurait fait avancer les choses de sa propre initiative sous le chef d'escroquerie généralisée. Enfin il faut admettre que certains articles sont un peu longuets ; non que Barnes tire à la ligne : ces textes sont remarquablement peu calibrés et il est évident que le "New Yorker" lui demandait de la qualité et non de la copie ; c'est probablement le désir honnête de l'auteur d'expliquer à fond les situations et d'en évoquer tous les aspects qui produit ces quelques impressions de redondance. On est toujours récompensé de sa patience par une saillie drolatique : ce n'est donc vraiment pas une raison de ne pas lire ce livre.
August 30, 2020
Picked up this collection of 90s New Yorker articles by Julian Barnes, acting as London correspondent, on a whim at a second-hand book stall and was very glad I did.
The subjects have inevitably faded with time -first televised House of Commons, the Lloyd's of London asbestos crisis, the 1993 (alternative) World Chess Championship- but the wit and attention to detail shines through. As a Brit, I enjoyed the dissection of certain absurd traditions and foibles -- the ridiculously convoluted process of coinage design for example-- and it helps that Barnes understands the British establishment so well, being part of it, and is both affectionate and critical.
The single best example is the Lloyd's of London article, where Barnes relentlessly dissects how its traditional old-school network was expanded outward in the search of new capital and took advantage of later investors. Barnes interviews several of those who were lured in and took huge losses. It's a great piece of outraged reportage, worth reading despite the somewhat obscure subject.
The Lloyd's article is also perhaps the best indirect commentary on Barnes' main subject, Margaret Thatcher and the market society she ushered in. While Barnes doesn't hide his dislike of Thatcher, he is clear-eyed enough to acknowledge her appeal to a "politically disregarded form of Englishness" which was also crucial in the Brexit vote. His acknowledgement of how fundamentally she changed Britain is probably the most relevant message for the modern reader, although some of his criticisms do come off as a bit snobbish.
Other high points which are still very recognisable today are a very enjoyable step-by-step examination of a tabloid storm over the purchase of a bottle of wine by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which would explode on Twitter nowadays, and some good reflections on the split role of the royal family between the "demands of myth and ordinariness".
For those seriously interested in the period, I can recommend Gyles Brandreth's 'Breaking the Code' which touches on many of the same events from within the Conservative government of the time.
The subjects have inevitably faded with time -first televised House of Commons, the Lloyd's of London asbestos crisis, the 1993 (alternative) World Chess Championship- but the wit and attention to detail shines through. As a Brit, I enjoyed the dissection of certain absurd traditions and foibles -- the ridiculously convoluted process of coinage design for example-- and it helps that Barnes understands the British establishment so well, being part of it, and is both affectionate and critical.
The single best example is the Lloyd's of London article, where Barnes relentlessly dissects how its traditional old-school network was expanded outward in the search of new capital and took advantage of later investors. Barnes interviews several of those who were lured in and took huge losses. It's a great piece of outraged reportage, worth reading despite the somewhat obscure subject.
The Lloyd's article is also perhaps the best indirect commentary on Barnes' main subject, Margaret Thatcher and the market society she ushered in. While Barnes doesn't hide his dislike of Thatcher, he is clear-eyed enough to acknowledge her appeal to a "politically disregarded form of Englishness" which was also crucial in the Brexit vote. His acknowledgement of how fundamentally she changed Britain is probably the most relevant message for the modern reader, although some of his criticisms do come off as a bit snobbish.
Other high points which are still very recognisable today are a very enjoyable step-by-step examination of a tabloid storm over the purchase of a bottle of wine by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which would explode on Twitter nowadays, and some good reflections on the split role of the royal family between the "demands of myth and ordinariness".
For those seriously interested in the period, I can recommend Gyles Brandreth's 'Breaking the Code' which touches on many of the same events from within the Conservative government of the time.
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