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Life on the Golden Horn
Allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries - but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own.
119 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2007
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About the author
Mary Wortley Montagu
124 books31 followersPoerrepont
The Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat and writer. Montagu is today chiefly remembered for her letters, particularly her letters from Turkey, which have been described by Billie Melman as “the very first example of a secular work by a woman about the Muslim Orient”.
The Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat and writer. Montagu is today chiefly remembered for her letters, particularly her letters from Turkey, which have been described by Billie Melman as “the very first example of a secular work by a woman about the Muslim Orient”.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 8, 2022
This is number 6 in the 'Great Journeys' series by Penguin.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu travelled to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1716 with her husband who had been appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire by King George I. This idea didn't turn out very well and they were recalled in 1718.
I've not seen any of the other books in the series in a second-hand bookshop anywhere, so I must try harder as this was an excellent book and really well edited because there's hardly any repetition of information in the letter in this book.
They travelled through modern day Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria before arriving in Adrianople where they stayed for a number of months before reaching Constantinople.
Between Vienna and Belgrade they passed through the town of Peterwardein (now part of the city of Novi Sad) where 7 months previously there'd been an almighty battle between the Austrians and the Ottomans which the Austrians won. The detritus of battle and the skeletons of men, horses, and camels were still visible to the travellers.
However, this book is fascinating mainly because of the author's descriptions of the lives of the ladies of the Ottoman Empire and the riches of their dress and jewellery where no expense was spared with emeralds, diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones worn on a daily basis.
Lady Montagu is quite taken with certain aspects of the architecture of buildings, the design of the clothing, and the lifestyle of the ladies and cheerfully admits that some things are better than in England and in Western Europe, although slaves are of course ever present in the background, so you have to bear that in mind.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu travelled to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1716 with her husband who had been appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Empire by King George I. This idea didn't turn out very well and they were recalled in 1718.
I've not seen any of the other books in the series in a second-hand bookshop anywhere, so I must try harder as this was an excellent book and really well edited because there's hardly any repetition of information in the letter in this book.
They travelled through modern day Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria before arriving in Adrianople where they stayed for a number of months before reaching Constantinople.
Between Vienna and Belgrade they passed through the town of Peterwardein (now part of the city of Novi Sad) where 7 months previously there'd been an almighty battle between the Austrians and the Ottomans which the Austrians won. The detritus of battle and the skeletons of men, horses, and camels were still visible to the travellers.
However, this book is fascinating mainly because of the author's descriptions of the lives of the ladies of the Ottoman Empire and the riches of their dress and jewellery where no expense was spared with emeralds, diamonds, pearls, and other precious stones worn on a daily basis.
Lady Montagu is quite taken with certain aspects of the architecture of buildings, the design of the clothing, and the lifestyle of the ladies and cheerfully admits that some things are better than in England and in Western Europe, although slaves are of course ever present in the background, so you have to bear that in mind.
April 24, 2014
A selection of letters of lady Mary Wortley Montagu to her various correspondents, this little and, regretfully, short book is truly amazing, funny, charming and not dull at all!!! Written during the time of embassy of her husband, Edward Wortley Montagu to the Sublime Porte (1716-1717), these letters expose the differences between the Western and Eastern civilizations, and show the ability of lady Mary Wortley Montagu not to judge the matters solely from the Western, i. e. the European point of view. She manifests great respect for the cultures encountered during her voyage and her stay in the Ottoman Empire, but still manages to criticise certain aspects of the above-mentioned cultures with wit, humour and vivacity of her spirit.
December 20, 2018
"I am sure I have now entertained you with an account of such a sight as you never saw in your life, and what no book of travels could inform you of, as 'tis no less than death for a man to be found in one of these places."
Lady Mary is probably best known for introducing and advocating for smallpox inoculation in Britain, having witnessed the Ottoman practice of variolation. Her engaging letters document this discovery and her other experiences of travelling throughout the Ottoman Empire: they're charming, beautifully detailed, witty and full of warm humour.
I love the fresh feminist perspective this gave on the male orientated realm of travel. Mary frequently prides herself in correcting the mistakes and misconceptions set down by male travellers, especially concerning the life of Ottoman women. (Many male travellers claimed to have described the Turkish harems, something which was entirely implausible because these areas were exclusively for women.) Her social commentary on the comparative freedom of these women is also fascinating. She describes scenes as diverse as the melancholy of Viennese convents to the liberty of wearing muslin veils that enabled women to traverse the streets unrecognised and unmolested. There's one particularly amusing scene in the baths of Sofia where the naked Ottoman women essentially encourage Mary to strip and join them, but in answer she shows them her stays. The women are absolutely horrified and exclaim that "the husbands in England were much worse than in the East, for [they] tied up their wives in little boxes, the shape of their bodies."
Endlessly interesting and wonderfully written - what an inspiring woman Lady Mary was.
Lady Mary is probably best known for introducing and advocating for smallpox inoculation in Britain, having witnessed the Ottoman practice of variolation. Her engaging letters document this discovery and her other experiences of travelling throughout the Ottoman Empire: they're charming, beautifully detailed, witty and full of warm humour.
I love the fresh feminist perspective this gave on the male orientated realm of travel. Mary frequently prides herself in correcting the mistakes and misconceptions set down by male travellers, especially concerning the life of Ottoman women. (Many male travellers claimed to have described the Turkish harems, something which was entirely implausible because these areas were exclusively for women.) Her social commentary on the comparative freedom of these women is also fascinating. She describes scenes as diverse as the melancholy of Viennese convents to the liberty of wearing muslin veils that enabled women to traverse the streets unrecognised and unmolested. There's one particularly amusing scene in the baths of Sofia where the naked Ottoman women essentially encourage Mary to strip and join them, but in answer she shows them her stays. The women are absolutely horrified and exclaim that "the husbands in England were much worse than in the East, for [they] tied up their wives in little boxes, the shape of their bodies."
Endlessly interesting and wonderfully written - what an inspiring woman Lady Mary was.
September 6, 2015
This is a great excerpt from Mary Wortley Montagu's letters written 1716-1718, and offers a fascinating glimpse not only of her travel to Constantinople, and at the Turkish court etc, but of the thinking of the day. The blurb on the back of the edition sums it up very well: "She had reached the beautiful town of Sofia, famous for its hot baths. Naked women reclined on cushions and rich carpets, their long hair dressed with pearls and ribbons as they bathed. Mary Wortley Montagu's journey across Europe to Constantinople allowed her to investigate the hidden lives of women - from elaborate dinners in exotic Turkish harems to the freedom of wearing a muslin veil, her adventures exposed a reality never reported before."
The letters are to her sister and various other people. I am not sure if the excerpt is reprinted in full or specifically edited to suit the short format. Either way it works well as a short read.
The letters are to her sister and various other people. I am not sure if the excerpt is reprinted in full or specifically edited to suit the short format. Either way it works well as a short read.
March 10, 2017
One of a very few volumes in the Penguin Great Journeys series from a woman's point of view. These letters give a far more interesting insight than most of the books I've read so far in this series. Her accounts of the places she travels through are honest, descriptive and engaging.
July 15, 2025
A selection of the letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who travelled to Istanbul in 1716-18. Her observations of Austria, Hungary, the Balkans, and Istanbul itself are fascinating, though be prepared to have a dictionary to hand, as Montagu uses a fair number of words which are no longer common in English, particularly when it comes to clothing and fashion.
July 4, 2025
(Review written more than a month after I finished reading the book as I was travelling when I read it)
-I read this book in advance of travelling to Türkiye for the first time. I had been diving into Turkish history (particularly Ottoman history), and I was thrilled to hear that there was a travelogue from the 1700s by a woman who travelled to and lived in Constantinople.
-This was a brilliant companion book to the other books I read; it is well-written, clearly described, and from a perspective not often heard at that time. Instead of men who often were not even in the places they described, Montagu wrote from actual experience, e.g., spending time in the harems of the palace, etc.
-Strongly recommended for reading before travelling to Türkiye.
-I read this book in advance of travelling to Türkiye for the first time. I had been diving into Turkish history (particularly Ottoman history), and I was thrilled to hear that there was a travelogue from the 1700s by a woman who travelled to and lived in Constantinople.
-This was a brilliant companion book to the other books I read; it is well-written, clearly described, and from a perspective not often heard at that time. Instead of men who often were not even in the places they described, Montagu wrote from actual experience, e.g., spending time in the harems of the palace, etc.
-Strongly recommended for reading before travelling to Türkiye.
April 23, 2014
M. W. Montagu is an Orientalist. There's no doubt about it. Life On The Golden Horn is her account of Eastern Europe (mainly Turkey) during her travels with her ambassador husband. As with many of her contemporaries, Mary describes her experiences with a fixed eye, sifting the foreign through Western perspective. Perhaps I was expecting too much.
The only time she withdraws from Orientalist perspective was a specific letter where she begins describing the liberal and independent quality of women in Turkey, breaking away from the typical belief and convention of oppressed women in regions outside Europe (probably the most liberal of their time). Her perspective on the veil was briefly refreshing - before she moves back to becoming an Orientalist.
It must be noted that Mary only spent time socializing with the upper class society. It's an interesting peek into the life and environment of the time, though in its own way, limiting. Otherwise, her accounts on harems and culture of the privileged is greatly welcomed. I must say that she has a pleasant way of writing letters.
The only time she withdraws from Orientalist perspective was a specific letter where she begins describing the liberal and independent quality of women in Turkey, breaking away from the typical belief and convention of oppressed women in regions outside Europe (probably the most liberal of their time). Her perspective on the veil was briefly refreshing - before she moves back to becoming an Orientalist.
It must be noted that Mary only spent time socializing with the upper class society. It's an interesting peek into the life and environment of the time, though in its own way, limiting. Otherwise, her accounts on harems and culture of the privileged is greatly welcomed. I must say that she has a pleasant way of writing letters.
March 19, 2023
There are so few female voices which survive from the 18th century, it is refreshing to read a book composed of letters from a woman mostly to women, mostly about women and their situation. Lady Wortley is no common woman, however. She is an aristocrat who is given access to aristocratic women all along her journey to Constantinople. Her husband, and English ambassador, is sent to Constantinople by way of Vienna to negotiate a peaceful end to the Autro-Turkish War of 1715-1717. Lady Wortley has very little positive to say about the Ottoman government, which as far as she can tell is run by the military. Even the sultan quivers in his tent if he believes the janissaries are displeased. Government officials expect complete servitude from the people, and complaints about government policy can end in beatings and worse.
About the situation of women in Turkey, however, Wortley has the opposite impression. While it is true that women who leave their homes are expected to cover their faces, in Wortley's estimation this gives them much more freedom than what women in London enjoy. If he saw her on the street, no husband could tell his wife from a stranger. Women are free, therefore, to roam the city as they please. While it is true that there are few public venues available for women to gather, the interiors of the homes that Wortley visits are well-appointed and surrounded by gardens. Unlike in England at the time, Turkish women who divorce take with them substantial assets, and are treated much more kindly by their husbands. Toward the end of her stay, Wortley writes that she could imagine staying in Turkey and enjoying her easy life there forever.
One of the themes of Wortley's letters is that former travel writers misunderstood or exaggerated what they saw in the Ottoman empire -- especially the situation of women. Previous travel writers were all men, so they did not have access to women's spaces, or have the opportunity to spend time with Turkish women. Wortley writes to her friends that only she can be trusted. I was therefore surprised to hear her describe the 5th century BC Serpent Column in Constantinople as topped by three serpent heads. As I understand, these were hacked off, probably by a Polish ambassador, in 1700. The heads should have been long gone by the time Wortley made it to Constantinople in 1717. What else was she exaggerating?
I probably enjoyed reading the book more because of my connection to Turkey. I have visited many of the mosques and squares Wortley describes. Readers who have spent time in Istanbul will get a kick out of her description of the vistas of gardens and pavilions which are now mountains of concrete. Her visit coincides with an Ottoman empire just past the peak of its riches and influence, and her descriptions of the opulence of women's dress and women's spaces whet my imagination. I'm sure it did the same for the Orientalists that followed her -- especially the parts about hundreds of women gathering together to lounge and dance in the hamam, with nothing on but their hair.
About the situation of women in Turkey, however, Wortley has the opposite impression. While it is true that women who leave their homes are expected to cover their faces, in Wortley's estimation this gives them much more freedom than what women in London enjoy. If he saw her on the street, no husband could tell his wife from a stranger. Women are free, therefore, to roam the city as they please. While it is true that there are few public venues available for women to gather, the interiors of the homes that Wortley visits are well-appointed and surrounded by gardens. Unlike in England at the time, Turkish women who divorce take with them substantial assets, and are treated much more kindly by their husbands. Toward the end of her stay, Wortley writes that she could imagine staying in Turkey and enjoying her easy life there forever.
One of the themes of Wortley's letters is that former travel writers misunderstood or exaggerated what they saw in the Ottoman empire -- especially the situation of women. Previous travel writers were all men, so they did not have access to women's spaces, or have the opportunity to spend time with Turkish women. Wortley writes to her friends that only she can be trusted. I was therefore surprised to hear her describe the 5th century BC Serpent Column in Constantinople as topped by three serpent heads. As I understand, these were hacked off, probably by a Polish ambassador, in 1700. The heads should have been long gone by the time Wortley made it to Constantinople in 1717. What else was she exaggerating?
I probably enjoyed reading the book more because of my connection to Turkey. I have visited many of the mosques and squares Wortley describes. Readers who have spent time in Istanbul will get a kick out of her description of the vistas of gardens and pavilions which are now mountains of concrete. Her visit coincides with an Ottoman empire just past the peak of its riches and influence, and her descriptions of the opulence of women's dress and women's spaces whet my imagination. I'm sure it did the same for the Orientalists that followed her -- especially the parts about hundreds of women gathering together to lounge and dance in the hamam, with nothing on but their hair.
February 15, 2021
This collection of letters that Mary Wortley Montagu (MWM) wrote during her travels to and time in Constantinople, to family and friends back in England is absolutely a must-read. Are there a few "wow this a really a product of its time"-moments? Of course. After all, most of the letters are from 1717 and 1718 and were written by a British woman in Turkey, so that's to be expected. But MWM is also a great writer, so her letters are filled with great moments and quite a few one-liners, and she's also a curious person. That curiosity takes her to dress like the local Turkish women and explore as much as she can of Constantinople. And much of what she explores are aspects that have (according to MWM) been severely exaggerated by travel writers, so much so that she spends a good chunk of her letters correcting the record. Also, one letter includes a description of variolation, so if you're interested in medical history, the book is worth it for that alone (it's on page 50).
October 19, 2018
A fascinating insight into the travels of Mary Wortley Montagu. I appreciate her honesty and what comes across as genuine telling of her experiences. Her letters to her sister amused me most of all, I felt she was more relaxed in those writings and could say more freely what was truly on her mind.
I had no idea that Mary Montagu was the pioneer in getting infants inoculated against smallpox in England, having learned the practice in Constantinople.
I had no idea that Mary Montagu was the pioneer in getting infants inoculated against smallpox in England, having learned the practice in Constantinople.
December 31, 2018
This is a short version of some of MWM’s letters back home as she travels across Europe to Constantinople. It includes her discovery about smallpox vaccination and her visits to see groups of women including Turkish harems. She is rude about the inaccuracies of male writers who will have never visited these sort of places so how could they write about them! True but when she tries to make a case that the women are more free to do what they want In Turkey I have to disagree- free to sit around and do nothing much possibly?! Poor Mr Wortley is hardly mentioned as well!
August 1, 2019
Some letters were very interesting and others not as much. What remains most surprising to me is that this was written in the early 1700s but reads as if it were written over 100 years later. A very adventurous woman/family!
June 20, 2021
Read this while travelling in Istanbul - short and easy reading
July 16, 2024
3.5, super interesting and my first time reading a book of letters. Most fascinating bit was the description of inoculation
December 20, 2024
Mrs Montagu is a lively, observant and intelligent traveller. She wrote long, informative letters to her sister and other friends, describing the customs and dazzling wealth of Turkey.
October 20, 2025
A nice glimpse into the 18th century Ottoman Empire.
March 8, 2015
In 1716 Mary Wortley Montague accompanied her husband, the newly appointed British ambassador to the Turkish Empire, across Europe to take up their new position in Istanbul. She recounted the details of their experiences in a series of letters to friends back in England.
Europe was a more exotic place to the English mind in the early 18th century than the whole world can be to contemporary people. Vienna presented an image of fashions and ways of living which clearly bordered on the outlandish to Montagu but she had a sufficiently unprejudiced mind to view each and everything she saw with a liberal openness that avoided ranking observable differences between cultures along an axis of superior or inferiority.
The south east regions of the continent had at that time been devastated by recent war between the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish empires and the journey took them through the lines of the troops which garrisoned the towns. An arduous journey at any time but surely even more so for Montagu, who was pregnant at the time, though she seldom makes reference to the fact.
Her descriptions of the chief Turkish cities of her visit - Adrianople and Istanbul - sketch out images of bustling, cosmopolitan places, with trade at their civic hearts. She describes the great mosque of the Sultan Selim I in detail, with favourable comparisons to Christian churches which she saw as cluttered 'toyshops' against the undivided space of the Muslim place of worship.
A feature of her accounts is the attention she gives to the condition and place of women in each society. With regard to the Turks, she is keen to correct the prejudice that Islam holds they have no souls, even though she says those they do possess are inferior to the male equivalent. She describes meeting with the tragic Sultana Hafise, the wife of the Emperor Mustafa, deposed and murdered by his brother, who had bargained for herself an honourable though lonely place under the new regime. The current queen, Sultana Fatima, is praised for her beauty and her keen interest in the affairs of foreign lands.
The main sense of reading this account is the degree to which an educated and inquiring female mind, when backed by the wherewithal of an influential husband, had the freedom to explore and relate her experiences of the world. Montagu's account of her travels were amongst the first provided by any Occidental of the daily lives of the people who lived in such remotely foreign regions and revealed a mind that was broad and compassionate enough to elaborate on the fact that they too were human beings.
Europe was a more exotic place to the English mind in the early 18th century than the whole world can be to contemporary people. Vienna presented an image of fashions and ways of living which clearly bordered on the outlandish to Montagu but she had a sufficiently unprejudiced mind to view each and everything she saw with a liberal openness that avoided ranking observable differences between cultures along an axis of superior or inferiority.
The south east regions of the continent had at that time been devastated by recent war between the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish empires and the journey took them through the lines of the troops which garrisoned the towns. An arduous journey at any time but surely even more so for Montagu, who was pregnant at the time, though she seldom makes reference to the fact.
Her descriptions of the chief Turkish cities of her visit - Adrianople and Istanbul - sketch out images of bustling, cosmopolitan places, with trade at their civic hearts. She describes the great mosque of the Sultan Selim I in detail, with favourable comparisons to Christian churches which she saw as cluttered 'toyshops' against the undivided space of the Muslim place of worship.
A feature of her accounts is the attention she gives to the condition and place of women in each society. With regard to the Turks, she is keen to correct the prejudice that Islam holds they have no souls, even though she says those they do possess are inferior to the male equivalent. She describes meeting with the tragic Sultana Hafise, the wife of the Emperor Mustafa, deposed and murdered by his brother, who had bargained for herself an honourable though lonely place under the new regime. The current queen, Sultana Fatima, is praised for her beauty and her keen interest in the affairs of foreign lands.
The main sense of reading this account is the degree to which an educated and inquiring female mind, when backed by the wherewithal of an influential husband, had the freedom to explore and relate her experiences of the world. Montagu's account of her travels were amongst the first provided by any Occidental of the daily lives of the people who lived in such remotely foreign regions and revealed a mind that was broad and compassionate enough to elaborate on the fact that they too were human beings.
March 28, 2022
With all of the books paying homage to works that are much longer, all of the books in the Penguin series of Great Journeys {each around one hundred - one hundred and fifty pages} offer the reader a glimpse into a much longer, possibly daunting, text that they may well have never considered. I know a few of them even made me want to take a look at the book from which the abridged excerpt had been taken ... others, well, not so much.
Another inspirational woman. I admit to knowing relatively little about Mary Wortley Montagu other than that she was known for introducing and advocating for smallpox inoculation in Britain. A fascinating, charming and humorous but alas all too short read. Life On The Golden Horn is an account that whilst at times enlightened for the main parts smacks of a colonial past. Told through a collection of letters {mainly to her sister} of Mary's time spent travelling Eastern Europe with her ambassador husband where, adopting Turkish dress, she encounters a world of harems noting that Turkish women enjoyed more liberty than the English, that, "all veiled up", they had "entire liberty of following their inclinations without danger of discovery."
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
Another inspirational woman. I admit to knowing relatively little about Mary Wortley Montagu other than that she was known for introducing and advocating for smallpox inoculation in Britain. A fascinating, charming and humorous but alas all too short read. Life On The Golden Horn is an account that whilst at times enlightened for the main parts smacks of a colonial past. Told through a collection of letters {mainly to her sister} of Mary's time spent travelling Eastern Europe with her ambassador husband where, adopting Turkish dress, she encounters a world of harems noting that Turkish women enjoyed more liberty than the English, that, "all veiled up", they had "entire liberty of following their inclinations without danger of discovery."
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
May 18, 2013
2010 bookcrossing:
This one was a bit older than the other books from this series I've recently read. This one was from the early 1700s, and, for a change, it was written by a woman. Excerpts from a larger book, this is a story told from a collection of letters to various correspondances. Mary's husband was some kind of ambassador, and this book follows their trip across Europe to the Turkish empire to their new home. You loose track of time a bit, but she must have been there a while because she has a kid whilst she's there.
It's interesting as we get a woman's perspective, and also see a bit of Turkish women's lives at the time, which is something that male travel writers simply wouldn't have been privy to. She does get a bit rose-tinted/grass-is-greener about the whole life style, seeing these Turkish women's lives as freer and more interesting than western European. But this is the rich end of society and I don't suppose all Turkish women had it so good covered in jewels, lying around without having to worry about money or having to do any house chores.
This one was a bit older than the other books from this series I've recently read. This one was from the early 1700s, and, for a change, it was written by a woman. Excerpts from a larger book, this is a story told from a collection of letters to various correspondances. Mary's husband was some kind of ambassador, and this book follows their trip across Europe to the Turkish empire to their new home. You loose track of time a bit, but she must have been there a while because she has a kid whilst she's there.
It's interesting as we get a woman's perspective, and also see a bit of Turkish women's lives at the time, which is something that male travel writers simply wouldn't have been privy to. She does get a bit rose-tinted/grass-is-greener about the whole life style, seeing these Turkish women's lives as freer and more interesting than western European. But this is the rich end of society and I don't suppose all Turkish women had it so good covered in jewels, lying around without having to worry about money or having to do any house chores.
November 8, 2019
‘’I am sure I have entertained you with an account of such a sight as you never saw in your life, and what no book of travels could inform you of’’
Oh, but I was really entertained. This story consists of letters from Mary Wortley Montagu while she was journeying across Europe with her husband.
In her letters, she describes the rich, fashion and foreign customs of the cultures she encounters.
She is a smart, cheeky sharp writer and has a way of describing the cities that makes me want to go to Constantinople like right now.
Oh, but I was really entertained. This story consists of letters from Mary Wortley Montagu while she was journeying across Europe with her husband.
In her letters, she describes the rich, fashion and foreign customs of the cultures she encounters.
She is a smart, cheeky sharp writer and has a way of describing the cities that makes me want to go to Constantinople like right now.
August 22, 2011
Mary goes overland to Constantinople where her husband has been appointed ambassador and this little book is a compilation of her letters to friends and relatives in Britain. She displays a very balanced view of life in 18th century Turkey and illustrates how foolish many of the stories are that have been told by male visitors about the harem based on nothing more than speculation and fantasy. A good read.
August 14, 2013
Interesting account of Mary's travels to Turkey 200 years ago. The book gives you a glimpse into life as a female in Turkey. As a female writer Mary talks about her experiences of visiting a harem, wearing a Muslim veil and visiting the baths amongst other things. However as an ambassadors wife her interactions are only with the wealthy members of society.
November 20, 2015
A fascinating book of letters written in the early 1700's about the author's voyage from England to Constantinople. Her observations about her surroundings, but more, about the people and customs she observes are open, and thoughtful. And, she describes an early form of small pox vaccinations.....
November 1, 2007
Still reading this one.
Mary was an exceptional english woman that was able to explore the muslim culture in the early 18 century. The book is a series of letters to firiends and family back in England that she wrote during her travels to Constantinople.
Mary was an exceptional english woman that was able to explore the muslim culture in the early 18 century. The book is a series of letters to firiends and family back in England that she wrote during her travels to Constantinople.
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February 16, 2010The last paragraph makes this all worth it. Bravo
November 5, 2010
A 200-year-old treat. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu throws herself into 18th-century Ottoman life with gusto – and reports back on its exotic harems, mosques and bathhouses with wit and wisdom.
August 16, 2011
Really, really interesting.
March 7, 2021
Short, super readable, fun for what it is (early 18th century letters) - an interesting look at Ottoman aristocracy in Edirne and Istanbul from the perspective of an open-minded Englishwoman.
November 9, 2016
Slim but absorbing collection of letters. I should track down a fuller selection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews