Mr Geography

by Tim Parks

Daniel Burrow once began a beautiful walk from Konstanz to Como with Julia, mercurial professor of literature, mother to two of his pupils, married, and the love of his life.

After years of their secret affair, they stepped out together on top of the world, full of delight in one another and in the future they imagined. Or was it only Dan who imagined it, really? He never had the chance to find out, because a few days into their adventure a single phone call changed everything.

Now, at the height of summer, with only a rucksack, a few pages of DH Lawrence that had been Julia’s, and his private strata of memory and forgetting, Dan is back on the trail. Step by step, with a tumult of emotions jostling with the demands of the dramatic Alpine landscape, he reckons with what his life is and what it might have been, had he been a different man with different choices.

Genres: Fiction

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2024

About the author

Born in Manchester in 1954, Tim Parks grew up in London and studied at Cambridge and Harvard. In 1981 he moved to Italy where he has lived ever since, raising a family of three children. He has written fourteen novels including Europa (shortlisted for the Booker prize), Destiny, Cleaver, and most recently In Extremis.
During the nineties he wrote two, personal and highly popular accounts of his life in northern Italy, Italian Neighbours and An Italian Education. These were complemented in 2002 by A Season with Verona, a grand overview of Italian life as seen through the passion of football. Other non-fiction works include a history of the Medici bank in 15th century Florence, Medici Money and a memoir on health, illness and meditation, Teach Us to Sit Still. In 2013 Tim published his most recent non-fiction work on Italy, Italian Ways, on and off the rails from Milan to Palermo.
Aside from his own writing, Tim has translated works by Moravia, Calvino, Calasso, Machiavelli and Leopardi; his critical book, Translating Style is considered a classic in its field. He is presently working on a translation of Cesare Pavese's masterpiece, The Moon and the Bonfires.
A regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books, his many essays are collected in Hell and Back, The Fighter, A Literary Tour of Italy, and Life and Work.
Over the last five years he has been publishing a series of blogs on writing, reading, translation and the like in the New York Review online. These have recently been collected in Where I am Reading From and Pen in Hand.

Reviews

[Bruce Beckham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must admit to struggling with this one, and had only reached 30% by the time our street book group came round to reviewing it.

The story seemed to be a revisiting by the male protagonist (Mr Geography, a headmaster) of a journey taken by him and his former lover (mother of a pupil) who in turn were retracing the route taken by D.H. Lawrence (and his lover?) through the Alps from Konstanz in Germany to Como in Italy.

Being predominantly a reader of mysteries, I like a good hook – but here I felt that if at any time I let go my grip of the line I would be swept away by the current and washed ashore to find other things to do. Which is what happened.

It emerged that I wasn’t alone.

The minority report from the group was that the descriptive writing, the plaintive loneliness of the protagonist, and the unchallenging plot made for a nice, gently flowing reading experience.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written and intriguing story about choices made and journeys taken. The tension between following one’s heart and personal obligations, between doing what is right and making what is right for you. This is another great novel by Tim Parks. A compelling page turner, and satisfying and interesting read.

[Olive Rayner · Rating 3 out of 5]

All about walking over the Gotthard past. DH Lawrence’s travels used as a flimsy peg or excuse for a story.

[Emma Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it! This book was a page turner and I found it refreshing and interesting. 4 stars 4 u mr geography!

You don't get 5 because I didn't find the story to have a big impact on my thoughts or feelings and I wished it had a stronger ending.

[Helen Temple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull . Dreary . I found this a frustrating read with frustrating characters. It got more interesting towards the end but basically I disliked it. Also I hated the lack of speech marks !

[Michiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read Sea and Sardinia… The author “copied” DH Lawrence style in a subtle way. Nicely done.

[Michael Lynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awful title for this ambitious, engaging, uneven book. The blending of past, present and future is seamlessly brilliant. There’s too much padding - we don’t need so much description of the landscape. The narrator is less interesting than the story he has to tell. The resolution is gripping and satisfying.

[Shona · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise: the landscape, memory, introspection... but I just didn't love the book. It felt like the balance between these elements was off somehow, with too much emphasis on describing well, Switzerland. While perhaps a literary device, it was also hard for me to keep track of whether the narrator is speaking of the present or of the past. And the conclusion I found rushed.

[Reinhard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Geography is a novel that attempts to explore the complexities of lost love, but ultimately falls short on several levels. The story follows Daniel Burrow, a geography teacher and headmaster at a private school, who becomes entangled in a clandestine affair with Julia, a married woman and the mother of two of his students. Julia, a professor of literature with a particular affinity for D.H. Lawrence, joins Daniel on a walking tour through the Swiss Alps, where they attempt to retrace the steps of Lawrence’s journey as described in Twilight in Italy (1916).
Unfortunately, the novel struggles to deliver on its premise. The narrative is presented in a disjointed mix of stream of consciousness, aiming to capture the fragmented and chaotic nature of the character's inner experiences. However, this approach often results in a confusing and cluttered reading experience, with fragmented reflections and dialogue that fail to cohere. The inclusion of disjointed quotes from D.H. Lawrence as a thematic backdrop feels forced, as the parallels between Lawrence's life and the characters' journey are tenuous at best. While Lawrence and Frieda von Richthofen’s escape to Italy marked the beginning of a tumultuous new chapter in their lives, the fate of Mr. Geography and his affair diverges significantly—and not in a compelling way.
The plot is thin and fragmented, with much of the narrative bogged down by repetitive descriptions of alpine landscapes, leaving the reader impatiently waiting for the story to progress. It isn’t until the final quarter of the book that the perspective shifts, revealing Daniel’s life years after the affair, as he begins a new chapter as a schoolteacher in a state school. This retrospective adds little to the narrative, merely revisiting the themes of loss and regret without offering new insights.
The novel would benefit greatly from more rigorous editing. The lack of structure—missing paragraphs, absent speech marks, and poor layout—detracts from the reading experience. Furthermore, the simplistic syntax is particularly grating, especially given the book’s aspirations as a 'literary' memoir.
In summary, Mr. Geography is a novel with potential that remains unrealized, hampered by its chaotic narrative style, lack of plot development, and need for stronger editorial oversight.

[Patrick Litton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Geography
This started off well for me: the languid hazy stream of consciousness recollection of the narrator's initial journey with his lover was beautifully written and evoked lazy days of Alpine summers when all was right with the world. However, as the present intervened, the narrative became more disjointed and more "angular" with asides and discursions, as if the protagonist were trying (& failing) to understand the past.

Once that happened, I found it more difficult to follow and the final "resolution" (or not) inherently improbable. Dan, the man whose internal monologue I followed, would not just walk away from the final situation. Of course, he might do exactly that, but it struck me as out of character for dependable, trustworthy Dan, which caused me to wonder how reliable a narrator he was. But, then, that might have been the author's intention.

[H.A. Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrible title, as someone commented. And the descriptions of the Swiss landscape start to grate. It’s very readable, though, although there are some dark themes.
Really picked up pace towards the end, when the protagonist runs into danger.
Some of the events were pitched as coincidental, which felt improbable, but that’s a small quibble. And the female characters don’t feel entirely real, more like how a guy used to all-male environments might see the opposite sex. Before he’s had a chance to grow up and work out how women really think and behave.
But the pace is lively and the jumbled-up emotions around past loves are probably familiar to many, if not all, of us. It’s an entertaining, intelligent read. I’d recommend Mr Geography to you all.

[gem · Rating 3 out of 5]

character driven, we get an insight into the main characters life in a then and now fashion, through his memories while reliving a walking trip he took with his past lover. written, in parts, in a stream of consciousness way, its like being inside of his mind in the best way possible. backed in longing, regret and ultimately tragedy, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. if you’re looking for lots of plot this isn’t the novel for you but if, like me, you enjoy more of a deep dive into someone life then i think you’d really enjoy this.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written book, both simple and profound in its execution. I’d describe it as perfect snapshot or small reflection on a particular situation and the power of place. It’d be easy to make this a messy and sprawling work that covered the same ground in three times as many pages. What I enjoyed was how it was relatively sparse but eminently readable - nothing fancy or revolutionary (although the seamless shifting between past/present narration was quite original, I felt) but thought-provoking and evocative. Makes me want to read more Tim Parks.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a lonely, sad book. I did find it easy to keep reading. Never got bogged down and it kept my interest (curious about Julia). Think it could have been more to it. Lack of speech punctuation annoyed me.

[Michael Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up for the title, whipped through it, 3*.

[John Hillery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating weaving of three narratives within each chapter that initially puzzled but came together in a satisfying way and explained the narrators motives for a journey that lasts the whole book.

[Roslyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much travel and geographical detail, not enough interesting plot development. DNF

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only persevered because the background was predominantly hiking in the alps. Pleased to move onto something else.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how the story unfolded, with the earlier story skilfuly interwoven with the present. Beautiful writing, gentle and such an enjoyable read.

[Gull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant little gem of a book

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sufficiently interesting story, however a bit too much prose and narrative for my liking. Some sections seemed to drag on.

[Susan Skee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, convoluted, and messily written. It was helpful in getting me to fall asleep and that’s about it.

[Henrique B · Rating 3 out of 5]

N.B.: This review is my Goodreads début.

Tim Parks is one of a handful of authors whose work I closely follow and whose new books I always pre-order before they are released, so I’d been looking forward to getting started on this one.


In Mr. Geography, Daniel Burrow, a retired geography teacher and headmaster, retraces the steps of a walking trip from Lake Constance to Como undertaken years prior with Julia, a DH Lawrence scholar and mother of one of his pupils with whom he had become romantically involved. The itinerary of that earlier trip had been based on DH Lawrence’s Twilight in Italy (1916), a first-person account of Lawrence’s crossing of the Alps. Parks fans will notice a similarity between Mr. Geography and The Hero’s Way (2021), a non-fiction account of Parks’ journey across Italy in the footsteps of Garibaldi’s Mille, weaving together past and present, history and travelogue.

In a similar vein, Daniel Burrow’s stream of consciousness account of his trips – both past and present – is as much a quest to come to terms with his ill-fated love affair as a way to shed light on the many blind spots of his past. I found Parks’ stream of consciousness narrative style to strike a good balance between readability and a realistic dose of the unstructured chaos that characterizes the internal voice of a retired geography teacher burdened with many suppressed memories.

Readable and enjoyable, but not to the same extent as Parks’ non-fiction work.

[T-Jhitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book it was a fairly relaxing read. Dan, the main Character is retracing his steps on an aborted expedition he and his married lover were on through Italy. During his new walk we learn about the relationship he had with Julia and also the previous loss of his wife and mother to his daughter Rachel. The planned walk is also retracing the steps of DH Lawrence.
It’s interesting that on Good Reads there are a lot of people who haven’t really written a review. I can understand why as it’s quite difficult to say too much without giving spoilers. But it was a a nice book and I liked the characters.
The main theme explores relationships. Those past and future. Dan begins to question whether the idea of reliving the past is worth it and when he meets a young couple he reviews his choices.
Ill definitely look up more works by Tim Parks