Rooms of One's Own: 50 Places That Made Literary History

by Adrian Mourby

Writers' relationships with their surroundings are seldom straightforward. While some, like Jane Austen and Thomas Mann, wrote novels set where they were staying (Lyme Regis and Venice respectively), Victor Hugo penned Les Miserables in an attic in Guernsey and Noel Coward wrote that most English of plays, Blithe Spirit , in the Welsh holiday village of Portmeirion. Award-winning BBC drama producer Adrian Mourby follows his literary heroes around the world, exploring 50 places where great works of literature first saw the light of day. At each destination- from the Bronte's Yorkshire Moors to the New York of Truman Capote, Christopher Isherwood's Berlin to the now-legendary Edinburgh cafe where J.K. Rowling plotted Harry Potter's first adventures- Mourby explains what the writer was doing there and describes what the visitor can find today of that great moment in literature. Rooms of Ones Own takes you on a literary journey from the British Isles to Paris, Berlin, New Orleans, New York and Bangkok and unearths the real-life places behind our best-loved works of literature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Books About Books, Literature, History, Writing

304 pages, Paperback

Published April 5, 2018

Reviews

[Vartika · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spending these past six months in my room I finally decided to travel—and even if it only through the pages of a book, journeying through the haunts of literary giants and the places their greatness came to be is just the kind of pilgrimage I've always fancied making. Of course, in most instances, the relationship between a writer and any place they've inhabited is deeply personal and ultimately unknowable, but as John Bowles (who also graces the cover of this edition) said, it's well worth trying to find out.

In a series of 50 delightful vignettes that makes Rooms of One's Own, Adrian Mourby follows his literary heroes—from the likes of Jane Austen and Dorothy Parker to Somerset Maugham, Proust and Pushkin—cross Europe, America, East Asia, and Africa into the hotel rooms, cafés, and homes where some of the most cherished stories in the western world were born. Some of these places feature within these stories while others owe their existence to them; some have been preserved in memoriam while others have been altered significantly in all the time since. Nevertheless, each of these places, as captured by Mourby during his own travels, tell us something about these writers and what we can uncover of the waves of literary history they began there.

I particularly enjoyed reading about Lewis Carroll at Christ Church (showing how grounded his fantastical world was in inspiration found in his everyday surroundings); Mikhail Bulgakov at the Hotel Astoria (a site of perplexing affections: Hitler's for the hotel, Stalin's for the author despite the anti-Soviet bent of his work), and of course, the rooms Virginia Woolf called her own at Monk's House. In spite of being unfamiliar with the work of Mervyn Peake, I was deeply intrigued by the idiosyncratic isle of Sark where he wrote, and would perhaps even like to pay it a visit beyond these pages.

A pleasant weekend read.

[Richard Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

50 short essays on various places authors have written from. An easy read with some interesting nuggets and a few new authors for me. Some of the links between the authors and the rooms are more tenuous than others, but it gives some insights. No real criticism as it’s an easy book to dip in and out of. A typical Christmas gift - pleasant rather than special.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read given to me by my lovely roommate -- learned a few wonderful tidbits about authors I love, and occasionally laughed aloud at Mourby's prose, which was definitely British in its humour and wryness.

[Bridget Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously evocative and beautifully written. Fascinating. Loved it

[Anna Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book, full of very English humorous understatements. The author travels to various places around the globe to visit houses or hotels were famous (or not so famous) authors lived and wrote their books. He reports the ambience of these places and how they resonate with what we know about the writers. Sometimes these places are as expected but many are gone, changed, have become museums - all quite querky and evocative. I would have liked to read about a few South American writers and maybe Kafka's haunting grounds, but on the whole the selection of the writers is very interesting and colourful. What a fab pretext to travel around!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this literary journey that allowed me to peek into the writing spaces of well loved authors around the world. Each short chapter included an introduction to the author, their connection to the particular room/apartment/space, and some information about that particular space or street. This expansion beyond a simple biography of each author was welcome. I felt I was able to get a taste for each style and space without being overwhelmed or bogged down. One area that I think could be improved is visiting authors outside of western/anglo-centric personalities. While some places around the world were highlighted, the authors were England/American/Western European dominant.

[Colette Coen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book with promise that turned out to be fairly light. While the author gave a whistle stop tour of 50 inspiring places, there was no feeling of inspiration in the book. There were facts; there the author's experiences (sometimes, 'But I couldn't get in to see the place'); there were uncaptioned holiday snaps of the places he had visited; but none of it amounted to much.
I have been picking the book up and reading a couple of the short pieces, then laying it down again. Off to the charity shop with it.

[Shahad Almadeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

الكتاب عبارة عن رحلة طويلة تمتد إلى 15 سنة للكاتب.
يذهب إلى المقاهي والفنادق والغرف والمتاحف حول العالم ليكتشف كيف عاشوا الكتّاب وكيف ماتوا ويقوم بوصف الأماكن المميزة
التي وجد عدد من الكتاب، والكاتبات على امتداد القرنين الماضيين الغرف التي ألهمتهم للكتابة.
أسلوب الكاتب ممتع وسرده للرحلة بسيط رحلة طويلة جدًا لكن اختصرها الكاتب في كتاب يستعرض ٢٦٤ صفحة فقط!

اقتباسات/
-في عام 1889 كان فندق سافوي هو أول فندق في لندن يوفر إضاءة كهربائية في كل غرف النوم.
-انتحر ارنست همنغواي بعد أن فقد القدرة على الكتابة.

[Intesar Alemadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

غرف تنتمي لأصحابها .. ماذا تقول الأمكنة التي لم يلتفت لها أحد ..
أدريان موربي ..
بريطانيا ..

يستعرض الكتاب ٥٠ كاتباً .. كيف قضوا في الغرف التي ألهمتهم للكتابة .. يزور البيوت والفنادق والمقاهي التي ألهمت المؤلفين عند الكتابة .. فيكتب عن تلك الأماكن .. اعتقدت أنه سيكتب عن الكاتب في تلك الغرف .. والإلهام الذي تبنوه للكتابة .. والنشوة التي أتتهم جراء الكتابة .. فالكاتب صحفي لذا جاء الكتاب كتحقيق للأماكن فقط .. والنزر اليسير من حياتهم .. الكتاب خفيف ولطيف ..

………………
ودمتم بحفظ الرحمن ..

[Zahraa Hasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

يأخذنا الكاتِب في صفحات كتابه الـ٢٦٤ معه في رحلة طويلة جميلة وممتعة بين أفكار العديد من الكتّاب والكاتِبات في مناطق سكنهم أو غرفهم التي ألهمتهم .
٥٠ كاتِب أثار اهتِمام كاتِبنا ليبدأ بالبحث عنهم .

ممتع جدًا ،مع أسلوب الكاتِب المُبهر وكأنك تسير معه في شوارع باريس أو أكسفورد متنقلًا بين الغرف والمقاهي التي تحول بعضها لمتاحف وبعضها الآخر الذي لا يزال يُحيي ذِكرى الكاتِب الذي سكن زواياه يومًا .

[Peter Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection to dip into and follow one’s interest.A good varied range of writers is covered with snippets of their lives and relationship to their room.Bought for 10 cents so a bargain for me.A book to idle one’s way through at bed time or to pass away time at the beach.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting roll through favourite writing places mostly of Western literary giants. You can read it in 10 page gulps and afterwards come away feeling like you've been on a literary expedition powered by its uniquely readable sections. I loved the uncaptioned photos.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, eclectic collection but pretty lightweight.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little book about the importance that writers have a setting appropriate for writing and how their setting affects their literary output.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating journey to the hotel rooms where some great works of literature were written. Perfect to pick up when you don’t have the time to read an entire novel.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read,giving brief overviews of the authors trying to catch the atmosphere in the rooms they wrote some of their work.use it as a benchmark to more in depth books on each author.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea for a book; largely enjoyable read. The main downside was that some of the humour fell flat for me- it often just sounded catty.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rooms of One's Own" takes readers to 50 places in which literary history was formed. Each chapter is a room or building or other place where a writer wrote. As the back cover states, "a literary journey from the British Isles to Paris, St Petersburg, New York, Saigon and Bangkok...from the Brontes' Yorkshire patronage to the New Orleans of Truman Capote, Christopher Isherwood's Berlin to the...Edinburgh cafe' [of] J.K. Rowling".

Because we are talking primarily about works written in English and occasionally French, the writers are 'western'. They were a well travelled lot and the variety of places and circumstances they inhabited is fascinating.

Each chapter is a new location and a new author. We learn something about the writer, something about the place, something about the work that was done there. Mourby concludes with the present situation at each location and in each piece provides his thoughts and reactions to the 'room', the writer, the work.

No in depth analysis but endlessly entertaining and informative.

[Amna · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب ممتع، يتحدث فيه مؤلفه عن الأماكن التي زارها متتبعا بذلك أماكن إقامة الأدباء الذين أثاروا اهتمامه هو بشكل خاص.

يصف الكتاب تلك الأمكنة عندما سكنها أولئك الأدباء والحال الذي آلت إليه الآن. خمسون موقعا، بين منازل وفنادق، في إيطاليا جنوب إنجلترا وشمالها، شمال ويلز، لندن، أكسفورد، إدنبرة، جزر القنال، باريس، برلين، نيويورك ونيو أورليانز، سانت بطرسبرج، شرق آسيا، وشمال أفريقيا.

كما يعرفنا الكتاب على طبيعة العلاقات التي ربطت الأدباء ببعضهم البعض، والتي اتصف بعضها بالشذوذ. من الشخصيات التي ذكرها المؤلف في كتابه: جورج ساند، توماس مان، جين أوستين، فيتا ساكفيل ويست، شارلوت برونتي، تيد هيوز، تشارلز .ديكينز، مارسيل بر ست، ديلان توماس، فيودور دوستويفسكي، جورج برنارد شو، غراهام غرين.

ممتع جدا

[Danial Yazdani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will not rate this book, nor will I allow myself to critique it, as it would be incredibly unfair. It is perfect for enhancing a reader’s “fun-fact” repertoire involving their favourite authors. I read profiles on each of mine, as well as those that I had heard of, but did not bother with others. Leaving it unfinished, I hope to come back to it as I discover all of Mourby’s revered writers one by one, planning to decide a final verdict once I finish. Until then, goodbye :)

[Sphinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a birthday gift.

[Kirk]

I only read the Jane Austen piece and a few others. I hope to read other ones but TBR now list is growing!