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An Unsentimental Journey through Cornwall
A real insight into how the Cornish were perceived by outsiders and what the reality was really like. It has great descriptions of every day life and excellent descriptions of the area, beaches, heath, villages, towns, transportation etc. (Excerpt from Goodreads)
- GenresTravel
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik
300 books63 followersDinah Maria Craik (born Dinah Maria Mulock, also often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik) was an English novelist and poet. She was born at Stoke-on-Trent and brought up in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
After the death of her mother in 1845, Dinah Maria Mulock settled in London about 1846. She was determined to obtain a livelihood by her pen, and, beginning with fiction for children, advanced steadily until placed in the front rank of the women novelists of her day. She is best known for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856). She followed this with A Life for a Life (1859), which she considered to be the best of her novels, and several other works. She also published some poetry, narratives of tours in Ireland and Cornwall, and A Woman's Thoughts about Women (1858).
She married George Lillie Craik a partner with Alexander Macmillan in the publishing house of Macmillan & Company, and nephew of George Lillie Craik, in 1864. They adopted a foundling baby girl, Dorothy, in 1869.
At Shortlands, near Bromley, Kent, while in a period of preparation for Dorothy's wedding, she died of heart failure on 12 October 1887, aged 61. Her last words were reported to have been: "Oh, if I could live four weeks longer! but no matter, no matter!" Her final book, An Unknown Country, was published by Macmillan in 1887, the year of her death.
After the death of her mother in 1845, Dinah Maria Mulock settled in London about 1846. She was determined to obtain a livelihood by her pen, and, beginning with fiction for children, advanced steadily until placed in the front rank of the women novelists of her day. She is best known for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman (1856). She followed this with A Life for a Life (1859), which she considered to be the best of her novels, and several other works. She also published some poetry, narratives of tours in Ireland and Cornwall, and A Woman's Thoughts about Women (1858).
She married George Lillie Craik a partner with Alexander Macmillan in the publishing house of Macmillan & Company, and nephew of George Lillie Craik, in 1864. They adopted a foundling baby girl, Dorothy, in 1869.
At Shortlands, near Bromley, Kent, while in a period of preparation for Dorothy's wedding, she died of heart failure on 12 October 1887, aged 61. Her last words were reported to have been: "Oh, if I could live four weeks longer! but no matter, no matter!" Her final book, An Unknown Country, was published by Macmillan in 1887, the year of her death.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 20, 2010
It’s wonderful how books can lead you to other books.
Earlier in this year I fell utterly in love with Wilkie Collins’ Rambles Beyond Railways. A beloved author on top form writing of his travels in my homeland. Heaven!
And when I wrote about that book I was recommended another travelogue by a Victorian novelist: Mrs Craik’s An Unsentimental Journey Through Cornwall.
I placed an order at the library. I have to admit thought that at first I was a little disappointed with what arrived. A plain blue book that looked just like a school atlas. But then I opened it up and saw the title page. I had in my hands a rebound copy of the 1884 edition. Hooray for librarians with the wisdom to tuck away copies of special books!
I loved Mrs Craik from the very first paragraph:
“I believe in holidays. Not in a frantic rushing about from place to place, glancing at everything and observing nothing; flying from town to town, from hotel to hotel, eager to “do” and see a country, in order that when they get home they may say that they have done it, and seen it. Only to say;- as for any real vision of eye, heart, and brain, they might as well go through the world blindfold. It is not the things we see, but the mind we see them with, which makes the real interest of travelling.”
From the moment she and her two young companions cross the bridge over the Tamar into Cornwall she clearly sees everything, with eye, heart and brain.
The party travels down the south coast and up the north on a sixteen day tour.
They see so many sights: Mullion, Falmouth, Marazion, Tintagel, Boscastle …..
They run on beaches and swim in the sea. They love the sea and see not only it’s beauty, but also its power and its impact.
But this isn’t just a book about places. It’s a book about people: Mrs Craik is most definitely what my mother would call a people person, and she writes wonderfully about the people she meets on her journey.
Cornish places are illuminated by Cornish lives.
There is much talk of myths and legends. Clearly this is a group of travellers who have read widely and are delighted to see the places they have read about.
Fortunately their reading has left them well prepared. They were ready for the Cornish rain, and a downpour is accepted as a natural part of the Cornish experience. And they had knitting and reading to hand!
All of the details that you might recall of a wonderful holiday are present.
Mrs Craik writes about everything beautifully, reacting with exactly the right mixture of love, delight and good sense.
Imagine being captivated by tales of the trip of a lifetime from a good friend: that is just how An Unsentimental Journey Through Cornwall casts its spell.
It’s a book that I know that I will pick up again before too long.
Earlier in this year I fell utterly in love with Wilkie Collins’ Rambles Beyond Railways. A beloved author on top form writing of his travels in my homeland. Heaven!
And when I wrote about that book I was recommended another travelogue by a Victorian novelist: Mrs Craik’s An Unsentimental Journey Through Cornwall.
I placed an order at the library. I have to admit thought that at first I was a little disappointed with what arrived. A plain blue book that looked just like a school atlas. But then I opened it up and saw the title page. I had in my hands a rebound copy of the 1884 edition. Hooray for librarians with the wisdom to tuck away copies of special books!
I loved Mrs Craik from the very first paragraph:
“I believe in holidays. Not in a frantic rushing about from place to place, glancing at everything and observing nothing; flying from town to town, from hotel to hotel, eager to “do” and see a country, in order that when they get home they may say that they have done it, and seen it. Only to say;- as for any real vision of eye, heart, and brain, they might as well go through the world blindfold. It is not the things we see, but the mind we see them with, which makes the real interest of travelling.”
From the moment she and her two young companions cross the bridge over the Tamar into Cornwall she clearly sees everything, with eye, heart and brain.
The party travels down the south coast and up the north on a sixteen day tour.
They see so many sights: Mullion, Falmouth, Marazion, Tintagel, Boscastle …..
They run on beaches and swim in the sea. They love the sea and see not only it’s beauty, but also its power and its impact.
But this isn’t just a book about places. It’s a book about people: Mrs Craik is most definitely what my mother would call a people person, and she writes wonderfully about the people she meets on her journey.
Cornish places are illuminated by Cornish lives.
There is much talk of myths and legends. Clearly this is a group of travellers who have read widely and are delighted to see the places they have read about.
Fortunately their reading has left them well prepared. They were ready for the Cornish rain, and a downpour is accepted as a natural part of the Cornish experience. And they had knitting and reading to hand!
All of the details that you might recall of a wonderful holiday are present.
Mrs Craik writes about everything beautifully, reacting with exactly the right mixture of love, delight and good sense.
Imagine being captivated by tales of the trip of a lifetime from a good friend: that is just how An Unsentimental Journey Through Cornwall casts its spell.
It’s a book that I know that I will pick up again before too long.
August 24, 2021
This book was a 2-day vacation for me.
In the current lockdown situation, it's the best I can hope for.
But... it's pretty good!
With my Kindle in my hand and Google Maps on my laptop, I "traveled" Cornwall right along with Mrs. Craik and savored the bleak and stunning beauty of St. Michael's Mount, "Lizard," Tintagel, and more. In this age of high definition photography and Google Street View, there are worse things than armchair traveling with a witty and thoughtful Victorian lady novelist. I highly recommend the experience, and I will probably try to do it with other Victorian travelogues that I happen upon.
Mrs. Craik, middle-aged at the time of this trip in 1881, has longed to travel to Cornwall for most of her life. Finally she decides to do it, along with two young girls (her daughters?). For two weeks, they scramble along rocky shores, savor ocean sunsets, and eat the most delicious afternoon tea meals, with lots of clotted cream. There's Arthurian myth, there's beautiful landscapes, there's storm and sun, there are lovable hostesses and unfailingly helpful guides. It's a glorious time.
It's a relatively short read, which is good, because you will spend SO much extra time Googling and side-tripping while you read.
Note: This would probably be a 3-star read without the aid of Google Maps :) These are places you really need to have a visual on.
In the current lockdown situation, it's the best I can hope for.
But... it's pretty good!
With my Kindle in my hand and Google Maps on my laptop, I "traveled" Cornwall right along with Mrs. Craik and savored the bleak and stunning beauty of St. Michael's Mount, "Lizard," Tintagel, and more. In this age of high definition photography and Google Street View, there are worse things than armchair traveling with a witty and thoughtful Victorian lady novelist. I highly recommend the experience, and I will probably try to do it with other Victorian travelogues that I happen upon.
Mrs. Craik, middle-aged at the time of this trip in 1881, has longed to travel to Cornwall for most of her life. Finally she decides to do it, along with two young girls (her daughters?). For two weeks, they scramble along rocky shores, savor ocean sunsets, and eat the most delicious afternoon tea meals, with lots of clotted cream. There's Arthurian myth, there's beautiful landscapes, there's storm and sun, there are lovable hostesses and unfailingly helpful guides. It's a glorious time.
It's a relatively short read, which is good, because you will spend SO much extra time Googling and side-tripping while you read.
Note: This would probably be a 3-star read without the aid of Google Maps :) These are places you really need to have a visual on.
October 30, 2020
3.5. I read this slowly, taking time to look up many of the spots mentioned in the book, which was interesting. It’s not exactly an exciting read, but she wrote some good advice on travel and some of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever noticed in a book before.
February 3, 2022
My favorite book of 2021 was _Olive_ by Dinah Maria Craik, and because I loved it so much, I decided to scout out more by the author. This title is a travel journal of Craik's 16 day vacation at the Cornish coast in the 1880s. She was getting older and was apparently not spry, but had the adventurous spirit to go on the trip with two young companions (relatives?), even though rock climbing and boating and walking could be challenging for her.
Craik wanted always to seek out the locals for tour guides, transportation, and lodging. Traveling by horse and carriage made for plenty of time to hear local yarns, and Craik sought out and savored the out of the way places they recommended.
She interspersed her travelogue with her inner ruminations, snatches of scripture that were triggered by the grandeur, folk tales and myths and Aurthurian legends of old. It's obvious she was steeped in the lore of England, but I was also delighted at her mention of one of her contemporaries, author Harriet Martineau, who wrote the excellent novel _Deerbrook_ (highly recommended!)
There were black and white drawings to illustrate some of the highpoints of their travels, but they paled in comparison to Craik's lively word pictures.
This book put me in mind of _How the Heather Looks_, another romp through England with literary underpinnings.
If you are an Angliophile, you will enjoy a vicarious trip through the scenic and history rich, rocky coast with Ms. Craik.
Craik wanted always to seek out the locals for tour guides, transportation, and lodging. Traveling by horse and carriage made for plenty of time to hear local yarns, and Craik sought out and savored the out of the way places they recommended.
She interspersed her travelogue with her inner ruminations, snatches of scripture that were triggered by the grandeur, folk tales and myths and Aurthurian legends of old. It's obvious she was steeped in the lore of England, but I was also delighted at her mention of one of her contemporaries, author Harriet Martineau, who wrote the excellent novel _Deerbrook_ (highly recommended!)
There were black and white drawings to illustrate some of the highpoints of their travels, but they paled in comparison to Craik's lively word pictures.
This book put me in mind of _How the Heather Looks_, another romp through England with literary underpinnings.
If you are an Angliophile, you will enjoy a vicarious trip through the scenic and history rich, rocky coast with Ms. Craik.
October 13, 2016
I am thankful for the internet. I looked up almost everything mentioned in this book. What a wonderful way to get acquainted with Cornwall thanks to the slower pace of that time. The writing was very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews