Journey Into the Mind's Eye [Paperback]

Lesley Blanch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004

Lesley Blanch was four when the mysterious traveler first blew into her nursery, swathed in Siberian furs and full of the fairytales of Russia. She was twenty when he swept out of her life, leaving her lovelorn and in the grips of a passionate obsession. The search to recapture the love of her life, and the Russia he had planted within her, takes her to Siberia and beyond, It travels in time over fifty years, and in space from aristocratic England to sophisticated Paris and the haunting beauty of Moscow, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the awesome reaches of the Russian steppes. It travels in spirit from a young gir's awakening to a mature woman's fulfillment. Lesley Blanch, born in 1907, was married to Romain Gary, and is the author of a number of books, including The Wilder Shores of Love, Journey into the Mind's Eye was originally published in 1969 (Atheneum).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you are interested in Russia--if you are interested in love--this haunting book is one to read and re-read."

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Eland (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1900209128
• ISBN-13: 978-1900209120
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,711,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "So great a lover", August 23, 2005

By 

Kathleen C. Griffin (Bronx NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey Into the Mind's Eye (Paperback)

Like Rupert Brooke, Blanch has spent her long life loving an extraordinary number of people, places, & things, but her greatest passion is for The Traveler, her mentor & lover, and Russia. From her sedate pre-WW I nursery onwards, The Traveler brings an air of Siberia to quiet London. Perhaps a former suitor of her mother's, he delicately seduces Blanch with visions of wolves and Easter, church bells and crisp snow, icons and fire-light. They consummate their affair when she is 17. But there is nothing of tawdiness, exploitation, or abuse in all this; it's a great romance told ruefully, with humor and delight. Her Traveler expands her horizons forever, and teaches her a tremendous capacity for love. Centering the memoir is a journey on the Siberian train in the 1960s, long after his disappearance. She is seeking their Russia, long gone, and some trace of him. Though she fails, it's a lovely read.