Letters form London [Import] [Paperback]

Julian Barnes (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; First Edition edition (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394224531
• ISBN-13: 978-0394224534
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,462,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julian Barnes is the author of nine novels, including Metroland, Flaubert's Parrot, A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters, England, England and Arthur and George, and two collections of short stories, Cross Channel and The Lemon Table.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blithe & Cheeky, October 1, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters from London (Paperback)

Julian Barnes is never cowed by the seeming smallness of subject; he turns it into a tiny gem. Conversely, he is willing to go all sails unfurled into vast global matters. There is a great deal more politics in the collection than I expected. Mr. Barnes must be former Prime Minister Thatcher's bête noir for he ever so elegantly lacerates her at every turn. However, since the political letters are highly topical and they were written between 1991 and 1994, it is a bit like reading yesterday's newspaper.

He fares much better when musing over a small happenings or events. Somehow he sparks our interest and amusement in such unlikely subjects as Building Mazes or the First World Championship Chess Match Held in Great Britain. I think he is at his best and wittiest when discussing traits of his fellow Englishmen. In his letter "Froggy, Froggy" talking about the lack of understanding between the average Brit and the French cast of mind: "The bickering legacy of history is exacerbated on the British side by the poverty of geography. Britain has only France as its obvious neighbor, while France may divert itself with three other major cultures-Spain, Italy, and Germany. Beyond France's southern shore lies Africa; beyond Britain's northern shore lie the Faeroe Islands and many seals. Small wonder, then, that we think about the French much more than they think about us. The British are obsessed by the French, whereas the French are only intrigued by the British."

"Letters From London" can be enjoyed in small parcels, a letter at a time or read straight through. Highly pleasurable for anyone who is even a minor anglophile.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dry wit, January 25, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters from London (Paperback)

The writing is clean and purposeful. You never feel like you're reading an article or newspaper feature, but more gripping prose. The wit and very english dryness is incredibly effective at captivating the reader. You feel yourself cringing at the truths and shocked at the revelations, but at the turn of a page you'll be quietly laughing to and at yourself. A great book to read anywhere.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever, neat, articulate, dated, March 6, 2005

By 

Sirin (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters from London (Paperback)

A primary limitation with most journalism - even writing of the highest quality, is an inbuilt transience. These are Julian Barnes's Letters from London 1990-1995, written for the New Yorker magazine. Certainly they reflect Barnes's obvious talents as an astute and witty essayist, political commentator and shrewd social observer. There are enough jokes here and apposite observations of various aspects of British life during this era to enlighten and entertain. But I can't quite picture who exactly would want to purchase such a collection of journalism now, ten years after Barnes finished his phase as the New Yorker's London correspondent. The essays cover themes such as Margaret Thatcher's resignation, the early years of the Fatwa imposed by the Iranian Government on Salman Rushdie in 1989, the televising of the House of Commons and a 1993 World Championship Chess match between Nigel Short and Gary Kasparov. Most of these issues are now not only finished but sufficient time has now elapsed that the roller of history has imprinted them firmly into the ground. In other words, they are dead. So who would be interested in reading essays written contemporaneously with the events they cover? - avid Julian Barnes fans? Hobbyists of social history? People who merely hold a wistful nostalgia for British public life during those years? Julian Barnes continues to write intelligent and perceptive journalism on current events these days, so unless you are particularly interested in reviewing the views of a liberal left winger of a curiously transitional stage of British politics (fittingly, the book starts with an essay on Thatcher and ends with one on Blair), I would recommend reading either Julian Barnes's novels or his more recent essays.