My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir [Paperback]

Susan Allen Toth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 1994

Journalist and memoirist Susan Allen Toth brings her special England vivdly to life as she recalls her many trips there over the years, where she explored the countryside, traveled both second-class and in luxury, theatre-hopped, hunted for ghosts, and honeymooned. Humorous, bittersweet, and wonderfully eccentric, this is a delightful remembrance to be savored by those who love to travel or just dream of it.
"I love MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH ENGLAND. It is written clearly and with a understanding that far supasses any feeling of condescension or superiority or general quaintness among the natives, all of which I detect in books about other countries."
M.F.K. Fisher

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Toth ( Blooming ) makes no apologies here for her lack of authority about English history or current affairs; she is not ashamed to admit that she has ventured little beyond literary London and England's most picturesque locales; and she disdains what she calls the "Bleak Chic"11 school of British travel writing. But then, this is not a travel memoir in the modern sense, fashioned for hardened realists. Without a trace of irony, Toth writes of the "lure of England's many-layered past"23 and the reverence felt by every English major, present or former, when walking down streets well known to Dickens. She is spot-on in explaining why English marmalade tastes good only when eaten as part of a real English breakfast--"the tangy flavor puts just the right edge on a slathery, swimming-in-fat breakfast of bacon, sausage and fried eggs."73 Toth's descriptive powers and her almost Victorian sense of sentiment occasionally wear thin, especially in the sections where she deals with her recent visits. But she is in top form when she recounts her travels as a Smith student in 1960 and 10 years later as a harried guide for touring students. At these and many other points, the book feels wonderfully cozy--the print equivalent of a nice cup of tea.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Over the last 30 years, Toth has regularly vacationed or taught in England. Here, she reflects on some of the country's endearing qualities that draw her back time and again. Each of the 20 chapters addresses a single subject from the intricacies of "the tube" to remote village churches. She is a frequent admirer of the many English gardens and has traveled extensively on the footpaths in the company of her husband and her favorite walking stick. Whether her topic is attending sheepdog trials, ghost-hunting, or indulging in a rare overnight at London's Savoy, one cannot help but become absorbed. Toth possesses the all-too-rare ability of capturing the atmosphere of places she visits. Reading this is like taking a vacation; it's travel writing at its best and essential for armchair travelers or potential visitors.
-Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 8, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345385659
• ISBN-13: 978-0345385659
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially for confirmed Anglophiles, March 28, 2001

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir (Paperback)

I loved this book. Having had several Brits recommend Bill Bryson books the last time I was in Britain, I was disappointed that he was rather whine-y and not all that funny. Susan Allen Toth, however, is a kindred spirit. I enjoyed reminiscing based on our shared experiences (the love of English footpaths, and Britain's lovely breakfasts and teas) and look forward to my next trip and trying some of the things I had not experienced before, such as omelettes and gardens.

I have travelled to other places and enjoyed them very much, but there is something special about England. This author has a gift for articulating those special qualities. I found myself smiling often as I read these pages and drinking more tea than usual. I would say that this book would be more enjoyable for someone who has already been to England rather than someone who is trying to plan their first visit there.

I can't wait to get back to the U.K. -- or to read Ms. Toth's next book -- and I would like the people of Britian to read this book and see that *this*, rather than Bryson's, vision is the one I carry for their lovely isle.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Companion for Armchair Traveling, February 6, 2001

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir (Paperback)

If you're dreaming of seeing England but won't make it this year, pick up this cleverly written little book instead. Susan Toth's witty, conversational tone makes for an easy, enjoyable read. But don't confuse it with a travel book. This is instead a journal of Ms. Toth's many trips abroads from her adventurous back-packing with a friend at age 20 to the disastrous honeymoon with her first husband to her exploration of gorgeous gardens with her second husband. Reading this book is akin to traveling with a good friend and sharing likes and dislikes.

However, the England that Susan Toth really loves is the countryside and not the bustling London. If London is your heart's desire, you might be better off with another choice. Ms. Toth is not one to stand in line to view the Crown Jewels, but she will take you to memorable sheep dog shows or on a badger hunt. My favorite chapters were those she did set in London and its environs when she was teaching a class abroad. She definitely whetted my appetite for travel with her allusions to the places dear to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and other literary figures.

This is a book to put you in the mood for England, a diary-like remembrance of her many trips to a country she loves. But it alone won't help you plan a trip there. For more on London proper for the book-lover, I would suggest "Mystery Reader's Walking Guide:London" by Alzina Stone Dale and Barbara Sloan Hendershott.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars M.F.K. Fisher endorsed this book...., June 6, 2000

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir (Paperback)

When I read Toth's book, I had not yet read M.F.K. Fisher. Fisher's endorsement of this book is on the cover, and that makes sense to me as there are similarities in their writing styles. Toth has written many articles on her travels in England. She has compiled this information into a number of books. Some the books concentrate on a particular location in Englan -- as she puts it one that fits under your thumbnail when you hold it to a map. This book is a distillation of her various trips to England between 1963 and the early 1990's.

Ms. Toth writes autobiographically, sharing her ups and downs. I've learned to listen to what she suggests. Probably the most important chapter in the book, "1984-1992, On the Sunny (If Wrong) Side of the Street--travels with James" tells about life in the fast lane, or wrong lane from the American perspective. A couple of decades ago my husband and I made our first trip to England together (I hadn't read Toth then) and we rented a car. I will never forget our arrival in Bath where my husband jumped out of the car and handed the attendent a 10 pound note to drive it 20 feet and park it. This followed a day of his learning how to negotiate roundabouts and driving on the wrong side of the road while I navigated, the hedgerow slapped the mirror an my side, and I screamed in fear. It was 10 years before we could laugh about our first driving trip in England and we took trains, cabs and buses for a long while, but finally mastered the road only to discover the enormous increase in traffic has made much of southern Engand like LA at rush hour. On my last trip, I went back to subways and trains. If you are a very nervous person or this is your first trip don't rent a car.

I enjoyed all the chapters, but I liked the "Among the Alchemillas" best because I've learned Ms Toth knows where to go to find the best gardens. It's not enough to buy a book that lists all 10,000 gardens. I want someone to tell me what they found. As Ms. Toth points out, the English have a different idea of what constitutes a garden. I have followed her footsteps more than once and been rewarded.