Cultural Life Series -- A Glimpse of France

Author: Henry James
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-12-01
Features: This book will take you to a France with a leisurely and elegant lifestyle, where critics abound. It is one of the three famous travel books written by the great travel writer Henry James in history—The American Scene, French Impressions, and English Traits. The Three-Links Bookstore introduced it to China in the 1980s, becoming an unforgettable memory for many readers. The author traveled to France in 1882. From north to south, he visited nearly forty places. His views on France were mixed, and he freely commented on these places with his own preferences and a novelist's pen. The southern grapes had been harvested, and he couldn’t help admiring the beauty of the vineyards "dressed in the red of October." The Loire River was "majestic and imposing, with large, slow turns reflecting half the sky's light," while he also devoted considerable space to describing "filthy and repulsive restaurants, museums full of raspberries, unsuitable churches, and tedious historical landmarks." He might overlook many striking sights, but on the other hand, "for a traveler who sometimes prided himself on an inexhaustible flow of emotion, this feeling was astonishingly casual." This is not surprising; anything that reminds him of English scenery would hold more interest for him. This book is not a travel guide and may not help with travel plans, but it more focuses on showcasing the author’s style and technique, telling how one can express their feelings in a different cultural environment.