from the introduction of peter ackroyd's "london" comes this:
“… london is so large and so wild that it contains no less than everything – just as there will be irresolutions and ambiguities. but there will also be moments of revelation, when the city will be seen to harbour the secrets of the human world. then it is wise to bow down before the immensity.”
the words do not even attempt to capture london, they serve as a warning that london can never fully be defined, described or detailed at best all we can hope for are glimpses.
the introduction hints at the wonders the reader will discover on the trip through the london of peter ackroyd, the reader will find aspects of the city that they recognise, and others they won't. the promise that some secrets will be revealed and mysteries uncovered is a heady one.
i already love london.
now i just wanted to get to know my mistress a little better.
2 comments:
This nostalgia isn't going to make you feel any better when the evil work exiles you to the frozen wastes of the north, you know...
I miss London terribly, and whenever I visit...it's one of the most reassuring feelings. I can't describe it past the old cliche of it being an old girlfriend that you know is a nightmare but you love more than almost everything.
You'll be saying its better than Newark next.
Post a Comment