Book #9: London Perceived by V.S. Pritchett
London Perceived by V.S. Pritchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Author V.S. Pritchett was formerly the literary editor in the New Statesman and the Nation, before his death in 1997. This book was originally published in 1962, but strangely very little of it feels out of date.
So, this is a book of London, but about perceptions of the city, from the point of view of the author and of others. Reading this, I got the impression that Pritchett had travelled around London a lot, as he came across as quite knowledgeable, noting how every street seems to feel different and offer an almost unique vista. He is critical of some parts of London; Tottenham Court Road, for example.
I enjoyed reading the observations about the people who live in London, including a chapter on immigration, and also commentary on the behaviour of Londoners. In one chapter, there is an account of how an old man butted in on an overheard conversation between a man and woman. The woman reacted by offering him a pound note to buy a pint, before telling him it would be rude to accept and putting her money away again. Cockney rhyming slang is mentioned a number of times, and how it characterises London, but might seem alien to outsiders.
The buildings are also mentioned, with a lot of commentary on them and their architects; Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral gets mentioned a lot, he describes Westminster Abbey as "a sinister sort of railway terminal" because of the crowds of people who go there.
The book also comments on how different artists and writers have portrayed London, with references to the famous "Gin Alley" painting that depicted the seedier side of London, and also commenting on how Dickens always portrays London as quite grim. Pritchett himself seems full of praise for London, comparing it positively to Manchester, which he perceives as having very little life after 7pm (this is possibly less true in modern times).
Overall, this book felt a bit difficult to read at times because of the language used, but it was enjoyable nevertheless, although it felt like one of those titles where I end up not remembering every single word I have read, and finish with just a few big takeaways. Worth reading anyway to be able to see a portait of London through other peoples' eyes.
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