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Book Review: The Silent Traveller in London, by Chiang Yee
This is the second in Chiang's Silent Traveller series, and the third I've read. I did find it somewhat different in character from the Lakeland and Oxford books; Chiang contrasts life in London with corresponding topics in his native China, often very clearly for the purpose of demonstrating his concern at contemporary events (the book was first published in 1938). The book is also ordered differently - with a first part discussing the seasons, London weather and the River Thames, and the second part discussing various aspects of London social life. Although I enjoyed the book, I didn't find it quite as satisfying as the others I have read; perhaps it is down to Chiang's unhappiness. As usual, the book is valuable not only for the words, but also for the artwork:
Summer afternoon in Kew Gardens
Coronation Night on the Underground
Fog in Trafalgar Square
This is the second in Chiang's Silent Traveller series, and the third I've read. I did find it somewhat different in character from the Lakeland and Oxford books; Chiang contrasts life in London with corresponding topics in his native China, often very clearly for the purpose of demonstrating his concern at contemporary events (the book was first published in 1938). The book is also ordered differently - with a first part discussing the seasons, London weather and the River Thames, and the second part discussing various aspects of London social life. Although I enjoyed the book, I didn't find it quite as satisfying as the others I have read; perhaps it is down to Chiang's unhappiness. As usual, the book is valuable not only for the words, but also for the artwork:
Summer afternoon in Kew Gardens
Coronation Night on the Underground
Fog in Trafalgar Square