| Title | : | Lovely Bits of Old England: John Betjeman at the Telegraph |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1781310122 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781781310120 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2012 |
During that time Britain underwent profound social and cultural changes. In architecture, grand Victorian edifices were pulled down to make way for gleaming brutalist monuments to the Future. In literature, a new generation of angry young men (and women) challenged convention head on. In music, pomp and circumstance gave way to the electric guitar. And in fashion, hemlines crept up.
Amongst much of the population, however, such rapid change met with disquiet: a nagging sense that the New had displaced much that was wonderful in the Old. By turns eccentric, wistful and polemical, Betjeman’s writing for the Telegraph gave voice to this unease.
From contemporary reviews – often refreshingly caustic – of novelists such as Ian Fleming, Nancy Mitford and J.D. Salinger, through prescient warnings about the threat posed to the English skyline by office blocks, motorways and concrete lamp-standards, to elegiac paeans to Norman churches and, of course, the gothic majesty of St Pancras station, Lovely Bits of Old England collects the very best of Betjeman’s contributions to the Telegraph for the first time. Taken together they offer a eulogy for what was lost and an impassioned defence of the past in the face of progress’s relentless onward march.
Lovely Bits of Old England: John Betjeman at the Telegraph Reviews
-
I wish Betjeman’s books were coated in rubber so that they’d return to your hand after throwing them against the nearest wall. His books are tender, insufferable, wrong-headed and pithy all at once. Who built what in 1801 and where Lord Uphisownarse bought his horses get plenty of coverage; people almost never.
The book reviews are the best parts of the book, models of concision and unashamed feeling. The bad ones tell you as much as the good ones. Catcher in the Rye bags a single paragraph, Lord of the Flies barely more. Evelyn Waugh is a ‘genius’; lefties like JB Priestley are born failures. Betjeman is the first to hail Lucky Jim as the funniest book in a generation despite his normally half-baked ideas about what goes on in the world outside Oxbridge. -
Now here is a man that really cares about the buildings and landscapes of England.
A collection of wit, wisdom and some book reviews.
Recommended. -
I have been dipping in and out of this for around three weeks, whilst reading other books. A selection of writings from John Betjeman published in The Telegraph in the 50s and 60s. These articles have become something of an historical eulogy; one might say that they have no relevance nowadays. Nevertheless, they are worth reading to understand Betjeman's love of architecture and his disdain for 'developers' in a country still recovering from the deprivations of the 2nd World War. He loved churches and on 30th May 1952 he wrote a wonderful article entitled "The Churches of England are Part of Our Life". He was a stalwart supporter of St. Pancras station and the St. Pancras hotel and I am sure he would be delighted to know that these great architectural edifices have been restored to their former glory.
His book reviews were often dismissive. In 1951 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'The Day of The Triffids' were afforded a single paragraph in The Telegraph. In 1953 about 'Casino Royale' he says: "It suffers from falling apart two-thirds of the way through..." Rather amusing for a book that is still in print more than 60 years later!
John Betjeman will always be remembered for his passionate defence of Britain's Victorian heritage. He was knighted in 1969 and appointed Poet Laureate in 1972. He died in 1984. -
This collection of newspaper articles, from book reviews to longer pieces on towns / architecture, was patchy. Some of the pieces were really interesting and well written, while I found others a bit bland.
Overall I found this book fascinating, in particular the way that many of the little issues of 50 years still seem relevant. -
enjoyable reading - Betjeman's ability to capture the essence of a place shines through in these journalistic jaunts spanning the country from the nineteen-sixties.
-
Very interesting read.
Mostly articles written for the Telegraph on Architecture, Town Planning and Book reviews. You get a really good insight ito the great man himself. -
I received this for Christmas - people in my family evidently know I'm a long-term fan of Betjeman's poetry. It's a collection of his writings from the Daily Telegraph from book reviews to longer pieces on architecture and his pet subject of preserving old buildings.
Betjeman writes prose like a poet and his articles flow beautifully, melting into your brain like melted butter into toast. The book reviews are particularly interesting as the include some contemporary reviews of novels that have become modern classics - Fahrenheit 451 and Lucky Jim for example.
Recommended for all Betjeman fans. -
Really enjoyed the insight into his thoughts of England
