Wansworth
Well-known member
For wannabe round Britain navigates………he set off with very little training
Coasting….jonathan Raban
- Thread starter Wansworth
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LittleSister
Well-known member
Very little training in boating, perhaps, but highly trained and adept at writing.
It's a long time since I read it, but as I recall, like the wonderful and much later 'Passage to Juneau' (one of my favourite books of all time), the voyage is not the whole, or even main, focus, but rather a framework on which a whole lot of perceptive observation and thoughtful musing is hung on, unfolding and solidifying as as he progresses.
He was doing it at, er, a time (not for discussion here!) when the country was undergoing profound political and cultural change. It would be interesting to go back and read it now with the, er, benefit of how things have shaped up since (as well as to enjoy the quality of his writing).
It's a long time since I read it, but as I recall, like the wonderful and much later 'Passage to Juneau' (one of my favourite books of all time), the voyage is not the whole, or even main, focus, but rather a framework on which a whole lot of perceptive observation and thoughtful musing is hung on, unfolding and solidifying as as he progresses.
He was doing it at, er, a time (not for discussion here!) when the country was undergoing profound political and cultural change. It would be interesting to go back and read it now with the, er, benefit of how things have shaped up since (as well as to enjoy the quality of his writing).
Wansworth
Well-known member
We should start a Raban fan club,unfortunately he died and I have yet to read all his books………I would really like to see pictures of Gosforth Maid!
LittleSister
Well-known member
Lucky for you he did die, otherwise you'd never catch up and read them all!
I've not read them all, but have read 'Passage to Juneau' several times and will do again. It's very rich, and each time I read it I get a better understanding of some of the many things he talks about, and rediscover details I'd forgotten.
Wansworth
Well-known member
I agree and his use of words and descriptions of the water and in passage to Juno his interesting comments on Indian art……and of course that man Vancouver……..what would have made of the ybw forum members
….inhope I always checkout the bookshops when I the Uk
Poignard
Well-known member
"Coasting" is also available as an audio book from Amazon Audible.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Just re read it so a few years till it comes round again
LittleSister
Well-known member
Most audio books are abridged, which would be a shame.
(I personally find the pace and phrasing of most audiobook readers rather irksome, and also prefer to pause, savour, re-read at will, or even power onward at pace when I feel like it. But each to his own.)
LittleSister
Well-known member
…..what would [Jonathan Raban] have made of the ybw forum members
I am sure Craig
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Poignard
Well-known member
Ah, but the audibook allows you to get on with something else while you listen. Preferably something tedious that doesn't require much concentration, eg peeling spuds, scraping off antifoul, having a bath,...
Wansworth
Well-known member
Nowyouare not a yacht owner you have time on your hands to read……a book
Poignard
Well-known member
Time on my hands? You is joking bro.Nowyouare not a yacht owner you have time on your hands to read……a book
'Er indoors has prepared a lengthy schedule of household repairs and improvements to be carried on forthwith.
Wansworth
Well-known member
LittleSister
Well-known member
Has your wife been consulting with Mrs. Wansworth on how best to keep boys away from boats?
Poignard
Well-known member
Before I bought our boat, I used to fly gliders.Has your wife been consulting with Mrs. Wansworth on how best to keep boys away from boats?
Please don't tell The Old Guvnor but I have been taking a sneaky look at my old gliding club's website, and I see from the FAQs that there is no upper age limit for flying, and they only require a simple statement of health, ie, that one is not blind, suffering from heart disease, or mad (I should have no problem fulfilling the first two requirements).
So, next time she is out playing bridge . . . . .
steve yates
Well-known member
Coasting is a great book, Its my top pick to reread if I ever catchup on the ones I havent read. If only I didnt keep finding more to add to the library
Wansworth
Well-known member
You might enjoy “passage to Juno”…..by RabanCoasting is a great book, Its my top pick to reread if I ever catchup on the ones I havent read. If only I didnt keep finding more to add to the library
Skysail
Well-known member
Most of his books are very readable, including Old Glory, about a voyage down the Mississippi, and a book on Arabia.
steve yates
Well-known member
Got it and read it a few years ago, I actually preferred coasting, though both are wonderful.
zoidberg
Well-known member
That's surely what Radio 4 Extra is for....?
