The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.

I've only read Little Britain...

With my own #6Degrees as a catalyst, I read this on a whim. It had been lurking on my Kindle for so long that until I opened it up last weekend, I had no idea that it was only a brief travel piece, written by Washington Irving (1783-1859) during his sojourn in England in the early 19th century.

As you can see from his entry at Wikipedia, Irving led a most interesting life. Born in Manhattan in 1783, he was a short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and a diplomat, serving as Secretary to the American Legation in London in 1829 and Minister to Spain in 1842. But before that he had forged a career as a writer, and is reckoned to be the first American to earn his living by the pen.

'Little Britain' is a mere 26 pages long, and it takes no time at all to read. It's a whimsical travel piece, describing an area in London now at the southern end of the A1. Irving called it the heart’s core of the city; the stronghold of true John Bullism.
In the centre of the great city of London lies a small neighbourhood, consisting of a cluster of narrow streets and courts, of very venerable and debilitated houses, which goes by the name of LITTLE BRITAIN. Christ Church School and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital bound it on the west; Smithfield and Long Lane on the north; Aldersgate Street, like an arm of the sea, divides it from the eastern part of the city; whilst the yawning gulf of Bull-and-Mouth Street separates it from Butcher Lane, and the regions of Newgate. Over this little territory, thus bounded and designated, the great dome of St. Paul’s, swelling above the intervening houses of Paternoster Row, Amen Corner, and Ave Maria Lane, looks down with an air of motherly protection.
Although it's designed to amuse, 'Little Britain' is not just a witty piece of commentary. Its pseudo-nostalgic tone points to a area now in transition from its old traditions.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/03/07/little-britain-by-washington-irving/ ( )

A short-story collection, first published in 1819–20 in seven separate parts. Most of the book’s 30-odd pieces concern Irving’s impressions of England, but six chapters deal with American subjects. Of these the tales “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” have been called the first American short stories, although both are actually Americanized versions of German folktales. In addition to the stories based on folklore, the collection contains travel sketches, literary essays, and miscellany. The Sketch Book was a celebrated event in American literary history. The collection was the first American work to gain international literary success and popularity. Its unprecedented success allowed Irving to devote himself to writing. ( )

My favorite writer of all. Everything about Washington Irving's writing is perfect and good. ( )

4-5 Stars for Rip and Ichabod, 3 or less for most of the other fiction.

Early in the book, Irving offers maybe the first literary mention of throwing shade:

(talking about "great men") "I have mingled among them in my time,
and have been withered by the shade in which they cast me...."

Totally discouraged about his home country of America, the author lived in Europe
for many years, returns then rather goes on too long about visiting critics from England.
He also gets boring and silly in "Little Britain."

Back home, he writes as eloquently as he did about an English Christmas and Stratford,
yet strangely takes no notice of slavery. ( )

Book given to Miss Mary Watts Graduation from Stuart Institute, June 9, 1875 Springfield Ill