A tale of three cities
Week 28: To the Hermitage – Malcolm Bradbury
Recommended by: Ros White
Philosophy is something I'm happy to confess I know a very limited amount about. I have no grounding in the discipline and while I can list names, I have little clue as to what they believed, rationalised or reasoned. In fact the sum of my knowledge can probably be encapsulated in Monty Python's philosophy football sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8). My knowledge of the French Revolution is at least a little better, thanks mainly to Boardworks' US History, having never studied any aspect of French history during my academic adventures (sacré bleu!) Throw in some Russophilia into the mix and what you get out the other side would probably be something resembling To the Hermitage.
An ode to Denis Diderot, editor of the Encyclopédie, the book gathers a collection of academics and miscellaneous Scandinavians together and sends them on a pilgrimage to St Petersburg to follow in the footprints of the aforementioned Diderot. Twinned with this is a journey into the past to join our philosopher on his visit to Russia to pay homage to and educate the famous despot Catherine the Great. Part quest-as-wild-goose-chase, part historical fiction, this unusual blend works rather well.
The present (early 90s, recent post-collapse of the Soviet Union) story was for me stronger, with a playful, smart narrator who weaves his tale lightly and skilfully. St Petersburg is obviously one of my three cities but plenty of the early action takes place in Stockholm, and Diderot's narrative has more than a little of the Parisian in it. Of these, it is Stockholm which is best realised, both in terms of its sense of place and its people. It gently satirises the Swedish mindset and behaviours, but in a way that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than affection. The motley crew of the so-called Diderot Project is testament to that.
Diderot's own tale I found less engaging overall. The numerous exchanges with Catherine read like an Oscar Wilde play, with plenty of witty repartee, but I found they did more to enhance and add depth to the present-day narrative rather than truly hold up in their own right. I'm also going to take the opportunity to gratuitously lavish a small amount of praise on my industry: "Publishers are amongst the boldest, the wisest, most generous of all humankind, risking their fortunes for our opinions. That is, so long as they don't keep too much company with princes, priests, or popes. Or bankers or the lowest tastes of the people." Seems fair to me, and a fictional Diderot said it so it must be true.
The historical trip also features cameos from other notable figures of the Age of Reason including Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson upon Diderot's return to France. The main narrative is more open-ended, with the excursion more one of self-discovery than academic knowledge, poking a little fun at the academia Bradbury knew so well. Curious and endearing, full of deft touches and sharp observations, this is a charming portrait of, and homage to, a key figure of the Enlightenment.
Recommended by: Ros White
Philosophy is something I'm happy to confess I know a very limited amount about. I have no grounding in the discipline and while I can list names, I have little clue as to what they believed, rationalised or reasoned. In fact the sum of my knowledge can probably be encapsulated in Monty Python's philosophy football sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8). My knowledge of the French Revolution is at least a little better, thanks mainly to Boardworks' US History, having never studied any aspect of French history during my academic adventures (sacré bleu!) Throw in some Russophilia into the mix and what you get out the other side would probably be something resembling To the Hermitage.
An ode to Denis Diderot, editor of the Encyclopédie, the book gathers a collection of academics and miscellaneous Scandinavians together and sends them on a pilgrimage to St Petersburg to follow in the footprints of the aforementioned Diderot. Twinned with this is a journey into the past to join our philosopher on his visit to Russia to pay homage to and educate the famous despot Catherine the Great. Part quest-as-wild-goose-chase, part historical fiction, this unusual blend works rather well.
The present (early 90s, recent post-collapse of the Soviet Union) story was for me stronger, with a playful, smart narrator who weaves his tale lightly and skilfully. St Petersburg is obviously one of my three cities but plenty of the early action takes place in Stockholm, and Diderot's narrative has more than a little of the Parisian in it. Of these, it is Stockholm which is best realised, both in terms of its sense of place and its people. It gently satirises the Swedish mindset and behaviours, but in a way that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than affection. The motley crew of the so-called Diderot Project is testament to that.
Diderot's own tale I found less engaging overall. The numerous exchanges with Catherine read like an Oscar Wilde play, with plenty of witty repartee, but I found they did more to enhance and add depth to the present-day narrative rather than truly hold up in their own right. I'm also going to take the opportunity to gratuitously lavish a small amount of praise on my industry: "Publishers are amongst the boldest, the wisest, most generous of all humankind, risking their fortunes for our opinions. That is, so long as they don't keep too much company with princes, priests, or popes. Or bankers or the lowest tastes of the people." Seems fair to me, and a fictional Diderot said it so it must be true.
The historical trip also features cameos from other notable figures of the Age of Reason including Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson upon Diderot's return to France. The main narrative is more open-ended, with the excursion more one of self-discovery than academic knowledge, poking a little fun at the academia Bradbury knew so well. Curious and endearing, full of deft touches and sharp observations, this is a charming portrait of, and homage to, a key figure of the Enlightenment.
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