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144th out of 403 books
—
287 voters
Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now - As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It and Long for It
by
Craig Taylor
Here are the voices of London - rich and poor, native and immigrant, women and men (and a Sarah who used to be a George) - witnessed by Craig Taylor, an acclaimed Canadian journalist, playwright and writer, who has lived in the city for ten years, exploring its hidden corners and listening to its residents. From the woman who is the voice of the London Underground to the m...more
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published
November 3rd 2011
by Granta Books (UK)
(first published November 1st 2011)
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I am about half way through this book. I admit to hearing it first on Radoi 4 where it was 'Book of the week'. I enjoyed listening to it before dropping off to sleep. Now that I am reading it I am less interested. It started off well. I enjoyed the short clips and the variety it offered, but as I progress through it, the style is unvaried in how each story is presented. It becomes a bit stale and the tales tend to merge and lack any real bite. I will of course persevere, but although it's an eas...more
At 500 pages, this tome is too long by half. I found myself running out of steam fairly quickly and had to work rather hard to finish. As somewhat of an Anglophile, that wasn't as difficult as it might have been, but I found that I wanted to like this book a lot better than I actually did. There were some fascinating portrayals of the city as well as some rather mundane ones. I suppose that not everybody is going to have an eminently readable perspective, but I wonder, then, what the point of in...more
i have this thing. a visa may come through in 30 days, but in the meantime I'm in holding pattern above an asian country. in the meantime, not wanting to spend cash if I'm going to be in school for a year (or more), those amazon.com and bn.com and ibooks.com specials at 3.99 or 2.99 or 1.99 are irresistible. (try finding a free library in an asian city. impossible).
HOWEVER, 1.99 specials are sometimes that way for a reason. as in, they're good. they're not great. in fact, I can say to some degre...more
HOWEVER, 1.99 specials are sometimes that way for a reason. as in, they're good. they're not great. in fact, I can say to some degre...more
londoners made me sad. I was born in Kent, just South of London but now engulfed by the London amoeba. my feelings were certainly affected by the concerns of the Surrey representative who rued the loss of the countryside and destruction of the suburban way of life. My impression of the series of vignettes was their alienation one way or another and their submission to the magnetism of this historic city. For years I commuted into the East End for my medical training, using the tube daily, and in...more
I was discussing with a friend recently what qualified as a Londoner.
We both grew up in Zone 6 within the M25, and although he's lived since in Zone 2 and currently Zone 3, I've stayed in the same outer London borough (although I've upgraded to Zone 5). We both feel like Londoners. He felt more 'part' of London when he lived in Holland Park, compared to Greenwich. I feel more 'part' of London now that I live right next to the Central line, with access to the centre of town within half an hour....more
We both grew up in Zone 6 within the M25, and although he's lived since in Zone 2 and currently Zone 3, I've stayed in the same outer London borough (although I've upgraded to Zone 5). We both feel like Londoners. He felt more 'part' of London when he lived in Holland Park, compared to Greenwich. I feel more 'part' of London now that I live right next to the Central line, with access to the centre of town within half an hour....more
I loved the idea of this book and after reading a few reviews I started it looking forward to a fantastic read. The introduction was great, the first few bits of the book were great but I became bored just under halfway through. When you strip it down it is basically just a collection of stories by random people off the street. I know the author put so much time and research into the book, it clearly shows, and some of the stories and interviews aren't just with 'random' people but that's essent...more
Jul 24, 2012
Amy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
england-ireland-scotland,
try-again-someday
I'm a huge fan of books about cities--what makes each city unique, what makes each city a character. And I love books that undermine stereotypes about cities (Paris is not all macarons, L.A. is not all noir and drive-thru restaurants, London has changed since Dickens was around). But it's hard to find a fresh approach.
This book is a collection of interviews with a range of ordinary, not famous people. It isn't the kind of book you get to plan a trip or to study the history of a city. This is the...more
This book is a collection of interviews with a range of ordinary, not famous people. It isn't the kind of book you get to plan a trip or to study the history of a city. This is the...more
Jan 08, 2012
Harry Rutherford
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
This makes a good pair with Daily Life in Victorian London. It's a compilation of interviews with Londoners of all sorts. Some of them are the obvious London clichés—black cab driver, yeoman warder, hedge fund manager, refugee—and some are more exotic: beekeeper, dominatrix, Wiccan priestess. And most are are just, well, ordinary: teacher, street cleaner, personal trainer, estate agent, student.
But of course the key to books like this is that 'ordinary' people often turn to be unexpectedly inter...more
But of course the key to books like this is that 'ordinary' people often turn to be unexpectedly inter...more
A collection of stories from Londoners: why they hate it, why they love it, and everything in between. Here are a few of my favorite lines.
"London is propulsion, it rewards those people who push forward. I loved that about it and remembered the disappointment of walking in New York and reaching the end, the water, the point of turning around. In London, even on the days when my knees hurt, my hip hurt, and my Achilles tendon hurt, I loved that sense of constant propulsion."
"Living history is th...more
"London is propulsion, it rewards those people who push forward. I loved that about it and remembered the disappointment of walking in New York and reaching the end, the water, the point of turning around. In London, even on the days when my knees hurt, my hip hurt, and my Achilles tendon hurt, I loved that sense of constant propulsion."
"Living history is th...more
I loved this book. I heard about it on the radio and instantly knew that I had to read it. In fact, it was my most welcomed Xmaz pressy.
I was also familiar with the original AKENFIELD, which I read some years ago, and so was fascinated to see how the author got from RETURN TO AKENFIELD to LONDONERS. AKENFIELD was an slightly maudlin insight into how we were. I recall feeling exceptionally sad at the passing of the Englishness in AKENFIELD. But being maudlin butters no turnips. It is clear that L...more
I was also familiar with the original AKENFIELD, which I read some years ago, and so was fascinated to see how the author got from RETURN TO AKENFIELD to LONDONERS. AKENFIELD was an slightly maudlin insight into how we were. I recall feeling exceptionally sad at the passing of the Englishness in AKENFIELD. But being maudlin butters no turnips. It is clear that L...more
When people ask me what is it that I like so much in London, I usually tell them about the art, the museums, the numerous events. And then I stumbled across this phrase in Craig Taylor's book "Londoners": "London is propulsion (...) In London, even on the days when my knees hurt,my hip hurt and my Achilles tend hurt, I could keep going. I could push on". I kow exactly the feeling, and it is for this reason that I keep coming.
Craig Taylor is not a Londoner (at least not according to those claimi...more
Craig Taylor is not a Londoner (at least not according to those claimi...more
When I first heard about this book I was wondering how this would work. As a fellow Canadian living in London and having spent the bulk of my formative years in Canada, I pondered what more could a guy from the suburbs of Western Canada possibly have to say about the people that live and work in this ancient city? After all hasn't London already been covered by storied writers as varied as Pepys, Dafoe, Blake, Shakespeare, Dickens, AA Gill, John Lanchester, to name but a few? What could a Canadi...more
This book is a collection of monologues about different aspects of life in London. All of the people in the book were personally interviewed by writer Craig Taylor, and it is written in a format similar to a screenplay, usually starting with the scene being set and often "stage directions" appear within the text, describing the actions of the person being interviewed. I loved the way that this gave a sense that the person in the book is actually talking directly to the reader.
There were some fan...more
There were some fan...more
Dec 28, 2011
Veronica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who's lived in London
Recommended to Veronica by:
a present from Nicola
Shelves:
non-fiction
I lived in London for 5 years in the 1970s, thinking it the centre of the world. Fitzrovia, Camden, Walthamstow, Chiswick, Bethnal Green ... I'm not at all nostalgic and definitely wouldn't want to live there again. But I really enjoyed this book. The different voices brought back many memories and all of the multi-faceted experience of living in this large, chaotic city. I could empathise with the people who loathed London, and those who loved it.
Craig Taylor has done a remarkable job; presumab...more
Craig Taylor has done a remarkable job; presumab...more
Dec 16, 2011
Bettie
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
bbc radio listeners
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book had a cleaver and interesting premise, and it held up to it. It was a book made up of interviews that Taylor had compiled over the years.
The way the book was divided was very interesting, although at points it seemed as if he just really wanted to use this person's interview and put it somewhere where it kind of fit, but not really.
He had the people you expected, like an airline pilot, taxi driver, and police officer. But some that caught you off guard, like a dominatrix, barrister, s...more
The way the book was divided was very interesting, although at points it seemed as if he just really wanted to use this person's interview and put it somewhere where it kind of fit, but not really.
He had the people you expected, like an airline pilot, taxi driver, and police officer. But some that caught you off guard, like a dominatrix, barrister, s...more
Craig Taylor's book is a collection of oral histories from about eighty people, both those living in London and those who have lived there at one time. The interviews are grouped loosely by topic -- Getting Around, Seeing the Sights, Earning One's Keep, etc. -- and vary in length. Some segments are brief, while others are quite lengthy. Some interviewees appear a few times -- for instance, an airline pilot flying into and out of the city and a street-wise character called Smartie.
The range of pe...more
The range of pe...more
i read this book as preparation for my 2 week trip to london and i can honestly say that it does justice to the city and its inhabitants.
"londonners" describes the city is such a vivid and beautiful way that you will not find in any book guide. seeing different parts of the city through the eyes of different people who live in it, work there, commute there, or just have an opinion about it is very eye opening. english not being my first language, i was a affraid i would not be able to understand...more
"londonners" describes the city is such a vivid and beautiful way that you will not find in any book guide. seeing different parts of the city through the eyes of different people who live in it, work there, commute there, or just have an opinion about it is very eye opening. english not being my first language, i was a affraid i would not be able to understand...more
Generally, this is a book I would recommend to people who are so interested in London and eagered to know its story. You passion to this city must be much more insane than a traveller or you might drop it in the middle.
The author presented numbers of stories from people living in London with divers background. You got the chance to know the story of people who moved into this city from the other parts of the country, who are British. How they find this city, how they hate and love this city. You...more
The author presented numbers of stories from people living in London with divers background. You got the chance to know the story of people who moved into this city from the other parts of the country, who are British. How they find this city, how they hate and love this city. You...more
I wanted to give this between 3.5 and 4 stars. It's a high 3 for me. Londoners is interesting as a portrait of the city, but much more than that, it is interesting as a study of people. Many of these people's stories sounded like they could have been told by people anywhere. I was astounded by some of the optimism and taken aback by some of the negativity. The most fascinating segments were told by people who were passionate about their particular jobs: as a plumber, a large buyer at the fruit-a...more
How you feel about this book will probably map closely to how you feel about London.
As the city declines (relatively, along with the UK) it feels like a Cult of London has sprung up -- boosterism, myths, ex post facto justifications -- struggling to keep the whole great edifice afloat. A confidence trick pulled on the rest of the world, insisting yes, we're still a Great Global City (and not just butlers to Russian and Arab money).
It might have been the intention of this book to add to this my...more
As the city declines (relatively, along with the UK) it feels like a Cult of London has sprung up -- boosterism, myths, ex post facto justifications -- struggling to keep the whole great edifice afloat. A confidence trick pulled on the rest of the world, insisting yes, we're still a Great Global City (and not just butlers to Russian and Arab money).
It might have been the intention of this book to add to this my...more
I'm genuinely having a hard time writing a review for this book. If I could go by the introduction alone it would get an A++. It is nostalgic, personal, descriptive, gives a beautiful homage to the A to Zed (the 1998 copy of which I still have--although if you look at it pages just fall out because I used it so much) and it opens with one of my favorite quotes of all time ("When a man is tired of London he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford" ~Samuel Johnson). It's...more
Of course I loved it. Instead of telling you why, here are things I liked in it:
"There's only one London. That's it. We are what we are."
"I mean, if you're always striving for success, you end up with something like America, and nobody wants to be like America, really."
"I left a slice of gateau on the Tube today, I was wondering what are the chances of it coming in?"
"She thought it was part of driving in London, someone comes out and, no big deal, threatens to kill you."
"Maybe we need to design...more
"There's only one London. That's it. We are what we are."
"I mean, if you're always striving for success, you end up with something like America, and nobody wants to be like America, really."
"I left a slice of gateau on the Tube today, I was wondering what are the chances of it coming in?"
"She thought it was part of driving in London, someone comes out and, no big deal, threatens to kill you."
"Maybe we need to design...more
I don't envy journalist Craig Taylor; he had to pick and choose from hundreds and hundreds of interviews to create this book.
In the tradition of books like Studs Terkel's "Working," "Londoners ..." is told via the vox populi (voice of the people). With occupations ranging from on the dole to stock broker to old age pensioner, people who live or have lived in London talk about their lives.
Two of my favorites were the interviews with "Marilyn," the voice of the London Underground, who told how she...more
In the tradition of books like Studs Terkel's "Working," "Londoners ..." is told via the vox populi (voice of the people). With occupations ranging from on the dole to stock broker to old age pensioner, people who live or have lived in London talk about their lives.
Two of my favorites were the interviews with "Marilyn," the voice of the London Underground, who told how she...more
This is billed as an 'autobiography of London' which I think is something of an overstatement. What it actually is, is a snapshot of several dozen lives in and around this most amazing city. Applying the principle of those wartime first-person narratives to a place rather than an event makes perfect sense; doing so to such a vibrant, diverse and somewhat faceless place makes for a compelling, intimate journey through our capital.
As you'd expect from London, all life is here: the funny, the poign...more
As you'd expect from London, all life is here: the funny, the poign...more
I really enjoyed this book. It's format is quite different to anything else I have read recently. Taylor uses accounts from Londoners whom he has interviewed; the interviewees are totally diverse and give their perspective on the city through a variety of different lenses. I found that the length of the book was just right, and the accounts are laid out in a logical fashion covering off several different themes.
I would recommend this book to anyone whom has visited, but most of all lived or does...more
I would recommend this book to anyone whom has visited, but most of all lived or does...more
7.5/10.
I picked this up on a whim; it's not the sort of book I normally read, but I've always had a fascination with London, so I thought I'd give it a go. Put simply, it's a collection of short essays on people's connection with London, written by (or at least narrated by) the people who live, or have lived there. The subject of the book isn't really the place, but the people. It's really a patchwork of what London might be, which is both its strength and its weakness. The stories told can be f...more
I picked this up on a whim; it's not the sort of book I normally read, but I've always had a fascination with London, so I thought I'd give it a go. Put simply, it's a collection of short essays on people's connection with London, written by (or at least narrated by) the people who live, or have lived there. The subject of the book isn't really the place, but the people. It's really a patchwork of what London might be, which is both its strength and its weakness. The stories told can be f...more
My only complaint about this book is that it was a mere one volume. I want more! It's the best and most engaging oral-history anthology I can imagine. Interview subjects include the woman who is the voice of the London Underground (“mind the gap”), a yeoman warder who lives in the Tower of London (“just try ordering a pizza”), a city planner, a suburban commuter, a squatter, and many many others. It is a fantastic read and a fantastic read-aloud. I saw the author speak when it was first publishe...more
I found the Londoners to be an interesting read, especially with London coming in to the spotlight with the olympics recently. The book is essentially the product of a Craig Taylors fascination with delving in to the life of London that sits beyond the tourist perspective. He interviews people with the hope of finding the voice of those who work there, live there, hate it, love it, idolize it despise it, and each for a different reason. He strings together the different stories in an effort to m...more
I'd forgotten how much I like oral histories -- when "Working" came out back in 1974 I was obsessed, I read it over and over. This one is very good, too -- for the most part, the author just sits back and lets his people talk.
When I visited London a bunch of times in my 20s and 30s, I always felt weirdly at home there: although vastly different in age, architecture and culture, it reminded me of my home town of Los Angeles, with the sprawl and traffic, the distinct neighborhoods and the differe...more
When I visited London a bunch of times in my 20s and 30s, I always felt weirdly at home there: although vastly different in age, architecture and culture, it reminded me of my home town of Los Angeles, with the sprawl and traffic, the distinct neighborhoods and the differe...more
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“Live your life in any way, London says. It encourages defiance. I loved what it gave me, who it allowed me to be.”
—
2 people liked it
“There's only one London. That's it. We are what we are.”
—
1 person liked it
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09 feb. 06:12
10 feb. 01:43