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Notes On A Journey From Cornhill To Grand Cairo
""Notes On A Journey From Cornhill To Grand Cairo"" is a travelogue written by the famous English author William Makepeace Thackeray. The book chronicles his journey from Cornhill, a district in London, to Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. The journey took place in the mid-19th century, during a time when travel to distant lands was still a rare and exciting experience.Thackeray's account is written in the form of a diary, with entries detailing his experiences and observations as he travels through France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and finally to Egypt. He describes the landscapes, architecture, and people he encounters, and provides insights into the customs, traditions, and history of the places he visits.Throughout the book, Thackeray's wit and humor shine through, as he pokes fun at the idiosyncrasies of the people he meets and the situations he finds himself in. He also reflects on his own feelings and thoughts, providing a glimpse into the mind of a Victorian traveler.Overall, ""Notes On A Journey From Cornhill To Grand Cairo"" is a fascinating account of a journey through some of the most iconic destinations in Europe and the Middle East. Thackeray's writing is engaging and entertaining, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in travel writing, history, or Victorian literature.From this scene we rushed off somewhat discomposed to make a breakfast off red mullets and grapes, melons, pomegranates, and Smyrna wine, at a dirty little comfortable inn, to which we were and from the windows of which we had a fine cheerful view of the gulf and its busy craft, and the loungers and merchants along the shore. There were camels unloading at one wharf, and piles of melons much bigger than the Gibraltar cannon-balls at another.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1846
About the author
William Makepeace Thackeray
4,619 books1,367 followersWilliam Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, satirist, and journalist, best known for his keen social commentary and his novel Vanity Fair (1847–1848). His works often explored themes of ambition, hypocrisy, and the moral failings of British society, making him one of the most significant literary figures of the Victorian era.
Born in Calcutta, British India, he was sent to England for his education after his father’s death. He attended Charterhouse School, where he developed a distaste for the rigid school system, and later enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, he left without earning a degree, instead traveling in Europe and pursuing artistic ambitions.
After losing much of his inheritance due to bad investments, Thackeray turned to writing for a living. He contributed satirical sketches, essays, and stories to periodicals such as Fraser’s Magazine and Punch, gradually building a reputation for his sharp wit and keen observational skills. His breakthrough came with Vanity Fair, a panoramic satire of English society that introduced the enduring character of Becky Sharp, a resourceful and amoral social climber.
Thackeray’s later novels, including Pendennis (1848–1850), The History of Henry Esmond (1852), and The Newcomes (1853–1855), continued to explore the lives of the English upper and middle classes, often focusing on the contrast between personal virtue and social ambition. His historical novel Henry Esmond was particularly praised for its detailed 18th-century setting and complex characterization.
In addition to his fiction, Thackeray was a noted public speaker and essayist, delivering lectures on the English humorists of the 18th century and on The Four Georges, a critical look at the British monarchy.
Despite his literary success, he lived with personal struggles, including the mental illness of his wife, Isabella, which deeply affected him. He remained devoted to his two daughters and was known for his kindness and generosity among his friends and colleagues.
His works remain widely read, appreciated for their incisive humor, rich characterizations, and unflinching critique of social pretensions.
Born in Calcutta, British India, he was sent to England for his education after his father’s death. He attended Charterhouse School, where he developed a distaste for the rigid school system, and later enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, he left without earning a degree, instead traveling in Europe and pursuing artistic ambitions.
After losing much of his inheritance due to bad investments, Thackeray turned to writing for a living. He contributed satirical sketches, essays, and stories to periodicals such as Fraser’s Magazine and Punch, gradually building a reputation for his sharp wit and keen observational skills. His breakthrough came with Vanity Fair, a panoramic satire of English society that introduced the enduring character of Becky Sharp, a resourceful and amoral social climber.
Thackeray’s later novels, including Pendennis (1848–1850), The History of Henry Esmond (1852), and The Newcomes (1853–1855), continued to explore the lives of the English upper and middle classes, often focusing on the contrast between personal virtue and social ambition. His historical novel Henry Esmond was particularly praised for its detailed 18th-century setting and complex characterization.
In addition to his fiction, Thackeray was a noted public speaker and essayist, delivering lectures on the English humorists of the 18th century and on The Four Georges, a critical look at the British monarchy.
Despite his literary success, he lived with personal struggles, including the mental illness of his wife, Isabella, which deeply affected him. He remained devoted to his two daughters and was known for his kindness and generosity among his friends and colleagues.
His works remain widely read, appreciated for their incisive humor, rich characterizations, and unflinching critique of social pretensions.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 24, 2020
This account of a steamer journey around the Mediterranean, made in 1844 at the invitation of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, describes Thackrey's honest and often irreverent response to such landmarks of the ancient world as Athens, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Cario.
March 13, 2021
I have not read many travelogues, and certainly none from 1844, yet the recommendation of a friend led me to Thackeray’s “Notes on a Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo," a chronicle of several months of travel by steamship from England to Cairo, via Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malta, Athens, Rhodes, Smyrna, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. Not having yet read his Vanity Fair, I also had no idea what to expect, but I found myself delighted. Millennials should beware that Thackeray, as a Victorian and not a romantic, has strong opinions and was writing when Britain was the acme of the “civilized” world (however large the asterisk that might appear after that word today), and the idea of political correctness would have never occurred to him. And although he could be scathing in his satires of Victorian smugness, arrogance, and ignorance, he seems to have been convinced of the superiority of English culture and English ways as he does not hesitate to lambaste whatever strikes him as crude, cruel, or hypocritical. Yet he is no English jingoist as he is equally unsparing of stupidity and boorish behavior among his fellow countrymen.
I enjoyed two aspects of his travelogue the most – the first was his unvarnished descriptions of what he saw – the ugliness alongside whatever beauty was there. Thus we see the beggars, the hawkers of touristic trinkets (yes, cultural tourism is far older than the 21st century), and the various local hustlers of the European tourists. I remember the crestfallen tone in my father’s voice when he told me how when he finally made it San Antonio, Texas, to see the Alamo, he found it across the street from a McDonald’s. Thus even in the mid-19th century, such wonders of the ancient world as the Greek Parthenon and Egyptian pyramids were already well on their way to what they are today – Disneyland for adults.
The other aspect I enjoyed was the detachment Thackeray had, the distance that enabled his critical eye as well as his appreciation for the genuine beauty to be found in sea, in sky, and in landscape. Though there are passages where he veers toward what Edward Said might have deemed Orientalism, Thackeray redeems himself with the unstinting honesty he shows toward all that his eye takes in, including his own thoughts and reactions. And as that world is long gone, and survives only in such texts, it is enlightening to visit.
I enjoyed two aspects of his travelogue the most – the first was his unvarnished descriptions of what he saw – the ugliness alongside whatever beauty was there. Thus we see the beggars, the hawkers of touristic trinkets (yes, cultural tourism is far older than the 21st century), and the various local hustlers of the European tourists. I remember the crestfallen tone in my father’s voice when he told me how when he finally made it San Antonio, Texas, to see the Alamo, he found it across the street from a McDonald’s. Thus even in the mid-19th century, such wonders of the ancient world as the Greek Parthenon and Egyptian pyramids were already well on their way to what they are today – Disneyland for adults.
The other aspect I enjoyed was the detachment Thackeray had, the distance that enabled his critical eye as well as his appreciation for the genuine beauty to be found in sea, in sky, and in landscape. Though there are passages where he veers toward what Edward Said might have deemed Orientalism, Thackeray redeems himself with the unstinting honesty he shows toward all that his eye takes in, including his own thoughts and reactions. And as that world is long gone, and survives only in such texts, it is enlightening to visit.
August 1, 2016
Well, little heavy on the anti-semitism and racism... but always fun to learn about traveling in a different time! Also got to read it in a 1907 edition where I had to cut the pages... so that was neat!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews