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Journey to Java
Harold Nicolson's diary of his first visit to the far East in 1957, when, as he approached the age of 70, he cruised to Java and back aboard the liner Willem Ruys of the Rotterdam Lloyd. Accompanied by his wife, Vita Sackville-West, he records details of routine and life aboard ship; his interaction with the crew and his fellow passengers; the happenings at home (revealed in the contents of his letters); and his thoughts - including the problem of obtaining contentment, and the reasons why, after the Napoleonic wars, young romantics indulged in melancholy rather than, as later, in anger. His diary entries date from Tuesday January 15 to Sunday March 17, as he journeyed across the North Atlantic, the Equator, the South Atlantic, around the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean, and through the Malacca Strait to Java, before turning around for the homeward journey. His trip included a planned course of specialized reading (including Galen, Burton, Rousseau, Chateaubriand Novalis, Kierkegaard, and Connolly).
- GenresTravelNonfiction
254 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
36 people want to read
About the author
Harold Nicolson
187 books28 followersSir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 23, 2022
A strong contender for the least interesting book I have competed, I must say I am surprised by the Travel book Club republishing this one. Journey to Java is half the story; the voyage back is the other half.
Harold Nicolson, a career diplomat and author, famously married to Vita Sackville-West, who accompanies him on this journey, is gifted a sum of money by friends on this 70th birthday and he decides to spend it on a cruise ship voyage to Java (Djakarta) and back. The Willem Ruys of the Rotterdam Loyd in early 1957.
Nicolson and Sackville-West are well known for their open marriage and multiple same sex relationships before and during the course of their marriage, but by 70 they appear to have calmed themselves to behave like normal elderly folk on a cruise ship. Well, sort of normal - they maintain separate rooms and bring with them their individual writing projects.
Despite a few day trips at the cruise liner stops (Canaries, South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Sumatra),Singapore, Indonesia (Djakarta)) they spend a week only in Jakarta and then re-board the same ship to return home. The book is a diarised record of the trip - when he breakfasted, when he swam, what books he read, conversations he had, mail he received, etc etc. Really, for me, this was a tedious read. There were a lot of philosophical and literary works that Nicolson read and a load of other books that I have not and very likely will never read, which he spent time analysing and wrote pages and pages about.
One of the great surprises for me was seeing other reviews where readers adored this book. How uninteresting life would be if we all enjoyed the same things!
For me, I can't go beyond 2 stars.
Harold Nicolson, a career diplomat and author, famously married to Vita Sackville-West, who accompanies him on this journey, is gifted a sum of money by friends on this 70th birthday and he decides to spend it on a cruise ship voyage to Java (Djakarta) and back. The Willem Ruys of the Rotterdam Loyd in early 1957.
Nicolson and Sackville-West are well known for their open marriage and multiple same sex relationships before and during the course of their marriage, but by 70 they appear to have calmed themselves to behave like normal elderly folk on a cruise ship. Well, sort of normal - they maintain separate rooms and bring with them their individual writing projects.
Despite a few day trips at the cruise liner stops (Canaries, South Africa, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Sumatra),Singapore, Indonesia (Djakarta)) they spend a week only in Jakarta and then re-board the same ship to return home. The book is a diarised record of the trip - when he breakfasted, when he swam, what books he read, conversations he had, mail he received, etc etc. Really, for me, this was a tedious read. There were a lot of philosophical and literary works that Nicolson read and a load of other books that I have not and very likely will never read, which he spent time analysing and wrote pages and pages about.
One of the great surprises for me was seeing other reviews where readers adored this book. How uninteresting life would be if we all enjoyed the same things!
For me, I can't go beyond 2 stars.
July 7, 2022
“Journey to Java” (1957) by Sir Harold Nicolson is a travel diary that he kept during a trip, by ocean liner, that he and his wife Vita Sackville-West (also an author) made to Java, Indonesia. What struck me was the rich and productive inner life of the then 70-year old writer. He experiences the long days at sea as a restful blessing and spends most of the long uninterrupted hours reading and writing, working on a study of Melancholia through the ages by reading and analysing some of the books written by famous melancholici (Lucretius, Rousseau, St. Beuve, …) and reading interesting and diverting books on the side. His wife spends her time working in her (separate) cabin working on a biography of ‘La Grande Mademoiselle’ Anne Marie Louise d’Orleans, Duchesse du Monpensier (1627-1693) one of the greatest heiresses in history, who, despite multitudes of suitors, died unmarried and childless. A quick glance at Wikipedia shows that this was a lady of many parts, one of which during the Fronde, and about whom it could be interesting perhaps to learn some more about at a later date. But enough of her for now. When the author is not reading or working, he takes his daily swims and walks and he and his wife socialize with fellow passengers. All very genteel and polite affairs, with perhaps one interesting character that slowly opens up to the author with an interesting story in the end.
The book is almost without events or intrigue, yet I was not bored in the least; indeed, it did very much feel like I was on a restful yet productive ocean voyage myself, perhaps in some imagined idealized future twilight of my own. I liked the observations the author made during his studies of books I have read myself (or which have been on my “should read one day” list for ages) and I smiled about his strong opinions on some of the authors (Rousseau in particular) that he expressed. The author also has his foibles, little fits of pique about small things, that he records and sometimes regrets, and which lend life to the narrative. I really had the feeling that I was presented with a rounded picture of the gentleman and would have wished the journey could have lasted a few months more.
So if you are of a somewhat philosophical and literary bent and you are ready to take a midsummer’s journey from your beach chair, you can’t go far wrong with “Journey to Java” which I can heartily recommend for just such a purpose.
The book is almost without events or intrigue, yet I was not bored in the least; indeed, it did very much feel like I was on a restful yet productive ocean voyage myself, perhaps in some imagined idealized future twilight of my own. I liked the observations the author made during his studies of books I have read myself (or which have been on my “should read one day” list for ages) and I smiled about his strong opinions on some of the authors (Rousseau in particular) that he expressed. The author also has his foibles, little fits of pique about small things, that he records and sometimes regrets, and which lend life to the narrative. I really had the feeling that I was presented with a rounded picture of the gentleman and would have wished the journey could have lasted a few months more.
So if you are of a somewhat philosophical and literary bent and you are ready to take a midsummer’s journey from your beach chair, you can’t go far wrong with “Journey to Java” which I can heartily recommend for just such a purpose.
October 27, 2020
Voor zijn zeventigste verjaardag kreeg de toen bekende schrijver, diplomaat en societyfiguur Harold Nicolson van zijn vrienden een cheque aangeboden die hij besteedde aan een reis naar Java met het stoomschip de Willem Ruys van de Rotterdamse Lloyd.
De reis, heen en terug, duurde twee maanden en waren volgens de schrijver de heerlijkste van zijn leven. Zijn logboek werd uitgegeven en vertaald onder de naam Reis naar Java.
Het boek bestaat uit losse observaties en bespiegelingen, die mij als lezer op mijn beurt aanleiding geven tot de mijne. Mijn grootouders maakten ooit een dergelijke zeereis, naar hun zoon in Australië. Een paar Afrikaanse snuisterijen herinneren nog aan die reis om de wereld.
De lome tijdloosheid van een lange zeereis… ik krijg er zin in als ik erover lees. De quarantaine van de coronatijd in 2020 doet me er aan denken. Mijn eigen reis naar Java ging een stuk sneller met het vliegtuig, maar de charme van zo’n zeereis kan ik goed begrijpen.
Op het moment van schrijven kijkt Michael Palin bij de BBC terug op de grote reizen die hij vroeger maakte voor de televisie. Een Britse heer in den vreemde, het sluit mooi aan bij dit boek, al stel ik me Harold Nicolson eerder voor als een soort Boris Johnson.
In elk geval was Harold Nicolson een heer van stand. Geld speelde geen rol en hij had volop gelegenheid om zijn door kruiers aangedragen scheepskist vol boeken te raadplegen en daarbij luchtig te mijmeren over Confucius, Nicodemus en vooral de zwaarmoedigheid:
Omdat Nicolson en zijn vrouw met een Nederlands schip reizen, zitten er een paar interessante observaties in over de Nederland en de Nederlanders:
Op de verjaardag van prinses Margriet trakteert de kapitein op ‘oranjeachtige drankjes’, wat natuurlijk oranjebitter is. En de goeling (Indisch rolkussen) die ze op Java krijgen, noemt Nicolson ‘a Dutch wife.’
De opmerkingen over de Indonesische bemanning zijn helaas, naar de gebruiken van die tijd, enigszins denigrerend en racistisch. Inclusief die onderhuidse angst van de koloniaal voor inheemse mensen die mij altijd zo verwondert. ‘Ze lachen altijd wel, maar als je niet oplet, snijden ze je keel door,’ zoiets. Zeer eigenaardig, maar kennelijk typerend voor kolonisten. Mijn hypothese is nog altijd dat deze denkbeelden vooral voortkwamen uit onzekerheid en een slecht geweten.
Interessanter zijn Nicolsons uitingen over de Indonesische politiek van toen. De republiek was nog maar net onafhankelijk.
De algemene opinie was – en niet geheel zonder reden – dat een dusdanig uitgestrekt en cultureel divers eilandenrijk als Indonesië onmogelijk met uitsluitend democratische rechtstatelijke middelen bijeen kon worden gehouden. Dat de centrale regering in Jakarta er eigenlijk nog steeds zo over denkt, voelen de Papoea’s, Timorezen en Molukkers helaas nog steeds.
De reis, heen en terug, duurde twee maanden en waren volgens de schrijver de heerlijkste van zijn leven. Zijn logboek werd uitgegeven en vertaald onder de naam Reis naar Java.
Het boek bestaat uit losse observaties en bespiegelingen, die mij als lezer op mijn beurt aanleiding geven tot de mijne. Mijn grootouders maakten ooit een dergelijke zeereis, naar hun zoon in Australië. Een paar Afrikaanse snuisterijen herinneren nog aan die reis om de wereld.
De lome tijdloosheid van een lange zeereis… ik krijg er zin in als ik erover lees. De quarantaine van de coronatijd in 2020 doet me er aan denken. Mijn eigen reis naar Java ging een stuk sneller met het vliegtuig, maar de charme van zo’n zeereis kan ik goed begrijpen.
Op het moment van schrijven kijkt Michael Palin bij de BBC terug op de grote reizen die hij vroeger maakte voor de televisie. Een Britse heer in den vreemde, het sluit mooi aan bij dit boek, al stel ik me Harold Nicolson eerder voor als een soort Boris Johnson.
In elk geval was Harold Nicolson een heer van stand. Geld speelde geen rol en hij had volop gelegenheid om zijn door kruiers aangedragen scheepskist vol boeken te raadplegen en daarbij luchtig te mijmeren over Confucius, Nicodemus en vooral de zwaarmoedigheid:
Zo beschouw ik de geestelijke luiheid als de voornaamste oorzaak van de zwaarmoedigheid, omdat het een gevoel van tekortkoming geeft en zodoende leidt tot zelfverwijt, vervolgens schuldbesef en uiteindelijk angst.
Omdat Nicolson en zijn vrouw met een Nederlands schip reizen, zitten er een paar interessante observaties in over de Nederland en de Nederlanders:
Ik had altijd het idee dat de Nederlanders rustig en waardig waren; maar nee, bij bepaalde gelegenheden geldt juist: hoe meer lawaai hoe liever.
Op de verjaardag van prinses Margriet trakteert de kapitein op ‘oranjeachtige drankjes’, wat natuurlijk oranjebitter is. En de goeling (Indisch rolkussen) die ze op Java krijgen, noemt Nicolson ‘a Dutch wife.’
De opmerkingen over de Indonesische bemanning zijn helaas, naar de gebruiken van die tijd, enigszins denigrerend en racistisch. Inclusief die onderhuidse angst van de koloniaal voor inheemse mensen die mij altijd zo verwondert. ‘Ze lachen altijd wel, maar als je niet oplet, snijden ze je keel door,’ zoiets. Zeer eigenaardig, maar kennelijk typerend voor kolonisten. Mijn hypothese is nog altijd dat deze denkbeelden vooral voortkwamen uit onzekerheid en een slecht geweten.
Interessanter zijn Nicolsons uitingen over de Indonesische politiek van toen. De republiek was nog maar net onafhankelijk.
Mijn zegsman verzekert mij dat ieder weldenkend mens hoopt dat president Soekarno, of de populaire vice-president dr. Hatta, zal inzien dat de Indonesiërs niet rijp zijn voor zelfbestuur of een parlementair stelsel, en een vorm van dictatuur of ‘regeringsraad’ zal instellen om een eind te maken aan de situatie die onvermijdelijk zal uitlopen op algemene chaos en bankroet.
De algemene opinie was – en niet geheel zonder reden – dat een dusdanig uitgestrekt en cultureel divers eilandenrijk als Indonesië onmogelijk met uitsluitend democratische rechtstatelijke middelen bijeen kon worden gehouden. Dat de centrale regering in Jakarta er eigenlijk nog steeds zo over denkt, voelen de Papoea’s, Timorezen en Molukkers helaas nog steeds.
January 29, 2011
This book is one of those magical things that falls into your path & you go into it having no idea how it will change your life. I bought this book second-hand because I adore the writing of Vita Sackville-West, the author's wife. This book is from a defunct British series called The Travel Book Club (121 Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.2). Harold Nicolson - diplomat, essayist, diarist, & politician - wrote this book in the mid-1950s as the story of his adventures aboard a cruise liner from Southampton to the largest island in Indonesia, Java. Interspersed into the mundane (yet fascinating) everyday goings-on aboard ship, he includes entries on his second reason for writing this book: To answer the question, Why are some people perpetually unhappy for seemingly no good reason? He offers his own theories, & presents opinions from such literary & philosophical heavyweights as Jean Jacques Roussard, Dr. Johnson, Voltaire, Buddha, Epicurus, & more. As dry as this may sound, I found both Sir Harold's journeys (& his gracious invitation for the reader to join him for both) fascinating, insightful, & most important, thought-provoking. If you can find a copy, please let me know what you think.
October 27, 2022
I’m surprised this book has so few reviews. I picked it up at a bookshop having no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised.
It’s Harold Nicolson’s account of his cruise journey to Java together with his wife, Vita Sackville-West, in the 1950s. Most of the book takes place on the ship itself, with interludes in the different places where they disembark.
When it comes to literary genres, diaries are perhaps the truest mirror of the author’s character. They run the risk of being boring or insufferable if the diarist is either of those things. Fortunately, being inside Harold Nicolson’s mind is an enjoyable experience. He has interesting thoughts, a calmness that protects his reflections from melodrama and a fondness for his wife Vita Sackville-West that shines through.
Most importantly, he is always keen to "push the frontiers of his knowledge" through reading books and conversing with his fellow passengers. These topics range from philosophical reflections on melancholia, descriptions of the interesting plants in the (many) botanical gardens he visits, explanations regarding the process tea production or ocean topography, his views on international affairs, and memories of his career as a diplomat. He shares the results of his curiosity with the reader with a wry sense of humour.
It’s Harold Nicolson’s account of his cruise journey to Java together with his wife, Vita Sackville-West, in the 1950s. Most of the book takes place on the ship itself, with interludes in the different places where they disembark.
When it comes to literary genres, diaries are perhaps the truest mirror of the author’s character. They run the risk of being boring or insufferable if the diarist is either of those things. Fortunately, being inside Harold Nicolson’s mind is an enjoyable experience. He has interesting thoughts, a calmness that protects his reflections from melodrama and a fondness for his wife Vita Sackville-West that shines through.
Most importantly, he is always keen to "push the frontiers of his knowledge" through reading books and conversing with his fellow passengers. These topics range from philosophical reflections on melancholia, descriptions of the interesting plants in the (many) botanical gardens he visits, explanations regarding the process tea production or ocean topography, his views on international affairs, and memories of his career as a diplomat. He shares the results of his curiosity with the reader with a wry sense of humour.
November 19, 2016
Interesting to read about the last hurrah of cruise ship travel in 1956 before the age of jumbo jets really takes over, but the majority of the travel is spent on the ship, with occasional days ashore, so a lot of ship-bound character study. The travels of Aristocrats aren't my favourite, after all with the world as their oyster they can do whatever they want. Sometimes I thought this book was snobbish & pretentious, but still re-readable.
September 26, 2021
Nicolson writes in an entertaining manner about a voyage from Britain to Java (and back) in the 1950s. He also mulls over books by various philosophers which he read during the voyage. It is a great picture of sea travel at the time and includes lovely outlines of some the interesting passengers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews