Page 21 - Panama City Living July-August 2019

BOOK REVIEWS
PREFACE
Summertime, and the reading is easy ... usually. But this year, my summer reading has turned eclectic and is interweaved with American history
and Victorian authors. My most recent trip to England inspired this arguably odd pairing.
As I wandered the ancient ruins of Whitby Abbey as it sits in silent isolation on a windswept cliff overlooking the North Sea, I could absolutely imagine how Bram Stoker found inspiration here. He authored the gothic masterpiece “Dracula” in 1897, several years after a visit to the Abbey. Stoker’s writing beautifully captures Whitby’s surroundings. The protagonist’s fiancée sets the scene: “Right over the town is the ruin ... a most noble ruin... of immense size, and full of beautiful and romantic bits.” A re-read of the book is much more meaningful, now that I have a vivid and unforgettable mental image of the Abbey.
A few days later in Lincoln, a city in England’s East Midlands, I stumbled across a book fair that featured antiquarian and vintage literature. On the square just down the hill from Lincoln Cathedral, the annual Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association offered a delightful selection of classic books, including a complete set of first editions of Jane Austen’s work. I also discovered an 1895 edition of “The Moonstone” by Wilkie Collins, considered by many to be the first British detective novel ever written. I had read Collins’ brilliant 1859 novel, “The Woman in White,” considered by some to be one of the first sensation novels, in the mystery novel genre. Collins’ ability to build suspense and nuanced intrigue at every turn made this book irresistibly readable and a real page-turner.
I was chuffed to find a 124-year-old edition of Collins’ “The Moonstone” in such nice condition and to make the acquaintance of Mark Richardson of M. Richardson Rare Books. I was curious about his reading habits ... a man who has rare first-edition masterpieces at his fingertips.
The answer was not quite what I expected when he professed to the “very decadent” reading experience of a 1920s pirate copy of "Lady
Chatterley’s Lover." “I was a little worried about cracking open the spine, but those books were built to last,” he explained. Delicate as some vintage or antiquarian books may appear, Mark says most collectors read them carefully before stowing them away for safekeeping.
The book fair was a great experience and, looking back, I wish I had found room in my luggage for that set of Austen books, but I am thrilled to add “Moonstone” to my modest collection.
My summer reading is rounded out with the writings of Robert A. Caro. So far, he has completed four of what is to be a five-volume biographical series on Lyndon B. Johnson. Now, at the age of 83 he is working on the fifth and final volume. I point out his age and must mention his
unusual method of writing —unusual by today’s standards. In his 2019 book, “Working,” he reveals how he does what he does—he writes in longhand first, then he types his written notes on his Smith Corona 210 manual typewriter with carbon copies. He says he deliberately follows this method because it slows him down and he thinks better. His research and interviewing skills are legendary. These skills are on full display in “The Passage of Power,” volume four in the biographical series, the only one I have read. His attention to detail is fascinating, yet almost overwhelming.
All in all, a great start to this summer’s reading. How about you? Is your summer reading off to a great start?
Submit your book review for consideration to: Laura@panamacityliving.com PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER
VENUE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: HOOK'D GRILL, PIER PARK—WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO SIMON PROPERTY GROUP
www.PanamaCityLiving.com • July–August 2019 • 21