Modern Classics As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (Penguin Modern Classics)

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning is the moving follow-up to Laurie Lee's acclaimed Cider with Rosie Abandoning the Cotswolds village that raised him, the young Laurie Lee walks to London. There he makes a living labouring and playing the violin. But, deciding to travel further a field and knowing only the Spanish phrase for 'Will you please give me a glass of water?', he heads for Spain. With just a blanket to sleep under and his trusty violin, he spends a year crossing Spain, from Vigo in the north to the southern coast. Only the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War puts an end to his extraordinary peregrinations . . . 'He writes like an angel and conveys the pride and vitality of the humblest Spanish life with unfailing sharpness, zest and humour' Sunday Times 'There's a formidable, instant charm in the writing that genuinely makes it difficult to put the book down' New Statesman 'A beautiful piece of writing' Observer

Readers Top Reviews

William VanZevernCar

It is a fact that there is a whole legion of walkers in the world and always has been. There perhaps are many like Laurie Lee and Paul Theroux who have walked to other lands but few of those have the gift of observation that sees things as they are and can write their opinion about it. Lee wrote in the last century- Theroux decades ago. In their reading it is clear they both truly liked about their adventures, the things they saw, and the people they met. Lee in his description of those two was most informative and entertaining; a gift to the 19year old novice walker that he was. The physical strength and endurance dictated by his route as well as his cleverness in finding the means to fit in and survive with the peasants of the many parts of Spain in the late 1930’s as he traveled, is what amazed me. It is well worth the read; a fine well written adventure.

MollyJohn Stark

Written in bursts of poetic description, this book is a fast, enjoyable yet somewhat disturbing read. I am traveling to Spain next month to busk on the streets with my kids and husband so the descriptions of Spain and especially of his experience busking on the streets there intrigued me. The author's observations seem insightful and believable, but I never grew to trust in the honor of his character when it came to women. For me, his almost nightly drunkeness, his staring at the breasts of the daughter of his host for one night, his describing young girls as "sexily confident", his visit to the brothel, his lusting after women, his describing so many things in the natural world as voluptuous,and his inaction when a mother told him the man before him had just committed incest on his own daughter made me feel uneasy about his attitudes of women. He also describes a quite seedy side of Spain. That being said, I enjoyed his sense of adventure and found his writing style potent, succinct and very poetic. Some of his lines are among the best that I've read. Very mixed, but ultimately I would recommend the book if you can deal with the downsides I mentioned. The last chapter and a half about the start of the Spanish Civil War were absolute page-turners.

Emily

Loved the personalized note in the receipt and that the item was wrapped so well, arrived early and in great shape.

Karen

A wondrous adventure walking through Spain in the 1930s with a curious poet. Beautiful engaging prose. A great read, indeed!

judy fagerholm

Was pleased to find a little-known, little-available, historical memoir of a former time.