Coasting: A Private Voyage | Jonathan Raban | An excellent read

Coasting: A Private Voyage | Jonathan Raban | Great view of England during the Thatcher years

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Coasting: A Privat...

	Coasting: A Private Voyage Jonathan Raban Vintage, 2003 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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Put Jonathan Raban on a boat and the results will be fascinating, and never more so than when he?s sailing around the serpentine, 2,000-mile coast of his native England. In this acutely perceived and beautifully written book, the bestselling author of Bad Land turns that voyage?which coincided with the Falklands war of 1982-into an occasion for meditations on his country, his childhood, and the elusive notion of home.

Whether he?s chatting with bored tax exiles on the Isle of Man, wrestling down a mainsail during a titanic gale, or crashing a Scottish house party where the kilted guests turn out to be Americans, Raban is alert to the slightest nuance of meaning. One can read Coasting for his precise naturalistic descriptions or his mordant comments on the new England, where the principal industry seems to be the marketing of Englishness. But one always reads it with pleasure.

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An excellent read - for an 80's anglophile....

I read this when it was first published and it is probably the least American of Raban's books. It is thoughtful, incisive and pretty much spot on with how the country was split during the Falklands conflict and for me it gives a wonderful, if now a little dated insight into my own country and people, I love Raban's eclectic style of collecting up a whole series of people, books and charts and then introducing them to the reader as 'characters' along the way. Probably also the most autobiographical of books to date by this author but then I was in England at the time and British to boot.

Andy

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Great view of England during the Thatcher years

Raban, to move himself from his own country, goes offshore in a small boat to look back towards the land and his own past. This book is beautifully written and full of humor and insights. It is a few years since I last read it (it is a good investment because you can enjoy reading it several times). When I saw the low ratings it got from people who don't like his politics I felt inspired to give it a little boost. I do not agree with many of Raban's views, but I cannot imagine letting that spoil this wonderful read.

A Bit Grim, but a well written and readable book

I like Jonathan Raban for his willingness to wander places in small boats. First I read his book about going down the Mississippi in a large rowboat, Old Glory, and now coasting. Both are a bit bleak due to the author's general unhappiness. Raban is an unhappy guy plain and simple but he does have an ability to find and describe wonderful places and characters. The reader just has to look past Raban's negative outlook on everything, I really mean everything. I thought he only hated the United States but he really hates his home, England. But all considered he is quite readable.

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Coasting, a private voyage

A totally relaxing read. A jumble of saling references mixed with many personal moments and memories. The many descriptions of England from the prspective of the man on a small boat are fascinating and I have to say (as an Englishman) pretty accurate. The characters he meets throughout the voyage are very interesting and you learn a lot about the real Jonathan Raban from his reactions to the characters he meets or talks
about (I must say he and I agree totally on Margaret Thatcher!!!!).

I will now read some of his other books, hoping to enjoy them as much as this one!

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reviews: page 1, 2

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