Samuel Pepys (1633–1703)

This is a classic, once you've read it you never forget it, even if you didn't really like it.

FROM AMAZON: The Diary of Samuel Pepys is one of the most entertaining documents in English history. Written between 1660 and 1669, as Pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the naval office, it is an intimate portrait of life in 17th-century England covering his professional and personal activities, including, famously, his love of music, theatre, food, wine and his peccadilloes.… (more)

*This is a review of the Penguin Little Black Classics edition*

I have heard so much about the diaries of Samuel Pepys: That they are interesting and funny, but also that they are very heard to read, boring and long. So when I saw this Little Black Classic, I thought that it would be a good way to just dip into this work and have a look.
This book contains excerpts from the diaries focused on two topics. The first contains entries from the period when the plague hit London in 1665 and Pepys was concerned with the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the second part consists of entries about the fire.
Most reviews I read say that the first part is very boring compared to the second part, when the fire provides a more interesting backdrop, but to me both parts are equally interesting. I might even like the first part a bit more, because of all the fascinating small details making up the writer's daily life in 1665, for example, having to look at his pocket watch every few minutes because he is so fascinated by it (and proud to own it, I guess!) or admiring fish living in a glass. It strikes me how many of the writer's worries are similar to our own: He feels sorry because he cannot see his mother more due to duties at work, he is tired in the mornings and kind of wishes for a better work life balance, but is worried about how others might perceive his work ethos, he likes new clothing and discusses the fittings of his new suits with his wife... It all sounds so familiar, and it seems that people do not really change after all.
Of course, the second part is a little more exciting action wise. Pepys eyes the fire from day to day, travels all over London and describes what he sees, endeavors to rescue his belongings and goes through some hardships while being aware that others have it much worse. These entries are much longer, but I read them quicker because more things happen in them.

So do I want to read all of the diaries one day? I am still on the fence. If so, it will be a very long project. I am wondering if audio would be a good idea. I will see...… (more)