Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City

I was looking for something short to get me between books, so the length of this (fewer than 200 pages) is what first attracted me. Well, more than that is the fact that I would read Anna Quindlen’s shopping list if it were at my library. I love her writing style and I love what she has to say. This book is a curious look at London, England. It starts by saying that Anna was a lover of London long before she had ever set foot on British soil. She discusses London through British literature, which might sound like a snoozer, but it really isn’t. And her breadth of knowledge of Brit lit is pretty amazing. The audience for “Imagined London” would be those with an interest in Brit Lit and those who might be considering a trip to show more London. Lastly, an audience for this book is anyone who has read anything by Anna Quindlen because they will know going into it that they’re in for a real treat. show less

Absolutely fantastic! I agree with every sentiment. I started this travelogue/bookish bio/love story early this afternoon and read it straight through, stopping only to feed my family dinner. It's hard to put into words the way Quindlen captured the feel of visiting places in England for the first time, but I think this quote says it best:

"Hyde Park, Green Park, Soho, and Kensington: I had been to them all in my imagination before ever setting foot in England. So that by the time I actually visited London in 1995 for the first time, it felt less like an introduction and more like a homecoming."

That's exactly how I felt when first visiting England in 2013. It was brand new yet very familiar and my feeling of homesickness has led me back show more three more times since. In fact, one of the most difficult things for me about the COVID restrictions the last 18 months is the fact that I can't freely travel back to this place that occupies such an enormous part of my emotions.

I appreciated how the author had avoided visiting London until her mid 40s, lest she find it disappointing and not what her mind had painted it up to be. She, of course, was pleasantly relieved to find that it was all she thought it would be and more. "When I turn the corner into a small, quiet, leafy square, am I really seeing it fresh, or am I both looking and remembering?" Yes. Exactly. This is one of the few "American in England" memoirs I've read in which the author seems to appreciate the realness of the experience and to separate out the fantasy to see England in its truth.

Additionally, I loved the analogy of all the "Londons" throughout history being piled atop one another like layers of earth. The history doesn't ever really disappear from this ancient city upon an ancient island---it just builds and morphs and adds to itself with each new era.

If I find any fault with the book, it's with the negligence of the editor. Quindlen overuses words like "chockablock" and "chuffed"---after discussing how she can't help but use British English in her writing. Their overuse, coupled with the fact that she doesn't start this until the second half of the book, shows that she probably doesn't actually use these words as often as she claims. She definitely adopts a different voice about half way, as well, leading me to believe she wrote part of the book and then put it away for quite awhile before pulling it out to finish. Oh, and I did get a little weirded out when she began talking about Freud in the context of her relationship with her teenage son... All this can be forgiven, however; it's truly an enjoyable read. show less

Quindlen’s memoir pays homage to a city she loved for decades before she ever visited in person. For most of her life, she knew London only through its rich literary heritage and the description of authors like Dickens and Doyle. London is the city I called home for several years in my early twenties, so it’s a city I knew well once upon a time. I enjoyed revisiting it through Quindlen’s memoir, but, sadly, Quindlen’s memoir didn’t leave a lasting impression on me.

Imagined London: A Tour of the World 19s Greatest Fictional City 13Anna Quidlen
3 stars
The title of this small book describes its contents precisely. Using well known
works of literature as a starting point, Anna Quidlen rambles through London
comparing the actual city with the one she knows from fiction. Although there
were some points of interest and humor, most of the book was tediously dry.

In the last year I have enjoyed reading titles in the National Geographic Directions series. These are books about places that are written by well known authors, but they are not strictly travel books. Each book takes a little different angle on the place than that of "go see the famous sites, and here is my list of favorites" kind of book. These are really long essay's and rarely go beyond 170 pages in length. Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City by Anna Quindlen was part of this series. Her angle on London was that of literary lover and author. She tells the reader about the Grocho Club and the townhouses of Galsworthy's "Forsyte Saga." She takes us to the home of Charles Dickens and Sherlock Holmes and other show more famous streets and literary sites. Of course, she also goes to Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, but the book doesn't dwell there. It is about the streets and living places in London, which gives it a unique and fresh look at the city. This is another fine entry in this series and one I highly recommend. show less

Very quick and engaging read of what it's like to experience London from both fictional and reality-based perspectives. Fun tromp through history, fiction, and little bits of memoir. Most likely of interest more to writers than to travelers, though.

I fully expected to breeze through this little book and totally love it. Sometimes life doesn't turn out as you expect and this was just one of those times. The beginning was wonderful as is the concept, but the execution just didn't enthrall me. I never felt I'd returned to the London of the past that I met through my books, or the London I lived in myself in the 70's or visited in the 80's. There were some great references, and I know Quindlen loves this city as much as I do (indeed, I'm always amazed when I find someone who doesn't love London.) And though my introduction to London came from writers of the past, it is via present day writers (and Dr Who) that I am able to visit the city again and discover it's current day vibrancy. show more

Still this was an interesting exercise from one of my favorite authors, and fun to sit on Quindlen's shoulder to hear her comments when she reads some of the greats. show less