Siren Land
by Norman Douglas
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Norman Douglas, one of the 20th century's great travellers in Italy, was for most of his life inextricably, passionately, connected to the Bay of Naples. This breathtaking sweep of sea and coastline - dominated by Vesuvius and with Pozzuoli and Sorrento standing sentinel - was Douglas' first experience of Italy. It was here, on the island of Capri, that he died, some 55 years after first buying a villa in Naples. "Siren Land", Douglas' first travel book, is a homage to a part of the world show more that captivated him more than any other. Weaving the myths of the Sirens into the landscape and history of the region, Douglas writes with knowledge and an irrepressible exuberance of the past and the present, of legends and archaeology, folklore and daily life, patron saints, local ghosts, wine and the wind. As the summer draws to a close, Douglas' prose becomes suffused with a melancholy tinged with excitement at what still remains to be discovered: 'relics of Roman rule, of old Hellas, or medieval romance...These are the delights of Siren Land'. 'What makes "Siren Land" exceptional is the quality of the telling. Weaving scholarship, impressions, fact and fantasy into an intricate fabric as enchantingly entertaining and full of human interest as the best of fairy tales or ancient myths. One of the most memorable books of its genre' - Mark Holloway, in his introduction to "Siren Land". show lessTags
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What makes Siren Land exceptional is the quality of the telling. Weaving scholarship, impressions, fact and fantasy into an intricate fabric as enchantingly entertaining and full of human interest as the best of fairy tales or ancient myths. One of the most memorable books of its genre.' - Mark Holloway, in his introduction to Siren Land; 'The most beautiful thing we printed.' - Ford Maddox show more Ford, The English Review, on the first chapter of Siren Land; 'One of the most entertaining literary characters of his age, always unexpected. He lived and died an unrepenitent nonconformist.' show less
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Books Set in Italy
167 works; 19 members
Author Information
42+ Works 1,550 Members
Author Norman Douglas was born in Austria on December 8, 1868 and was educated in England, Germany, and France. In 1893, he joined the British Foreign Office and worked as a diplomat in Russia and Italy. He left the service in 1896 apparently as the result of an indiscreet love affair. He wrote numerous travel books and his only popular success show more was the novel South Wind, published in 1917. He died in 1952. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1911
- Important places
- Capri, Campania, Italy; Naples, Campania, Italy
Classifications
- Genres
- Travel, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 914.5730491 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in Europe Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Malta Southern Italy Naples metropolitan city
- LCC
- DG975 .C2 .D62 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania City History of Italy Other cities (non-metropolitan), provinces, etc., A-Z
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 108
- Popularity
- 299,388
- Rating
- (4.13)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 7
