This Secret Garden: Oxford Revisited
by Justin Cartwright
37 Members (3.08)
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Oxford is many things. But it has a symbolic meaning well beyond its buildings, gardens, rituals and teaching. It stands for something deep in the Anglo-Saxon mind - excellence, a kind of privilege, a charmed life, deep-veined liberalism, a respect for tradition. Cartwright has spoken to many leading figures, looked at favourite places in Oxford, subjected himself to an English tutorial - he performed very poorly - attended the Freshers' dinner in his old college, studied various works of show more art and museums, investigated the claim that dons like detective novels, and reread many Oxford classics. At the same time he has looked at some of the great debates and reforms which made Oxford what it is, as well as the most recent debate about funding reform, which ended in a resounding defeat for the reformers. He depicts the beauty of this historic city, the landscape of enclosed quads and gardens, and the astonishing collection of buildings. Cartwright concludes that the Oxford myth, while outstripping the reality, is as powerful as ever. This is an enchanting and highly original look at Oxford, indispensable reading for anyone interested in the myth and reality of Oxford. show lessTags
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26+ Works 1,807 Members
Justin Cartwright was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1945. He graduated from Trinity College, Oxford. Before becoming an author, he worked in advertising and in film and documentary directing. He wrote 13 novels including Interior, Look at It This Way, White Lightning, Half in Love, The Promise of Happiness, The Song Before It Is Sung, To show more Heaven by Water, Other People's Money, Lion Heart, and Up Against the Night. In Every Face I Meet won a Commonwealth Writers Prize and Leading the Cheers won the Whitbread Novel Award. He also wrote three non-fiction books entitled Not Yet Home, This Secret Garden, and Oxford Revisited. He died on December 3, 2018 at the age of 73. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- This Secret Garden: Oxford Revisited
Classifications
- Genres
- Travel, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 914.257404 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in Europe England and Wales East Midlands, Chiltern Hills, Trent River Oxfordshire City of Oxford subdivisions and modified standard subdivisions Travel; guidebooks
- LCC
- PR6053 .A746 .Z46 — Language and Literature English English Literature 1961-2000
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 37
- Popularity
- 780,232
- Rating
- (3.08)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2





















































