Reviews for The youthful travels and adventures of George Samuel Cull, a deaf and dumb cripple, the son of a soldier in the Royal Artillery

The average rating for The youthful travels and adventures of George Samuel Cull, a deaf and dumb cripple, the son of a soldier in the Royal Artillery based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-11-12 00:00:00 Jay Marshall This book is an absolute gem. I discovered it in the travel writing section of a lovely used book store in Kelowna,BC. I was looking for Canadian travel novels in an effort to submerge myself in the beauty of Canada that I might be overlooking in my late winter urge to travel anywhere else. This anthology of great masters of literature managed to do just that. It has proven so effective that I have chosen not to completely finish the novel, in hopes of dusting it off again when that feeling of cabin fever returns. This collection offers some wonderful stories, essays and letters on Canada, set in Canada, or even merely written in Canada. With each new author, we are briefed on that person's history in the Great White North. There were, among the famous and infamous greats, a few writers I had not yet heard of, but whose writing on our lovely country was nothing short of adept and beautiful. I was surprised by how often I was struck by the beauty of the language and descriptions some of these authors used, not only in painting a picture of the Canadian scenery, but of its people. That being said, even negative depictions of Canada have been submitted, lending a sense of honesty to a novel that could very easily have turned into preachy travel propaganda. This is not a travel novel. It is first and foremost an homage to literature in small doses, compiling some truly wonderful pieces of writing. Certainly my most favourite story was Jack London's In a Far Country, to which I could relate, living in the north of Alberta ( though not nearly as north as London's characters). London describes the effects of the terrain and environment on those whom are not accustomed. ' the fear of the north. This fear was the joint child of the great cold and the great silence, and was born in the darkness of December when the sun dipped below the southern horizon for good.' Another memorable quote that sticks in my memory is from Rupert Brooke, written in a letter from Vancouver. 'You think BC means before Christ. But it doesn't. I'm sitting, wildly surmising, on the edge of the pacific, gazing at mountains which are changing colour every two minutes in the most surprising way. Nature here is half Japanese....'. The Wild is Always There is full of hidden jewels. I look forward to uncovering more from the depths of this book.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-03-18 00:00:00 Greg Riepl I thought this anthology was beautifully done. Gatenby's introductions to the various authors were informative, well written and lively. Lots of interesting factoids about some of the world famous authors who wrote about Canada. The range of authors from Voltaire to Dickens to Hemmingway was impressive. This is an easy book to pick up and enjoy for a bit and then come back later for another author and another view of the country.