Originally posted by alonso
I've had a lot of pleasure from books over the years, not so much lately though.
All kinds of books - novels of course, European history, biographies, even tax law judgements when that was a part of my life. Theses days I favour short stories and collections of letters which I can pick up and put down as I wish.
What I tend to like most is something just gently humorous, quietly satirical, full of interesting observations.
At the moment I am delving from time to time (for the 2nd time) into John Galsworthy's "On Forsyte 'Change", a series of short stories about a very pecunious Victorian & Edwardian family and their times.
"Such historians as record the tides of social manners and morals, have neglected the bicycle. . . . . . . . Under its influence, wholly or in part, have wilted chaperons, long and narrow skirts, tight corsets, hair that would come down, black stockings, thick ankles, large hats, prudery and fear of the dark; under its influence, wholly or in part, have bloomed week-ends, strong nerves, strong legs, strong language, knickers, knowledge of make and shape, knowledge of woods and pastures, equality of sex, good digestion and professional occupation - in four words, the emancipation of woman."
Alonso - I don't ride a bike, mainly because my country cousins used derive unusual amounts of mirth by guiding me along the main street where I invariably fell off into the side ditches, which in those days (in country Austria) were filled with nattering geese and ducks and their ceaseless, smelly and semi-liquid detritus. I had a horror of getting dirty and they laughed at my vivid demonstrations of disgust - in the end I refused to get on a bike. I think the lesson lasted one full hour - and that was it.
Very sad about it, but won't learn now (maybe tricycle) as don't want to break stuff in my senior years - cars have superseded bikes, anyway.
Further on the bicycle though; it extended the range which simple folk - mostly in the country - could travel and we nowadays do not understand that the range of most people living in villages in Europe was most likely not more than 30km radius - if that - 1 day's walk for a fit person - and if one owned a horse and buggy a little further - so thoughts, habits etc. were pretty insular. In Australia the horse would have been a common mode of transportation from the very beginning - I should think - although money would have come into it at some stage, like in purchasing a buggy to go along with the horse, so one could travel further with a family.
Taurisk
