Coasting: Running Around the Coast of Britain – Life, Love and (Very) Loose Plans

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Coasting round Britain single-handed in an antique two-masted sailing boat, Jonathan Raban conducts a masterly exploration of England and the English at the time of Margaret Thatcher and the Falklands War. Great travel literature has a way of shining a light on deep truths, those fundamental aspects of a culture that reveal themselves again and again. I am not English/British and clueless about the sea so lots of references are lost on me, but that in no way detracts from the pleasure of the wordcraft. This is about her quitting her job to run around the country when she has debt and can’t read a map.

Whether he’s chatting with bored tax exiles on the Isle of Man, wrestling down a mainsail during a titanic gale, or crashing a Scottish house party where the kilted guests turn out to be Americans, Raban is alert to the slightest nuance of meaning. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. His story takes various digressions, just as his journey does, as he mulls over his childhood as the son of a vicar in the Church of England, and the current state of Britain under Margaret Thatcher during the time of the Falklands War. I have to say, I think if she were my daughter, I would be very very proud of her achievement, determination and motivation. This means that he could easily see the differences and splits that were very visible in society at large.Please see the attached documents: the complete oeuvre of Hanif Kureishi and Derek Raymond, Paul Theroux's Kingdom by the Sea, the complete musical output of Joy Division and the Smiths, This Is England.

However hard, tough, excruciating and doubt-driven a challenge might be, at heart it's a funny, funny story. I really enjoyed that even with such disorganisation that she achieved her journey funny sad and a great read to pick up and adventure along with Elise.I can’t even remember if she learned out to read a map by the end, that’s just how disinterested I was by that point. Oh, and he meets up with noted glass-half-full types Theroux (who was trudging around working on Kingdom by the Sea at the same time) and Philip Larkin, both of whom are positive about positive things all the time forever. But if most books about yachting are shipshape and correct – their facts lashed down tight, their salty exploits flown proudly – Coasting sails through murkier waters. The Prime Minister talks about sovereign territory being invaded by a foreign power, but to Raban '. Having said all that, I do think it is quite a remarkable thing that a 23yr old decided to do this (and whilst she could) rather than stick to the norms of life that probably a lot of her friends were doing and take herself out of her comfort zone.