Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Travels Through France And Italy
Travels Through France And Italy
Travels Through France And Italy
Ebook469 pages8 hours

Travels Through France And Italy

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Smollett describes in great detail the natural phenomena, history, social life, economics, diet and morals of the places he visited. Smollett had a lively and pertinacious curiosity, and, as his novels prove, a very quick eye. He foresaw the merits of Cannes, then a small village, as a health-resort, and the possibilities of the Corniche road.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 2, 2016
ISBN9781911535034
Travels Through France And Italy
Author

Tobias Smollett

Tobias Smollett (1721-71) was a Scottish author best known for his novels, The Adventures of Roderick Random and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, following which he became a major literary figure associated with the likes of David Garrick, Laurence Sterne, Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. In 1755 he published the standard translation of Cervantes' Don Quixote and in 1756, he became editor of The Critical Review. His first major non-fiction work was A Complete History of England.

Read more from Tobias Smollett

Related to Travels Through France And Italy

Titles in the series (100)

View More

Related ebooks

Special Interest Travel For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Travels Through France And Italy

Rating: 3.5434782608695654 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

23 ratings3 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cantankerous, spleen-filled, sickly 42-year old Scottish novelist travels with his Jamaican wife through France and Italy on the Grand Tour circuit. Complains and gripes about everything for two years straight. Fascinating portrait of the man, the time and place. Despite the pessimistic and negative tone (traits one normally wants to avoid in a travel companion) it is perversely entertaining.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a series of letters sent by Tobias Smollett as he takes a year or so away from England traveling on the continent. The letters are an interesting mixture of sights to see (he especially admires the roman remains of the south of France) and scenery to admire (or otherwise). He's also full of information on the local economy, the food produced, as well as how it is produced, he goes into quite some detail of how to produce olive oil, for example. He also provides details on how much it costs ti travel, to eat, to feed the family, what types of food are particularly good or bad for the area. However it is trials and tribulations with the local inns and hostelries where he comes into his own. A more curmudgeonly correspondent it would be hard to imagine. He does give praise where it is due, only that seems to be in only isolated instances. I found myself warming to him, he wasn't being unremittingly negative, but had such lovely grumpy interludes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm a fan of Smollett's picaresques Roderick Random and Humphrey Clinker, and even more so of his Englishing of Don Quixote. I also adore his appearance as the cantankerous (Scottish) Brit abroad, "Smellfungus", in Sterne's Sentimental Journey, written in part as a satirical response to this, Smollett's vinegarish account of his two-year tour, an attempt to recover from the death at 15 of his only child and also to benefit his ailing respiratory system. And the dour Scot's antagonistic interactions with the innkeepers, postillions and landlords of the Continent, and his constant unfavourable comparisons of them with their British equivalents, are as much fun as I expected. The French come in for particular abuse, excoriated for their laziness, vanity and above all their shameless pursuit of other (i.e. British) men's wives. The Italians are slightly more agreeable, though sharing their Gallic cousins' absurd religious rituals. Smollett's philippic against duelling is a highlight, as is the incident where he upbraids at length a fellow traveler, believing the poor man to be the local postmaster responsible for assigning him less than adequate horses. There are certain observations on his own countrymen that hold as true today: their despair at not being provided milk for their tea; their self-sabotage through failure to adequately tip; their unaccountable habit of holding aloof each other when they meet by chance in a foreign town.Smollett's account is dragged down by his fussy insistence on providing complete reports on the local economy and the price of everything everywhere he goes, as well as his meticulous detailing of the ancient ruins and monuments to be found in the South of France and every piece of art he views in Florence. But despite his acerbity and pedantry, he comes across as fundamentally honest and harsh but fair in his judgments. At the very least, dear Smellfungus can't be accused of "going native"!

Book preview

Travels Through France And Italy - Tobias Smollett

v2^book_preview_excerpt.html}˖F`v0%*h&22U&3KRM^8' PxEz9Ћ7SKk0B}NR ws{\fo>v: Ň}4q ~웯\_J\Ccc3w}7mwŷ}hX\Uq;感=7oxYcݵ~ͷ0eAy͋o+޼߾[___~~ͻo__uk7}KOoۏխۿҿ^Jw/św/1W˫7顷߾.|zW7U˿ u. Ӻ]8"}ɟz:.txo>!/¦8mO1]{N}ݍſ?Pxk}bo\/ٳ?O?oݎ o_-Z3/_}X~j,uhO!Cb=)8ݦz|1"(c}v[qlQC,;H}:?|] ->M~aE ž# mQuzLMQoVq6U1:x?<[xI wFM(zuGܲ+nxnF<+|=2ƒa£~m ꆲUq~kjW]Buy^PW4wч&1M]X]3aewBSbnxKN7^b<x젣x1p9@!Mu>XM~ٻnm IQs (+}╸GEk`^G˔g@hQk1C1Z=fM8M+{Io(7.uU/];МSE5p8 %/`L-@Zҋy;jna*>+x!/y-LNYa]p!6F ;KLû&u=SI55+Z-lZfuzeP _ߑn rr\2"FceV|=NepgJ+GpM،븭e =Nu :60 'Q l}}XYAjNLd(`T8|-VOc1~9kڷժGޭf(1`"R~)rzn#NRY 2'F9 J0fH/=UQ=bOltQ{e ڬ1r۲*wC׷Pp1d:p;L^au0ׇ~WSh<9MlW+ѶiL7$-"@4U؞ZFV]TYم/b4FKt~ XجK7CW*)7lX-nsGPa1Dfsؤrvێ:G#t% .yh_gxGrb.pfbR@[Jz.C ojK"nQȜ2b2+ݭLk0nI=-uպ05)b9a(3lIjl5z= ,"RRmt+D@}Wu Hvs~0$c.ZC[4OC`=K*kOXǗS;M~Av<+xkDǰ*^O-vŴQy][Lݖ2 ]#zȎb?LUr߮;rac#˿Rw#Ѓ/R)ʱ*Ov)W}G,CzxjnL.y]o"8f;mN]HQ4%m;76ikՋ~RNzs^ .\?$V p#cm 7v.:DAķ]WQrvBO7(pz/UGaKܳ_Se62RzZA`'E487ۅYO=6]RV {矙#;"2 )뱍ɠAB5ڕ_qN6i.яX5=C&4vr!M pH _I1Ckˏ;(.ڽoQQ6!0$gch0ܝ(`!cN5mOSaÌô+3Ƅ.ri2G0It>*m > vJ(sh&=UX&xbfL#-(-^ '^9IP}qwc=֠k6P Vh)]^GM2C{b75@˔9K?x.1 2sw"rڱ70e-ד0$TeD,C O@!ݞGEg 7`=Z4 }V4I(1bŜ/:qtצN`+WkO%<Ԩ:v:ζP]Jeֽ|b* dcԂйE 7ŀAR"^'dHr!I + }PPl)RXRoBACCmZ*F='12osPsflcFб:X~bR\253r2^*eXvU߽Te%DKm:U a%BH'C*Wvm]0obPd`?(1J!p,AP85rrZjDoVspF37p'3i9reud{GPai8g(ԓaZJFr5Lf@wqš&ze`6Jp)+ d9zH֓4LqI[s[`Z*b/l*]t~+}{㲸*(ِpӇVm66F2 T:: R!60`/ͱ}4C;LB<12O6h7yZ.mM?fhkvB>K%srg|q,~bG+S=tlmCOD1gcd+%M,Vnܜp^t Cʒ"TM߳5~3;UFDmj#`9ռ37l0} 3ԌyxB3Hu g6Fۺx9UxE&.(+.ԡ0 no\9 gvT|2\Z^zCrO,ho{kX)^[CQ,G]fۗ=s]XDx qM ٨C v`cY|^ӕTDQ B1м~xЫr|L,vtmYaDf @_H9W@N>نs3ւ/eά_$|UXy4d3XO50_~>> S ]ۤGA =%&z9ЏOIC h2PiJPzTށ^2Sn2w-CYǿhL!>L|8*Mdk<}\̎y a2_ìR.$Fzz mAIxr!c|`+4e@lR -fynR mq[ ( ^ZCX>+`6pk9(JMNYoնO\NZ2dn5Eqw5 uc -g@5Cj$(`A8 N<31jWF"nXy%oldDn:|Άmk8)fȑES@W6v_,xv^}pF3a'핾}t{A_oIpb7hu)T Q=$'ox17i'&LXzhrvJ^d_|Qk`Cfp#I=rPEň aV O 6U&3mIa%-w &"]N4scDD7#/q 0p0٧'Sytrp'=YLğWn(EG HL]P}Ĵo_3v:3γԖ"0MJ'T˓Hǵs7wIa2ȸ (Fy(05mXʁDWs<?5v1#`2e-Dкt"'#r- UM ЍcPF{Rwt'➢ULV0C`u<$ bg }=@~;C ^M*9ܷmNPlךËS6@6tJcOu'~n\;Bl3q}̱Vr,"c*Gro#Jr$<#xQ7QwUL֤3-H!RN)m}lf9Jڋ"aF%|odRXI;HC좑T_& 38ŒiNv4m+'`b즶$@Ul(- +%Gy6f)D\=Y̢tPø~ haʌЎI(E80'JlJ. "kzF suzEҿ|cw0b:e;6^jH@bp̕=Ґ(2QK>UI;Me33O-n$FKM:nf^Лfm4:NW!"^]3"⟉Rz;$)8- tԜ,-ulÃwiڜ _G lIAgy )YԳ-EFd6fY cLDZE^4 H=*n9Y}%2;IpUgUbd{`!\M>J^( FtH 7ymGo9yS;8 EIQyx lU &G&fP( ϪS]PZL}EU 0Yf v tNf96k#N\]=-T˔L~#=N#|:h^Y!Qh*1sl{.M=+P|Y軖D gg C]2lC 2A9p.z>7& pK ƉhD!.+NJ-' 2FgKYaa[/nz=4b }Yxnw&->̤>;#cLp^ _0|ghyos#-eIKf74HЯp?T|*LS#˽eȘκ GP-$N'ΰ߰* lơ;櫚P u[=f륳6Hf?oaj̗\u1RVe%vpԝ14[6FwiPF|t5+E20)1 `UC[`1KͶ=;߶}tTa 4ɀlH bVuK6IΪʾ<E1 S˸Wd~%MEk|}n/sAmKߋ4Ma0jtJAk7ep DWh3& x!*[P ds2˼'gO!hdhy- + fRUrPR1/-d-=qDg1h߲RzPa,=cjb8Cz 8RǀXMtZᎉLm\g5>T,["wMx PJ/YU.5ث=ݡubyU22&ՓflGuiO qq[ڂT;Tʐ4ː!°);mnR[,wFԼb›y+%4H0Ok:M|(nr.&d3)*QH(s=kd);4XR)SÙ'ʥ^ڃx=D{}Fx#i2=WYQ׫Q ACi;Km7h Q0sY2V.hryQ;'rB8~P@VmDV,y6qc 'k`9Ua=UCb7B=cB¸n"s1㊝bގ 9}J8vΨ$.俨R6F:-%fL<ugL_","+8VbϮ0#gcw17b `N Y% +Nd.jMɸCCb1 sK]̼yv AzWcu۩jDs^ٌ/*`p?sfbZdn~jKlVd*.ŭ[T'`wdgk:ځ>2J*3֡LOT3菧e #,{V5wzCCC`5+t18NVKZt&Zۺ 9cQOn9X<]oi1&ےvW5[ck#TM>UƗl w]JmLSì[ӐAcK/΁fDɐQP+gg/juY`s埱s [\orB];ÈVnyQ n;uUnXuJ[1sK*1(cr4&Z*ޡ1X OM Q9[Nj<+&ކay g ѺWtGG9A_Z7RS]7*\%P Z4u0/vmGLpOx}`rJs@xpGD:1{^v$qgҠZӺj`V\`8wYF<܌Zހ?1Pb{}9v$[Z*7ӯ=#lWLRԌλ#d7uF&SZUN.,"Z2lˤ7k߻xrd%g}f"R.-3R駝 )y$8ԡg[<:YC'Sq``-^dS: VGWz.h4k37KS )+)Y)YT>fC(:ϣUC. xګ0fM-N #؁O' ~WYg]`qSc땟}̩_#̉@,xO(isjE&֌ rq١6,#|OdTx1ZֵYy%i(lq+L690eyHRYsY0=DJlD\(%Q](u݉stl ycW7~qfn.+Lҕ*gb[ebb,5($|cF*2+oZE?]Ymg\ $=>8uӐ҈2^pL'& bqW0ɐu '$&L%xJ4 OʼHhgvX99D^ք9Gx@B`]KaПߨ@RLB*MF :UK& `٧­U O>K9h&BYBL'7&˙`Yno(N%[ }ل{Phf=$`.GHKSS[ |A]UҚulϽ(,~'UGu?R<J Brj7zn^55dOAo1A,]JOו cXv:A%5 QG ` p!G87Oܬ0%}˞slbTtniU\3*!yRuyK20ͪbن-5^߽_a3l#nY=/~rclrj e\ck;-[)'|֗Μ:%ڭFd**D[ 4gbhDSƁUfRZCO2zT7gùW!c:G9-\q/Zw*66OO4.|7+^SHpdȤcH(:G2R ʼ`hjf; YsD, L ٸ t~|w4rZŜnt"\ϫ37u:AVY6FN@Nܥ6zbK] h8XQGn Qbi5W%(|J=Jtca1y<=YK)3+}UMo41J^.ʢ[>;mpvTg.E:ٲq{M=b2gDS}9n{za\ Fx#C}GwbjY}} &Joݤ2q^mS*v:XQ\,ibw_!߆h9)cLެ!jjb~j} ]]o/>5*ЉmI.}O>˄{P3ޅяf43 ](Bi=X)jS20~ՔNfdP1S+}_sONq#^zRG#[N1u.CMW-¡wmuouÔs57,= <,*msj{c 92J*4u,R6!:ę * A ݎbcoeg_~S˲8wOYoUu 5kcFxU27ﺣ|sCTĖj >E?}ϸ-!Dw*f1 No* 0|YΌ3 "uKy`ywY .4S6| nZѡUӊE,a͔<7jtH230PƜp*"MwI҆0Nr5mueMDt~4P[3zr/x6LX;CCMOf[WK4dGTDt+)Ur%Sv|dvhٜ*}?""Ǖ33a及s񝦸%%;hj7sn3le|;K䭌`}qXI\ry*0mV¦:-Idϥ44+/Ǡja%!<#b)zl?gOE!R㊧T}jԣCgFױYM}8teT2ģO hwީ 9zZ ՟3{$3w=wy!)F_sc!:&VF#0ffڱu  u|"됦Qzb[%dBPze7oIiB饽,e\pnNT;AB؟mHs0;V1C.:Zv.fE)g;QRI4n :]I77Vo+\׃4mdP=l;*t'SXaAUb Q6^?"x?R{w04(oIsQH֓WZX>޺NwI^V6NQ);>/Ruؐ*]Q{4kZ}T-~f9)-y_^Ay/zjsBqvy!q)(C>4As؀ʵ83? >Vf\9ղQ L 0-Y. 4R;V2N(d>*' S4q ۊ3`6lnULvt4g/yn:5f=ԸqZo>z.Xƃ9=vL0zME-{;u mg@b)יִ[d9#9Q;Y'T[7\ﹹq7ű;,HyKOgs3A܂-{3l}I}Yjx[`OI QDf9C(=;J E6\w=}? ^3'`d⷇Ԕ8;h:^T sj9B\:g3,~SNخYRg?0x gCY`c4玥[?Cu3q~7.ٜN/) |,s%=N \Z⫬RH`yc]fj&KЙ$*S v"'dwx ZVRUř٤s&%;j)䶝ڙ^_pL8{n:?pQ'FG KѭL\5Wď/"QUb~윑 neC5F<-;$jmٗ_>zY _%{k.p:?[E_բ91=38Jhv1\X~ro&cy ې^\AO6]SCl~ >{vY//'O')i\P 1I`vE!, - 0!]u<#ْm=˜;5zn2,=dd3woIN|±Sfoņ E8 ~2ɽ5Ĵ?#4y9lT4xv|=(Vv5^dWYLhYPpIH".Ϳ5?f*N(gaF_e>g\{YU<:׃w-J/fIǁ3v}|xpab&3W8׿xXGhC %;M׏#:+c3N m^⩃]z?-8mupN׶Kl`MBj CnwvN܂jlDAmvoe60lc+-m3[ Ӳ݃( ML:s"4б=EaNRIZ9-\;859X4׾n͊?S$ g.A{xPKL;#F FkrvNܧ
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1