'The No 11 is an entirely moral bus. Springing from Shepherd's Bush, against which one has seldom heard anything, it enjoys some innocent bohemianism in Chelsea, picks up the shoppers at Peter Jones, swerves down the Pimlico Road-too busy to be lascivious-passes not too far from the royal stables, nods to Victoria Station, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, whirrs reverently up Whitehall, and from its only brush with vice, in the Strand, plunges to Liverpool Street through the noble and serious architecture of the City.'
Bowen took me to London for thirty seconds and it was wonderful. To the North centres on two young women in 1920s London, hence the bus from that era.
That is such a wonderful quote, especially the first line.
ReplyDeleteI love Elizabeth Bowen - I read The Last September for my degree and went on to Death of the Heart which was great. I have recently bought a secondhand copy of To the North which I will have to read asap!
ReplyDeleteI'm always ridiculously pleased when a bus that I actually use turns up in fiction (the 19 through Kensington often features). Maybe I'm so attuned to feeling pleased that one has arrived, even if it's only in the pages of a book.
ReplyDeleteThrough Knightsbridge, I mean. It's the 9 that goes through Kensington. Don't want you getting lost on your fictional travels, Darlene. Anyway, I should stick to that nice moral bus and you won't get into any trouble.
ReplyDeleteOh Peter Jones! I used to pop in on my lunchbreak. It's really John Lewis but for some reason they keep it as Peter Jones for the Sloanes!
ReplyDeleteI am yet to read Elizabeth Bowen and I have passed over many of her books in bookshops. I hope you will encourage me to give her a go - this passage has just made me homesick!
What a teaser. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis is going on the wishlist.
I do love historical novels
carol
I didn't enjoy The Last September, but I do want to try Bowen again...
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful passage! I haven't read Elizabeth Bowen since university. Now very tempted to seek her out again. K x
ReplyDeleteMary, I know just what you mean. Even more fun when you're ON the vehicle when you come across the mention, as I did when reading Jean Little's autobiography (Little by Little), and she mentioned being on the Queen Streetcar in Toronto, and I was on it at the time (though decades later) practically at the same intersection.
ReplyDeleteThomas, You should have seen the smile on my face, glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteBloomsbury Bell, Oh Naomi...it's wonderful so don't leave it too long!
mary, Can you think of an amoral bus route? My mind is spinning now, hee!
bookssnob, This is a brilliant read so far, Rachel! And thanks for the Peter Jones reference, now I get it.
Dizzy C, I adore period novels too...hope you enjoy this one.
StuckInABook, That's the way it goes sometimes, but so far this one is fabulous!
Kristina, There was going to be a gap in my reading until I gave her a try and I'm so glad that I did!
Susan, That is more than a little eerie but you must have loved that moment...how wonderful.
I'd like 2011 to be the year of reading an Elizabeth Bowen for me. This quote made me nostaligic for the years living in Shepherd's Bush. Now in South East London there's a whole other set of bus routes to unpick...
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely quote! I read my first Bowen towards the end of last year (Friends and Relations) and was quite disappointed. I look forwards to your thoughts on To the North to see whether I should give Bowen another go.
ReplyDeleteJoan, She's been a mystery to me for ages, I really don't know why I've stepped around her for so long. I hope you enjoy her as much as I am at the moment!
ReplyDeleteA Bookish Space, Oh that is too bad, the wrong book at your first introduction to an author can really put you off. So far this one is a charm!
I absolutely love Elizabeth Bowen, so I hope you inspire everyone to try her! Maybe I ought to read more of her books myself, I have nearly all of them, scattered out on the bed next to me right now. (I had to buy them after reading The Death of the Heart)
ReplyDeleteAlso just wanted to mention that your photo was featured on the Virago Press blog today!! (
It seems I messed up that link: http://www.viragobooks.net/all-things-virago/
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, I will do my very best! This book is one of those that has you just desperate to get home from work so you can get back to it.
ReplyDeleteDeacon has gone viral...amazing! Thank you so much for the heads up!