Nightwalking: Four Journeys into Britain After Dark

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This book was really really good! It gives you a unique insight into what it's like to be a mother, and while I've read several novels on family life and the stress that can come with it, I've never read anything like this.

The next of my London night walks is in Shoreditch. This east London neighborhood is one of the coolest parts of the city, and it’s full of everything from hip restaurants and bars to colorful street art.

Als die Sterne noch am Firmament funkeln, begibt sich eine vierköpfige Familie auf eine Wanderung – das Ziel: eine Verabredung. Ihr Weg führt sie durch verschlafene Gassen, moosige Wälder, vorbei an einem schimmernden See und zirpenden Grillen und über schroffe Felsen. Unterwegs rasten sie auf einer Lichtung: „Tausende Insekten bringen das Gras um uns herum zum Knistern. Das Schauspiel am Himmel raubt uns den Atem.“ Gerade noch rechtzeitig schaffen sie es zu ihrer Verabredung mit dem wunderschönen Tagesanbruch hinter den imposanten Berggipfeln. We are immersed in Anna's world, juggling the needs of a toddler, an anxious seven-year old and a largely preoccupied and unhelpful husband as she discovers a buried baby skeleton in their yard, and takes on visitors in a refurbished rental unit nearby (a family bringing their own relational challenges to the mix). The story toggles between these characters and their "doings" and letters outlining historical events on the island, which adds to the mystery of the discovery. The reader is also treated to more academic sharing regarding child rearing and development practices, as Anna is researching and writing a paper on this topic for her work. The flow is a bit unusual but seems to work to expose and blend the nature of parenting, with all its uncertainties and pitfalls and winds together nicely by the end.

There are stories within stories within stories in this novel. It is very atmospheric, and I was delighted with the frank and honest way Anna's ambivalence at being a mother is described. It is not often we get such direct light shed on this holy of holies. Work family balance? No such thing here. I was intrigued by the history of childhood, and the paper that Anna works on is interspersed throughout the novel. It was interesting reading about Anna's inner life and her struggles. However, I could have cared less about the mystery at the core of this story, though it was interesting to learn more about the natives and their history. All these various plot lines get rather muddled in the final telling, at least for me. This is a quiet, character driven story, so if you're looking for a fast paced plot, skip this one. The big mystery of the book is where the family is going. They keep saying they need to "get there on time." And when their destination is revealed at the end... What a satisfying and splendid moment! For Matthew Beaumont, Eliot’s travellers, their “eyes fixated on their feet”, are the antithesis of the modernist spirit, closed off from the creative possibilities of the city’s myriad surprises. In contrast, Mrs Dalloway and Leopold Bloom are unconsciously alert to its ever-shifting mood, which impinges imaginatively on their own. Richard of Devizes, a cleric and chronicler of the late 12th century, once cautioned readers about the dangers of the capital city. “You will come to London. Behold! I warn you, whatever of evil or of perversity there is in any, whatever in all parts of the world, you will find in that city alone.” There then follows a long list of the kind of insalubrious places and characters to avoid, such as “effeminate sodomites” and “lewd musical girls” – and among them are people who walk the streets at night.All the angst is rendered in both eloquent and laugh-out-loud terms. I giggled with recognition and comradery. I admired the honesty.