Oxford

by Jan Morris

Book Overview

King James I once said that if he were not a king he would like to be an Oxford man. "I was a modest, good-humoured boy," Max Beerbohm wrote, "it is Oxford that has made me insufferable." "Few cities," Jan Morris observes, "have been more loved, loathed, and celebrated."
This classic volume--now in its third edition--recounts the character, history, mores, buildings, climate, and people of an uncategorizable city. Exploring this ancient British...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192820656
• ISBN13: 9780192820655
• Release Date: February 1988
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Extravagant, captivating, simply brilliant

Jan Morris writes in a verbose style that you either immediately love or loathe. I am fortunate to belong to the former category. Few writers could capture the wonder of one of England's oldest and most famous cities with such panache. Having lived in and experienced Oxford first hand, Morris captures perfectly some of my sentiments towards the place that I could never dream of putting down in words. The writing does border on the extravagant at times, but then again, what would a good piece of travel writing be without a little self-indulgence on the part of the author? Some people would also criticise the book for its arbitrariness. But the book was never intended to be a travel guide and one would be sorely disappointed if one were to read it as such. Neither was the book ever meant as an authoritative history of the place, or anything of the like. Not a piece of writing that would suit everyone's taste. But if you're looking to enjoy some lucid prose that conjures up vivid images of Oxford's long history, eccentric traditions and wonderfully diverse inhabitants, then you'd be sure to find this a delightful read.

EXCELLENT WRITING.

This is an urbane, witty book, beautifully written and structured so that every facet of Oxford is covered in a very readable manner.Although I loved Oxford to begin with, this book enhanced my appreciation of the city and I feel that I know more about its history and its manners now than I ever did before.Jan Morris never resorts to sentimentality, but she shows her enjoyment of her research in many ways.I would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in "The Oxford Story".

Celebrating a Wonderland

Oxford is one of the most intriguing, enchanting, mysterious, historical and beautiful cities in the world. It is the location of _Alice in Wonderland_, _The Wind in the Willows_, much of Waugh's _Brideshead Revisited_, and Dorothy Sayer's _Gaudy Night_. Jan Morris's book is a celebration of this city so witty, so well informed, and so gripping that you may find it to be the best "travel book" you have ever read. A must for anglophiles, lovers of cities, lovers of literature, architecture, and history, and those fascinated by university life. I myself have the same experience as Susan Hill, a reviewer in the (London) Times, who wrote, "I devoured, and now constantly dip with delight into _Oxford_."