We've finished the Ridgeway and done about a third of the Icknield Way but they didn't take us that close to St Alban's. I'll look at a map on Thursday to figure it out as we begin the part nearest Cambridge on that day. I think the way you're putting the cathedrals in a rank without having seen the others is quite dotty. You are imagining to that there will be 20 or so better ones, an arbitrary number. Since you think St Alban's is an awful mess, I think you should downgrade it. Finished Anna Karenina. Do you want to read 'Author, Author' ? It tells you everything about Henry James and is also very like Henry James, I believe. Lesley xx
Great walking, how long did that take? Don't they meet at Ivinghoe Beacon? Pretty sure we went there.
I won't try to argue with you on 'dotty', but if it's any exculpation, my small science was: Batsford & Fry separate the list into 26 majors, 13 parish churches and 3 moderns, so a bad major - St Albans is a major - would be near to 26. I did like quite a few things about it though so hopefully it can stay roughly where I've put it as I collect other rankings. It's like that thing on tiktok called 'blind ranking' if you've seen that!
I'll look into Henry James book - maybe have to revisit Rye!
I think I might find an essay title and write about AK. I would like to respond to it in some way. Such a big book and tells you so much about Russia. I really liked Levin and was moved by his spiritual breakthrough. (I read that part to my son) I found an essay by Nabokov online about AK, I will return to it, I love to know what the insights are in case I missed them. Any recommendations?
If you went to Ivinghoe Beacon all is clear. It's where the Ridgeway runs out. The Icknield Way must have been a very major path once but now it's a kind of reconstruction but it goes through places that we don't know at all. It goes to the country of the Iceni, Boadicca's tribe, I believe. You start in Whipsnade where there is a tree cathedral, that is, a large planting of trees in the shape of a cathedral, in memory of a man lost in WW1.
We've finished the Ridgeway and done about a third of the Icknield Way but they didn't take us that close to St Alban's. I'll look at a map on Thursday to figure it out as we begin the part nearest Cambridge on that day. I think the way you're putting the cathedrals in a rank without having seen the others is quite dotty. You are imagining to that there will be 20 or so better ones, an arbitrary number. Since you think St Alban's is an awful mess, I think you should downgrade it. Finished Anna Karenina. Do you want to read 'Author, Author' ? It tells you everything about Henry James and is also very like Henry James, I believe. Lesley xx
Great walking, how long did that take? Don't they meet at Ivinghoe Beacon? Pretty sure we went there.
I won't try to argue with you on 'dotty', but if it's any exculpation, my small science was: Batsford & Fry separate the list into 26 majors, 13 parish churches and 3 moderns, so a bad major - St Albans is a major - would be near to 26. I did like quite a few things about it though so hopefully it can stay roughly where I've put it as I collect other rankings. It's like that thing on tiktok called 'blind ranking' if you've seen that!
I'll look into Henry James book - maybe have to revisit Rye!
Most importantly - what did you think of AK???!
All the best Lesley :)
George
I think I might find an essay title and write about AK. I would like to respond to it in some way. Such a big book and tells you so much about Russia. I really liked Levin and was moved by his spiritual breakthrough. (I read that part to my son) I found an essay by Nabokov online about AK, I will return to it, I love to know what the insights are in case I missed them. Any recommendations?
If you went to Ivinghoe Beacon all is clear. It's where the Ridgeway runs out. The Icknield Way must have been a very major path once but now it's a kind of reconstruction but it goes through places that we don't know at all. It goes to the country of the Iceni, Boadicca's tribe, I believe. You start in Whipsnade where there is a tree cathedral, that is, a large planting of trees in the shape of a cathedral, in memory of a man lost in WW1.
I can't write about AK in this small box.
Tree cathedral! Gotta see that!
Fair enough re AK. But I hope you liked it :)