Review: The Journals of a Victorian Traveller

The Journals of a Victorian Traveller by Martin Laurie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but having read several fictional books set in around this era, I thought it would be interesting to read a factual account. 

I found the sections in Australia, Japan and America to be the most interesting. Here, Julia writes in long passages rather than short entries of only a few sentences. The section in India after she marries (which was in the first half) was rather dull, just continual moving about and hunting expeditions. In spite of the warning at the beginning of the book, all the killing of animals and birds was the most horrible thing.

I think people who have a stronger interest in the era (mine is only mild), and an awareness perhaps of some of the important figures, may find this far more fascinating than I did.

Most of the notes added by the editor (I’m not sure this is the correct term) were interesting, but I did find a few of them excessive. For example, writing [sic] every time Julia writes verandah became irritating - we get it, she spells it differently! Especially when he already made very clear that he copied it out exactly as Julia wrote.

I definitely enjoyed reading this real life account by a female Victorian traveller, it was very relaxing.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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