Craig Hill
KC Hill
Paladin
Oracle of DelphiVale Eric Newby
October 23rd 2006 11:47
I was saddened by the news that Eric Newby passed away today. He was the first travel writer I really enjoyed and it was his A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush that first opened my eyes to the power of English reserve and understatement. Newby had a way of writing intriguing sentences which left you thirsting for more. It was a very rewarding style of writing because the reader was invited to supply much of the scene by imagination. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of working in the rag trade in London and then preparing for his climb in the Hindi Kush. As it happens I have also done some of the climbs Newby practiced on in North Wales so I had a good picture of how pathetically inadequate his preparation was. I also enjoyed A Small Place in Italy. The plot of this book can be summarized in one sentence: "My wife and I buy and house in Italy and renovate it." Despite this, the book is rewarding for the way in which Newby describes the obscure details of life in Italy high country. Newby was the master if the carefully chosen detail and the nicely described vignette and will be sorely missed from the travel writing scene.
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