Sunday 14 February 2010

Find of the Week (4)

It's the centenary of the library this year and I've been asked by the team librarian for the area to devise displays on local author. The two most significant from the area are; A.J.Cronin and T.Smollett. I've spent part of the week devising displays for both, one for the main library and the other for the local studies room. The most interesting of the two for me was Tombias Smollett (1721-1771) he was born in Dumbarton and educated at both Dumbarton Academy and Glasgow University (studying medicine). After university he obtained a commission as a ship surgeon and whilst abroad in the West Indies he met and married his wife Anne or Nancy Lascelles, a Creole, the daughter of an english planter. On his return to England he set up as a Doctor in Downing Street and did not seriously write until after the Battle of Culloden, when his strong nationalism prompted him to write the poem The Tears of Scotland.

He developed the picaresque novel, the first being The Adventures of Roderick Random in 1748, this novel was heavily autobiographical, he followed this with The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle and The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom, the novels giving a great insight into late 18th century living. He worked on many pieces in the next few years, notably a translation of Cervantes’ Don Quixote and a multi-volume history of England.

His daughter died in 1763 and he took his wife away from city life and travelled through France and Italy, returning a year later and writing Travels through France and Italy, published in 1765. Smollett moved to Livomo in Italy in 1769 and lived there until his death in 1771, the year he died his funniest and best novel was also published The Expedition of Humphry Clinker.

The opening lines of ' The Expedition of Humphry Clinker', fantastic;
" To Dr Lewis
DOCTOR
The pills are good for nothing - I might as well swallow snowballs to cool my reins - I have told you over and over, how hard I am to move; and at this time of day , I ought to know something of my own constitution."

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