Every now and then I read a book I enjoy and the author has a character mention another writer or a book that they liked. So I usually make a note of the writer’s name and eventually I may go read one of their books. I cannot remember where I got the name of this author, I will find it eventually, but I read W.G. Sebald’s “The Rings of Saturn” and I highly recomment it to you. I have a special fondness for authors whose writing is so beautifully descriptive without being excessive and precious. Sebald is an outstanding writer in that regard.
The premise of this particular book is a walk he took over several days along part of the eastern coast of England. As he visits various places and people, he digresses into their history, with a general theme of how things change over time and the unexpected connections among certain events. There is a wistfulness in the telling, a sense of sadness not just regarding the changes but about the human condition. It is not an overly long book, and is very engrossing. If you are looking for a good read, I highly recommend this one.
