Something Wholesale is a memoir by Eric Newby, a renowned British travel writer. This was the first book I have read by this author. It is mostly about the years he was working in the family garment business but also covers some of the postwar years before he got out of the service.
I read this book for the 1962 Club hosted by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings.
From the back of the book:
Something Wholesale is Newby's hilarious tale of his chaotic life as an apprentice to the family garment firm of Lane and Newby. A story of unfortunate escapades with wool allergies, tissue paper and matching buttons, it is also a warm and loving portrait of his eccentric father -- who seemed to spend more time participating in disasters than he did in preserving his business.
With its quick wit, self-deprecating charm and splendidly fascinating detail, this is vintage Newby -- only with a garment bag in place of a well-worn suitcase.
This was probably not the best place for me to start reading Eric Newby. It felt very disjointed and aimless, especially at the beginning, and I had a hard time follow the narrative. I am not strongly interested in clothing and fashion, and it seemed that Newby was not very interested in it either. But it did provide an interesting picture of the chaotic nature of that business. There is a good amount of time spent on his experiences with his father, who was exceptionally eccentric and quirky. Although the stories are affectionately told, Newby's father would have driven me crazy.
The real value this book delivered for me was the picture it paints of the times. It covers from the end of World War II to around 1956 when Newby's father dies. There is a short section that summarizes what Newby was doing in the next few years after that.
I am sure this is not representative of the best of Eric Newby's writings. I will be following up by reading some of the other books he has written. I have some in mind but suggestions are welcome.
See also these resources:
Moira at Clothes in Books covers this book in two posts, here and here. There are excerpts from the book in her posts.
At Slightly Foxed, see an extract of an article by Ariane Bankes, "Misadventures in the Rag Trade." It goes into more detail about the adventures covered in the book.
12 comments:
Tracy, not every book is a "home-run out of the ballpark".
Reading it in the context of the times (post WW-II) is probably the
best you can do.
Nancy, you are so right. The percentage of books that I read and like a lot is really high, so it disconcerts me when I find that a book is just not for me. But it happens. I think it had a lot to do with his style of writing, but I was never bored. And I truly think that there will be other books he wrote that will work for me.
I've had reading experiences like that, too, Tracy. Sometimes a book just doesn't tick all the boxes. I think that's especially true if the context is something that isn't of great interest to you. Well, at least you took the chance to see what his work is like.
Margot, it was disappointing for me, but it is not a bad book, and I am sure there are many readers who enjoyed it much more than I did. I think I was expecting less humor, and a more straightforward description of the business. Humor is very subjective, and this book did not work for me in that area.
How sad this didn't work well--the description did sound very promising. Newby is a new to me name too.
This is one of Newby's books I haven't read. I gather he worked to earn money to travel, not because he was at all interested in the retail trade. I think his best book is Love and War in the Apenines, a memoir of his time in Italy during the war. He was a prisoner of war and then escaped to live in the mountains with Italian villagers. I also liked A Small Place in Italy and his anthology, A Traveller's Life which was really interesting and which I plan to reread at some stage... actually it would be a good place to start with him. His most famous book is the Hindu Kush one but that left me a bit cold to be honest.
Mallika, this was a great book for 1962, although most of it took place before that. It is a shame I did not enjoy it more. It was an easy read, I finished it in three days, and I am glad I finally read a book by this author.
Cath, I knew you had read some of his books, but I checked your blog and you have read quite a few of them. Your comments on them will be useful. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the parts that talked about his wife Wanda, and their marriage.
Love and War in the Apennines is the next one I want to read, and also The Big Red Train Ride because I like trains, I like the setting, and Glen has a copy.
Sorry it was a bit disappointing but I think it is great that 1962 nonfiction made an appearance!
I really enjoy the expression "rag trade" because it provides such a vivid picture of old-time peddlers traipsing around with a wheelbarrow or wagon full of miscellaneous items (like the one in Anne of Green Gables who sells her the dye that turns her hair green).
Constance, I was surprised that the family business did clothing for wholesale (which I did not understand really). The miscommunications within the family would have been funny except I think I take things like that too seriously. The book was not what I was expecting but it did introduce me to this writer, which was my goal. Definitely not a loss, and a book that others will enjoy.
I am glad you mentioned Anne of Green Gables, because I have never read it and I think I should someday.
Thanks for the shoutout Tracy! I very much enjoyed this book, but I can absolutely see that it has major issues - it was just the obvious connection with clothes and fashion that fascinated me. Love and WAr in the Appenines is very interesting- funnily enough I have just been looking at the Italian writer Alberto Moravia and his Two Women, set in Italy during and after the War, and it made me remember the Newby book.
I haven't read it for years, but my favourite was always A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, which is very funny.
Moira, it wasn't a bad book at all, I just wanted more details about the clothing business and less about his difficulties adapting to the job. Both of the books you mention are ones I want to read.
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