EN COTIZACIÓN

A lovely little tome, which I read as I prepare to explore a bit in Wales, a place of my long ago ancestors.
Easy to read (though I did use the dictionary several times), and it made me wish to see her home in person.
( )

Loved this book. I picked it up because it was in the 942 section, and I was looking to read a book from that section for my Dewey Decimal Challenge. Seemed pretty interesting, fulfilled my 942 need, so I went with it.

Reading this while actually in Wales made the whole experience - both reading and traveling - much more vibrant than would have otherwise been the case. When the author talked about the Welshness of slate floors, my feet were on slate floors. When I saw signs around town in Welsh, but heard only English spoken, I knew from this book why that would be. So for me the book felt very fresh and alive because I didn't need to imagine the environment described, I was in it.

Aside from all that, I loved the book because it described in wonderful detail the type of home that I love best, one that is crowded with the evidence of a well-enjoyed life. ( )

Everyone loves a funky house. Trefan Morys is as unique as they get: imagine a converted old stone barn with wood beams and a slate roof. Now imagine this: the horse stalls converted into two rooms, both being floor to ceiling libraries (because "the Internet is no substitute" for a good book). Model ships, strategically scattered everywhere. More books piled on the floor. I picture this house being cozy yet drafty with its upstairs view of the wild Irish sea; cozy yet sprawling with all of its secret nooks and crannies.
Morris's focus is not just on her house, but on her country's people as well. She speaks of geographic history and how Indigenous Wales continues to struggle to keep an identity in the face of a barrage of British influence.
The hidden bonus is learning more about Morris as a person and not just a Welsh author who changed gender. She has a sense of humor. She has a partner who has stuck with her throughout it all. She is fearless: Morris is not one to back down from a challenge, climbing Everest to write about Edmund Hillary's ascent, for example. Then there's Ibsen, the cat. It's all so charming. ( )

This book gets 7/10.

I liked this little book. When a person can write in a way that I don't need a photograph of the item(s) described, I think that is amazing. I would have loved one nonetheless to see if the picture in my mind is correct (and a bit to satisfy my curiosity).

A nice little book, about a house, its history, about Wales and the Welshmen, and, most interesting to me, also a tiny bit on the languages. ( )