*This is a review of the Penguin Little Black Classics edition*

I have heard so much about the diaries of Samuel Pepys: That they are interesting and funny, but also that they are very heard to read, boring and long. So when I saw this Little Black Classic, I thought that it would be a good way to just dip into this work and have a look.
This book contains excerpts from the diaries focused on two topics. The first contains entries from the period when the plague hit London in 1665 and Pepys was concerned with the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the second part consists of entries about the fire.
Most reviews I read say that the first part is very boring compared to the second part, when the fire provides a more interesting backdrop, but to me both parts are equally interesting. I might even like the first part a bit more, because of all the fascinating small details making up the writer's daily life in 1665, for example, having to look at his pocket watch every few minutes because he is so fascinated by it (and proud to own it, I guess!) or admiring fish living in a glass. It strikes me how many of the writer's worries are similar to our own: He feels sorry because he cannot see his mother more due to duties at work, he is tired in the mornings and kind of wishes for a better work life balance, but is worried about how others might perceive his work ethos, he likes new clothing and discusses the fittings of his new suits with his wife... It all sounds so familiar, and it seems that people do not really change after all.
Of course, the second part is a little more exciting action wise. Pepys eyes the fire from day to day, travels all over London and describes what he sees, endeavors to rescue his belongings and goes through some hardships while being aware that others have it much worse. These entries are much longer, but I read them quicker because more things happen in them.

So do I want to read all of the diaries one day? I am still on the fence. If so, it will be a very long project. I am wondering if audio would be a good idea. I will see... ( )

This excerpt from Pepys' diary is published as part of the "Little Black Classics" series and covers part of 1665, which talks about the outbreak of plague, and 1666, covering the Great Fire of London. I found the fire part much more interesting than the plague part, which didn't really get into the plague until over halfway through, and even then Pepys doesn't talk about it that much. One part I did really like was when he talked about his pocket watch and how he keeps taking it out to check the time and can't imagine how he ever got on without it. It reminded me a lot of people with their smartphones. This little snippet is a good way to try out Pepys' diary before committing to a longer volume. ( )

Except from a (presumably) private diary. The title can be misleading a bit because the first (bigger) half is no about the Great Fire. We are in 1665 in the year of the plague, which would be interesting but Pepys hardly mentions it. In almost all of his entries he just detailing his everyday activities rather boringly. The parts about the the Great Fire are more interesting but because Pepys being a witness doesn't makes him a good writer the book has more historical than literal value. ( )

Very interesting but again (in this collection) a few times it really needed some footnotes to explain certain historical references ( )

Full review to come! ( )