Audiobook · read by volunteers
Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys
Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards (1831–1892)
Read by Sibella Denton · 37 chapters · 8 h 30
About the book
In the summer of 1872, two Englishwomen set out to explore a part of Europe that few of their countrymen had ever seen. Amelia Edwards and her friend travelled through the Dolomites, then part of the Austrian Tyrol and now in northern Italy, a land of high peaks, deep valleys and small villages cut off from the ordinary tourist routes. She writes of rough roads, simple inns, wild flowers, strange rocks and the cheerful people they met, with vivid humour and a good eye for the landscape. Her account moves from the slopes of Monte Generoso to Venice and onward into the mountains, mixing observation with anecdote. Thirty-seven chapters and more than eight hours carry you through her journey in the company of Sibella Denton, who reads with warmth and clarity. For lovers of mountains, travel writing or Victorian adventure, this is an inviting escape.
Introduction
Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards was born in 1831 and died in 1892. She began her career as a novelist and journalist, and she later became widely known for her interest in ancient Egypt, to which she devoted her energy in later life. Before that she was a lively and curious traveller, and her writing about journeys shows her talent for description.
Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys was published in 1873. It describes her travels through a relatively little-visited area, the Dolomites in the South Tyrol district of Italy, which are part of the Alps. Edwards approaches the region with an adventurous spirit and a sharp eye. She explores its scenery, its customs and its people at a time when it was far less known than the more famous Alpine resorts, and she records the practical difficulties of travel as well as its pleasures.
The first chapters, which begin in the neighbourhood of Monte Generoso and take the travellers on to Venice, show her interest in art as well as landscape. Later sections move into the mountains proper. The book is leisurely, as many travel books of the period are, and its pleasures lie in the details and in the companionable voice of the author.
Readers should expect some opinions of her time, including remarks about local people and customs that now seem condescending. The recording, with thirty-seven chapters, lasts about eight and a half hours and is read by Sibella Denton. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys Victorian travel writing, mountain scenery, or the pleasure of a journey taken without hurry.
Public domain
Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards died in 1892: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text