DOWN THERE ON A VISIT BY: CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD

FEATURES: DOWN THERE ON A VISIT BY: CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD

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A) CONDITION BOOK: VERY GOOD - HARD BOUND 

B) CONDITION DUST JACKET: VERY GOOD - NOT PRICE CLIPPED [$4.75]

C) FIRST EDITION FIRST PRINTING - SIMON + SCHUSTER 1962

D) NOTE: FROM THE LIBRARY OF DONALD FORSTER, DISTINGUISHED ACADEMIC, PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH. DIED JUST BEFORE APPOINTMENT AS PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO. 319 PAGES.

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BOOK GRADING CATEGORIES:

FINE

VERY GOOD

GOOD

FAIR

POOR
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About:
Down There on a Visit is a novel written by the Anglo-American author Christopher Isherwood and published in 1962. The title refers to a jibe fired at Isherwood's protagonist by another character, Paul: "You know, you really are a tourist, to your bones," laughs Paul. "I bet you're always sending post cards with 'Down here on a visit' on them. That's the story of your life."

Throughout the novel Isherwood is a character of extremes. At times he pursues physical pleasure, relentlessly devoting himself to debauchery, but he interrupts these binges with periods of discipline, learning German or regularly meditating. Somehow his abandon never leads to personal disaster. The second section of the novel contains a scene that illustrates this pattern. Isherwood is visiting an island where a crew of inane Greeks blast rock for the foundations of a mansion. He observes that:

Despite all their experience, they seem to have no idea how much dynamite they should use. It is always too little or too much. We become completely indifferent to their yells of warning, followed by an absurd little firecracker pop. And then, just when you're least expecting it, there will be a stunning explosion which shakes the whole island and sends big rocks spinning through the air... A couple of times things have been smashed, but no one has been hurt, so far.

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