Life in a Doll’s House: Notes from the End of History
Travel writing should be born in ignorance. Bill Bryson’s defence of making observations about foreign societies without knowing a word of the language rings true. Once you know a place’s language or history or culture, you become an insider, an expert. There is, of course, a place for experts. But we shouldn’t forget the voice of ignorance, the instinctive reaction of prejudices being put to the test in foreign climes.
Halfway through my brief trip to Gothenburg, then, the questions began to splurge out. Up to this point The Swede had to tolerate my derision towards the Swedish model (but of course not towards Swedish models), my shock at the lack of people on the streets, the seeming loneliness and compartmentalization of it all; people barely talking to each other, whispering in light, snow-flake tones. Sitting on the boat firmly cruising around the archipelago that surrounds Gothenburg, though, a more positive picture was taking shape. I needed some context. Read more
4 comments