Book not finished: A Sort of Conscience: The Wakefields
02/01/2015
I was looking forward to this, written as it is by an established New Zealand writer, and since it won the Ernest Scott History Prize in 2003, the Ian Wards Prize for Historical Writing in 2003, and the Biography category of the 2003 Montana New Zealand Book Awards.
I was not disappointed in any way by the quality of the writing, perhaps it was too good in describing this family, in that I found I could stand no more of this tale of venal social climbing in a toxic atmosphere of class distinction and snobbery. I suppose it is the very upbringing I had as a New Zealander which generated my abhorrence of the English class system. There was an idea prevalent when I was growing up that New Zealand was a classless society, and while that wasn't entirely true, there was at least no formal class system of landed aristocracy with inherited titles. Ref. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand - Social Connections/Difference and Inequality/Class I suppose I should have been interested to learn more of my country's early history, but nevertheless I was not prepared to be further irritated by the behaviour of these founding characters. |
I believe most New Zealanders are excessively ignorant of their own history;
this book is recommended as a remedy for that deficiency.
I make no apology for my personal impatience with the subject of it, and urge others not to be influenced by my attitude.
this book is recommended as a remedy for that deficiency.
I make no apology for my personal impatience with the subject of it, and urge others not to be influenced by my attitude.
Partially read as an e-book borrowed from Auckland Libraries via Borrowbox, on my Kobo Touch e-reader.