Christopher Howse
Steeple Chase
Ships of Heaven: The Private Life of Britain’s Cathedrals
By Christopher Somerville
Doubleday 340pp £20
Not only does Armagh have two cathedrals, but they are both called St Patrick’s. One, belonging to the Church of Ireland, crouches on Druim Saileach (or Willow Ridge). Here, some think, St Patrick built a church in AD 445. The other, the Catholic cathedral, stands half a mile away on Tealach na Licci (or Sandy Hill).
In his friendly wander around twenty-one British cathedrals, Christopher Somerville, the walking correspondent of The Times, passes the hard test of giving life to buildings that most readers have never visited. I hadn’t been to Armagh; I should like to go now.
Things at Armagh are not as one might imagine. I might have expected that the Church of Ireland cathedral had preserved its medieval heritage in an agreeably mouldering state and that the 19th-century Catholic cathedral would cock a snook at it in hideous missionary Gothic. In fact, reverses
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
Twitter Feed
Russia’s recent efforts to destabilise the Baltic states have increased enthusiasm for the EU in these places. With Euroscepticism growing in countries like France and Germany, @owenmatth wonders whether Europe’s salvation will come from its periphery.
Owen Matthews - Sea of Troubles
Owen Matthews: Sea of Troubles - Baltic: The Future of Europe by Oliver Moody
literaryreview.co.uk
Many laptop workers will find Vincenzo Latronico’s PERFECTION sends shivers of uncomfortable recognition down their spine. I wrote about why for @Lit_Review
https://literaryreview.co.uk/hashtag-living
An insightful review by @DanielB89913888 of In Covid’s Wake (Macedo & Lee, @PrincetonUPress).
Paraphrasing: left-leaning authors critique the Covid response using right-wing arguments. A fascinating read.
via @Lit_Review