Review: Letters written during a short residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark

This is a book, which in my opinion, should be read like a modern day blog. Considering that these are letters which are put together to form a book, I think it would be prudent to read them letter by letter rather than to binge read them. 

The author, Mary Wollstonecraft, more popularly known for her book "Vindication for the rights of women", seems to have come from the English upper classes of the time (Not quite gentry). 

If you were a voracious reader of 18th and 19th century literature, reading this book would be a breeze. On the other hand I had "unfortunate" circumstances wherein which I had to re-read and sometimes consult a dictionary/ thesaurus for reference, especially when I struggled to understand the thesis of a statement or paragraph. 

In the first couple of letters there seems to be a sense that there were only a few "well- bred" people in the areas mostly rural she visited. They seem to have not acquired the English and French tastes. The upper classes in Stockholm seem to have the mannerisms of the French both in taste and in language. (The letter seems to have written from Gothenburg and does not indicate Stockholm by name. "Well bred Swedes of the capital") She also finds that the peasantry in Sweden are "piqued" in politeness. 

In one of her letters she critiques certain travellers, for critizing the mannerisms of people in other parts of the world, for not being very refined. "It is for example, absurd to blame a people for not having that degree of personal cleanliness and elegance of manners which only refinement of tastes produces, and will produce everywhere in proportion as society attains a general polish" She goes on to say that authors/travellers should promote enquiry and discussion instead of making "dogmatic" assertions. 

As the letters progress, there seems to be this modernist "left" ideology developing. She seems to shun industry and business. The businesses and industries she talks about are the "corporations and the multi-nationals of the time".  In the 23rd letter she says" men entirely devoted to commerce never acquire, or lose all taste and greatness of mind". This statement reminds me of the right wing political parties' devotion to the capital market. 

Modern days multi-national corporations in the Canadian context collect donations on behalf of a non-profit and at times match dollar for dollar contributions. I seem to think that this is a farce and these "charitable" donations should be done through the income tax act. The author has encapsulated that feeling in her 22nd letter.  "I have always been an enemy to what is termed charity, because timid bigots endeavouring thus to cover their sins, do violence to justice, till, acting the demi-god, they forget that they are men. 

She seems to be a little ahead of her times when it comes to the environment and the future. She wonders if the earth will be able to sustain itself when there are people everywhere. 

What I found very interesting about the book was the human nature of discovery. Starting off in Norway where the author finds almost everything depressing in comparison to the more cosmopolitan parts of England and finding the cliffs in Dover not as inspiring as the ones she saw in Norway and Sweden on the way home (England).