travels with a donkey in the cévennes robert louis stevenson

Stevenson also discovers that he has no idea how to pack a donkey, loading his overstuffed bags in a high, unstable pile that regularly topples over and spills his belongings on the road, much to the amusement of passersby. She’s happy to stop by the side of the road and munch whatever looks tasty. Modestine, as Stevenson quickly learns, has a mind of her own and is in no hurry to get anywhere. For those of us who are home-bound at the moment, reading this book is a lovely form of escapism and a way to discover a new part of France. The notebook Stevenson kept during this time became Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes(1879), a highly entertaining account of the French and their country. It remains so well known that hikers today still follow in Stevenson’s footsteps. It’s a delightful little book, about 150 pages-a charming romp through the French countryside. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.Stevenson’s memoir of this adventure, Travels With a Donkey in the Cévennes, became a best seller and launched his literary career.

Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson Its historical value matched with its humorous and wry observations, truly showcase the eccentricities and interest that can be found in the study of history and historical sources. Stevenson meets peasant men, women, children, many of whom have never left their village or valley and whose dialect is, in places, an entirely different language to the French spoken in Paris. This book also, is a rare portrayal of the marginalised in a society. Yet, this portrayal illustrates the extent to which France as a nation, even after the French Revolution, was hugely varied due to its size and diversity of natural landscape. The Cevennes, as portrayed by Stevenson seems almost imaginary in its backwardness. His fame was such that a price was put on his head. One such tale is of a wolf, which, it is claimed, ate “women, children and ‘shepherdesses celebrated for their beauty’”. His tale is riddled with folk stories recounted to him by the farmers and peasants he meets. He encounters the people of the region, so different to those near Paris or those in urban France. Stevenson travels an area mostly inaccessible to the outside world. Yet, it is also an unusual and valuable historical source. This book, short in length and filled with Stevenson’s dry humour is an easy and enjoyable read. It is a commentary on his journey, the people of that region, unusual in France for their Huguenot, French Protestant heritage, and his trials with his mode of transport, Modestine, a donkey.

In brief, the book is a description of Stevenson’s travels through the Cevennes, an area in central France. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes may, at first, seem an odd choice of book for a history undergraduate.

Travels with a donkey in the cévennes robert louis stevenson