Julian Barnes, England, England

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In 1947, the visionary architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis wrote:

Suppose that by some miracle, all the lands and buildings possessed by the National Trust were to be uprooted and set adrift and then, by some further sorcery, reassembled in one fabulous island. That would be magic indeed; the pith and pick of England close-packed into a compass smaller than that of the Isle of Wight, yet sampling all that we most prize. (Williams-Ellis, 1947: 13)

Suppose that by some miracle, all the lands and buildings possessed by the National Trust were to be uprooted and set adrift and then, by some further sorcery, reassembled in one fabulous island. That would be magic indeed; the pith and pick of England close-packed into a compass smaller than that of the Isle of Wight, yet sampling all that we…

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Citation: Berberich, Christine. "England, England". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5348, accessed 10 November 2024.]

5348 England, England 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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