Description
The Clumsiest People in Europe is a humorous collection drawn from the extraordinarily prejudiced and misguided geographical writings of Favell Lee Mortimer, a 19th-century English writer who produced descriptions of countries and their people despite having never travelled outside England.
The book collects some of Mortimer’s most absurd, exaggerated and unintentionally comic observations about different nationalities. Her sweeping stereotypes and confidently incorrect assumptions make the book a fascinating example of Victorian attitudes towards foreigners and the limitations of historical travel writing.
Todd Pruzan presents these passages with a humorous modern perspective, celebrating Mortimer’s remarkable ability to turn ignorance and prejudice into accidental comedy.
A good choice for readers interested in humour, quirky history, Victorian culture, travel writing and unusual historical curiosities.
