The Romany Rye


Read by Peter Dann

"The Romany Rye" is a direct continuation of George Borrow's "Lavengro", taking up the latter's story immediately where it (rather abruptly) concluded.

Borrow himself referred to both books collectively as "Lavengro", and asserted that he wrote the work for the express purpose of inculcating virtue, love of country, learning, manly pursuits, and genuine religion, for example, that of the Church of England, and for awakening a contempt for nonsense of every kind, and a hatred for priest craft, more especially that of Rome.

While this may be so as far as it goes, Borrow's account of his book's purpose does little to capture the extraordinary liveliness of a work whose genre defies categorisation, but which certainly includes elements of autobiography, travelogue and (often, most amusing) invective.

Those willing to come along for the ride with Borrow's narrator will meet some marvellous yarn-spinners and leg-pullers in early- to mid-nineteenth century England. Among others, you'll meet a demoralised inn-keeper whose fortunes are transformed the minutes he refuses to become a Papist, a joyous rat catcher, a dupe caught up in a bank note forgery case, a wistful beekeeper who brews strong mead, a grief-stricken widower who learns Chinese by studying pottery inscriptions but cannot tell the time, a card sharper who almost inveigled the Pope into playing a game of cards with him for money, and many other quirky individuals. You'll learn all about the depredations of coach drivers, how to sell a horse at a horse fair without being taken advantage of, the history of Hungary told by one who knows, why teaching one's beloved Armenian may not be the best way to win her heart, and much else of besides — all told in some of the most interestingly-fashioned mid-nineteenth century English prose you are ever likely to encounter.
(Summary by Peter Dann) (15 hr 4 min)

Chapters

Chapter 1 8:47 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 2 9:35 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 3 16:55 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 4 28:08 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 5 9:06 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 6 20:18 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 7 16:55 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 8 12:54 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 9 13:14 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 10 25:08 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 11 14:12 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 12 21:00 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 13 5:08 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 14 13:49 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 15 9:02 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 16 16:25 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 17 17:29 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 18 8:38 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 19 11:50 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 20 3:17 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 21 18:11 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 22 12:16 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 23 8:35 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 24 12:14 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 25 10:53 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 26 18:47 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 27 12:57 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 28 16:12 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 29 12:40 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 30 8:54 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 31 14:49 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 32 12:57 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 33 25:34 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 34 19:28 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 35 4:01 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 36 7:18 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 37 17:46 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 38 4:55 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 39 37:50 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 40 12:43 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 41 36:10 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 42 39:29 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 43 6:45 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 44 16:58 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 45 15:38 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 46 24:54 Read by Peter Dann
Chapter 47 3:08 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: A word for Lavengro 21:00 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: On priestcraft 16:47 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: On foreign nonsense 6:57 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: On gentility nonsense 6:23 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: Subject of gentility nonsense continued 29:59 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: On Scotch gentility nonsense 17:08 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: Same subject continued 13:08 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: On canting nonsense 20:05 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: Pseudo-critics 20:32 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: Pseudo-radicals 15:10 Read by Peter Dann
Appendix: The old radical 23:44 Read by Peter Dann