Skip to main content.

The Romany Rye

Gelesen von 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