Much of Italian Journey is taken up with Goethe’s observations about nature, climate, architecture, art ,and social mores. His scientific theorizing also gets a substantial airing, as does his keen interest in mineral deposits and volcanoes!
In addition to being an entertaining document of a learned man’s travels, Italian Journey may also be seen as a snapshot of a time in history. The regions being explored by Goethe may not all have been undergoing quite the pace of change being seen elsewhere, but he offers a window on how people lived and sustained themselves, and how, if at all,they were being affected by new ideas.
Goethe’s experiences are described in colourful and often humorous detail. Although he strives to be tactful and constructive, he is occasionally quite blunt in his appraisal of places, people and cultural artefacts.
I felt that the writings became livelier and more robust when he reached Naples and then Sicily. Less equivocal, and perhaps a sense of perspective is enabled by memories of his other stop-off points. An accumulation of sights, sounds, exchanges, encounters and experiences makes his opinions seem more coherent and pungent. As the journey unfolds, he is not afraid of flouting cosy consensus or dispelling myth. The passages on culture, landscape and topography are broken up with some amusing tangential tales concerning local characters and traditions.
Goethe does not shrink from hinting at his ambivalence about some religious practices and political and social institutions. Such verdicts are expressed cryptically, but equally leave the reader in little doubt where his sympathies lie. He seems to judge people on what resides in their hearts and minds, and not on their nominal rank or title. This is refreshing.
As I became more engrossed in this work, I increasingly wondered what a 21st century equivalent would look and feel like. Yes, people do travel widely today, and they do write perceptively and enticingly about their thoughts and experiences, but the particular tenor of those times, and Goethe’s unusually wide range of interests and concerns, give his writings here genuine character, depth and novelty. Extra interest stems from the imagery of “forward thinkers” being hemmed in by, and coping with, the restrictions imposed by those times. Creative people, reconciling the past and present with a changing world and fresh attitudes.
A modern day variant of Italian Journey would probably involve one of the polymaths of our times embarking on some kind of train journey through those regions. It would still be a good read, but is the world now simply too homogenized, clinical, automated and above all, small, to afford much in the way of romance, spontaneity or unpredictability? Or is it the case that deep down people have not really changed that much, just their surroundings, and the specific means by which they strive to achieve the same goals, deal with the same fears, and fall prey to the same weaknesses? Have “advances” and “progress” made people’s lives “better” but less “interesting”? (quotes added advisedly).
Even then, was it the habit of “intellectuals” to look patronizingly on the “little people”, and romanticize about their lifestyles and customs? To my mind, this phenomenon still exists today, if not necessarily in Europe. Asserting that they were a happy, simple people, is a convenient way of avoiding asking some awkward questions. Those people might actually have welcomed a little Northern European “sophistication” in their lives. The charm and diversity which outside observers gushed effusively about may have been small comfort to some of those on the ground.
Quite aside from any such ruminations, Italian Journey is an entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking read, and is well worth seeking out.
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