Book Description

George Henry Borrow (1803-1881) was an English author who wrote novels and travelogues based on his own experiences around Europe. Over the course of his wanderings, he developed a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe, and they figure prominently in his work. His best known book, Lavengro, is largely autobiographical. He studied law, but languages and literature became his main interests. Because of his precocious linguistic skills George Borrow in his youth became the protege of the Norwich-born scholar William Taylor. Borrow depicts Taylor, an advocate of German Romantic literature, in his semi-autobiographical novel Lavengro (1851). With Taylor's encouragement Borrow embarked upon his first translation: Von Klinger's scandalous variant upon the Faust legend with the full title Faustus, his Life, Death and Descent into Hell, first published in St. Petersburg in 1791. He had a life-long empathy with nomadic people such as Gypsies, and was fascinated by gypsy customs, songs and dance. He became so familiar with their language as to publish a dictionary of it. He also wrote Romantic Ballads (1826) and Targum; or, Metrical Translations (1835).