'A cross between a leprechaun and a miniature Flastaff, he writes charmingly, learnedly and diffusely', taking the reader -- as only an Irishman can -- on a will-o'-the wisp journey, absorbing on his way the history of the great shrine, and of how the cult of the saint arose, and also the folklore attached to pilgrims and the pilgrim roads. Walter Starkie has written the original classic book of the pilgrimage of St James, which is still the benchmark. The Road to Santiago is an enjoyable voyage through the places, peoples and history of northern Spain, as seen through the eyes of a great story-teller.
Walter Starkie Book order (chronological)
Cervantes' tale of the deranged gentleman who turns knight-errant have found its way into films, cartoons and even computer games. Intended as a parody of the most popular escapist fiction, the 'books of chivalry', this precursor of the modern novel broadened and deepened into a sophisticated, comic account of the contradictions of human nature.