What Happened
The Quaker City sets sail, hauling a cargo of American pilgrims across the Atlantic for a grand tour of the Old World and the Levant. Rather than basking in the expected glory of historical sites, the author navigates a persistent clash between his companions' romanticized notions and the reality of the Mediterranean. He encounters dry riverbeds, crumbling ruins, and cities thick with poverty and importuning beggars. From dodging aggressive guides in Milan to racing camels in the Syrian desert, the author assesses the remnants of antiquity against a gritty, nineteenth-century backdrop. He remains stubbornly unimpressed by relics or prestige, finding the present-day inhabitants of these storied lands far less majestic than the legends promised.
Key figures
- Quaker City
The steamship carrying sixty-five American pilgrims on their five-month excursion.
- Hadji Muhammad Lamarty
A princely Moorish guide who manages the party's arrival in Tangier.
- Blucher
A reckless companion who attempts to ride a mule into a mosque.
- Ferguson
The generic name the travelers assign to every indistinguishable, talkative foreign guide.
What it's really about
- Iconoclasm
- Poking fun at overly-revered relics and romanticized history.
- American Exceptionalism
- Comparing European social structures to American democratic sensibilities.
Why it's memorable
- A cat jumping across the narrow streets of Jerusalem because the houses are so close.
- Watching an Arab on a camel easily outrun the travelers' horses during a boisterous desert race.
Where it lands
The journey leaves the travelers with lasting memories of St. Peter's dome at sunset and the serene, ancient endurance of Damascus.
For your book club
- The contrast between the 'picnic' atmosphere on deck and the desolation found in modern Greece.
- The frustration with 'guide-English' and the inability to view art without constant interruptions.