Cet auteur américain a choisi l’Angleterre comme lieu de résidence.
After he visited London, Henry James (1843- 1916), wrote :
“It is difficult to speak adequately or justly of London. It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable, or cheerful, or easy, or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent !”
Agathe Pacaud was recently in London with her English class and she has written a letter to give Mr James her impressions of the city.
Dear Henry,
I write you this letter because I’m almost at the end of my trip in London. I know you were here more than a hundred years ago and that’s why I’m going to explain to you how the city has evolved.
First of all, walking in the parks is an activity that I love doing. Since you passed away, a lot of things have changed! Parks can still be used by Londoners, of course, for walking their dogs or chilling with their friends or family, but some are used for huge festivals. I went to a lot of these during my time in London. It was a real gift for my ears! But they pollute a lot. They destroy the grass and plastic cups or glass bottles are thrown in nature because people don’t care. That’s probably why some garden squares are privatized. You have to get a key and this is only for rich residents around the square. If you want an access to them, you have to go on open-day weekend.
There is also a place in Hyde Park called Speakers’ Corner, where people can speak freely and voice their opinions. You probably know this place…It probably existed when you were alive. Long ago, it was used for public executions (or maybe you weren’t born at all, I don’t remember when public executions stopped being allowed).
There are so many things to do in London! Some museums or double-decker buses can be hired for weddings or other specials occasions. It can be really interesting! But all these are mostly for tourists. In London, a special magazine is published every week (I cheated, I bought one). You can read about new entertainment. Most Londoners prefer to avoid touristic places!
Unfortunately, there are some things that I dislike in the city. They have CCTV cameras. You probably don’t know what these are because they were created after your death. Anyway, these cameras are so pervasive. Some people think that it’s useful to help the police but in fact, the pictures are too fuzzy to be used. I understand why people here are being paranoid and have the impression of being followed.
Well, I hope you and your (dead) family are ok.
We will probably never hear from each other again, but I wish you the best.
Une lettre de Agathe Pacaud, élève du lycée Jeanne d’Arc
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