Posted by Peter Ceresole on June 24, 2009 at 07:15:47 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: Absent posters (Trivia) posted by John Lambert on June 24, 2009 at 00:01:23:
I wrote alleged because some people might object to the term "decline".
I'm sure you're right in what you say. I'd just say one more thing; all nations and societies have this ability to reinvent themselves. The ones that don't, implode... I'm thinking of the Soviet system, although Russia itself has certainly transformed itself. Several times.
But in Europe, quite apart from Britain, there have been a number of Lazarus-like resurgences. Look at France, Germany, Italy...
What's wonderful is the diversity, at all levels. For instance, I don't know of any French equivalent of AR's books, on the other hand I don't see a British Fournier or a wildly romantic equivalent of 'Le Grand Meaulnes'. The nearest we got was 'The Green Hat'. Written my a Bulgarian. Well it would be...