Literature Network » Jonathan Swift

In search of chillier climes Mark Sanderson enjoys this quest to find the mythical frozen land of Thule

Content courtesy of

From: The Sunday Telegraph London
Date: 20050306
Author:By MARK SANDERSON

ULTIMA THULE, like Jonathan Swift's Laputa, is an island that does not exist. However, this has not stopped countless explorers and dreamers searching for it. Supposedly the northernmost point of the known world, a land of endless night in winter and perpetual day in summer, Thule is an icy Erewhon where nature is at its most elemental, both beautiful and brutal.

Joanna Kavenna was aware of all this, yet she still could not wait to get there. She longed to leave smoggy London: ``the crowds were grinding me down''. So, dreaming of silent, empty snowscapes, undaunted by tales of ``women with ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Jonathan Swift

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.