Charles Leland – a folklorist, the author of the humorous Hans Breitmann stories and a distant relative of the English antiquary John Leland – is best known for Aradia: Gospel of the Witches. He was an authority on gypsy folklore, and Native American and African American legends. With his complex attitudes towards race and identity, as well as his talent for embellishment, Leland is an excellent subject for a biography. However, a good biography is a reflexive study where the author enters into a dialogue with the evidence to reveal the life of the subject (see the review of The Devil is a Gentleman, FT263:61). This book fails significantly in this respect.
Large sections of text – up to two pages! – are lifted verbatim from Leland’s memoirs and from the biography written by his niece, Elizabeth Pennell. A good editor would have focused the quotes to highlight significant points within Leland’s life. Instead, the exploration of Leland becomes muddied. The referencing system also suffers: a quote critical of Leland is attributed to him.
Elsewhere, Varner’s understanding of the current Travellers’ persecution in Great Britain is overly romanticised. On page 69, he states “…in fact, in Britain today several ‘reservations’ have been established for them, but should they stop anywhere on their way from one to the other they face arrest and fines.” While there is undoubtedly prejudice, this view doesn’t allow for events such as the annual Appleby Horse Fair.
Pennell’s biography is available online. Read it for free rather than spending money on this poorly-edited rehash.
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