Adventures in Two Worlds

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A.J. Cronin’s autobiography, Adventures in Two Worlds, starts out as an absolute pleasure. 

But don’t get your hopes up.

Cronin opens his narrative in the years just after the First World War, dishing up delightful accounts about his early days as a medical professional.  He guides us through his first postings in villages in Scotland and Wales.  He’s eventually named to the Royal College of Physicians, and builds a lucrative practice in London—before walking away from it all to pursue his writing full time.

His stories abound with odd and fascinating characters.  Some anecdotes are laugh-out-loud funny while others are inspirational or poignant.  The approach is similar to the later works of James Herriott, the Yorkshire veterinarian who chronicled the All Creatures Great and Small series.  And it works well.

But about midway through the book, Cronin takes a sharp turn, shifting from storytelling to sermonizing.  For example, he devotes an entire chapter to the attributes of a successful marriage.  He includes little biographical information or personal examples.  Instead, he preaches.  It’s not motivational.  It’s not interesting.  Frankly, it comes off as clumsy.

Much of the second half is devoted to discussing his return to his Christian roots.  In fact, the final two chapters are pure sermon, including quotes from the Scriptures.  The impression is that he wanted to use this book as his testimony.   That’s fine, and it’s laudable that he apparently found his way.  But the execution is heavy-handed and at odds with the vivid storytelling that was so effective earlier in the book. 

In the final analysis, Adventures in Two Worlds might make you feel like you’ve been suckered in a bit.  Enjoy it while you can, but temper your expectations for what follows.

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Quotes

Good-natured tolerance does much to make the wheels of family life turn smoothly, and, especially as one grows older, it works wonders to practice that tactful diplomacy which might be called the art of being nice to one another.

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