BOOK REVIEW-The Joys of Excess, extracts from the diary of Samuel Pepys

Part of a series of twenty short paperbacks celebrating historical writing on food, “The Joys of Excess” offers selected extracts from the diary of Samuel Pepys that mention food and its effects (particularly excessive quantities of it). The book is arranged into ten chapters each covering one of the years from 1660-1669 that Pepys kept his (first and most famous) diary, every Chapter title a nod to one of the more obscure or eventful entries contained therein.

The fragmented nature of the selection meant I found it best to consume the book in short helpings after my regular bedtime reading - a literary digestif. At just over 100 pages it is a nice gift to give - maybe as a thank you for a lunch or dinner - and is perhaps as good as any an introduction to the diary for those daunted by reading the whole thing. Book hospitality - the giving of a book to a host for the building up of their library, was seen as polite amongst Pepys’ contemporaries (Willes, p232) - and perhaps a healthy way we can share in the ‘Joys of Excess’ today?

The sort of selective “plundering” of the diary that this book represents became possible thanks to the comprehensive index in the most recent (1971) and highly acclaimed translation by Robert Latham and William Matthews - although it is an approach to engaging with the diary that Latham had stated he hoped to discourage by offering an accessible and complete text (Loveman, p142). As it happened he later succumbed to the craze himself (see ‘The World of Samuel Pepys’ published to coincide with the 300th anniversary of Pepys death - for which Robert’s second wife Linnet has a joint editorial credit).

While academics and purists may roll their eyes at this ‘culinary greatest hits’ selection - for the rest of us it makes for a fascinating read.

The ‘famous’ entries you might expect to find are all here. Pepys first cup of tea (25 September 1660), burying wine and Parmesan in his garden in Seething Lane to protect it from the approaching Great Fire of London (4 September 1666) and the tongue in cheek entry on throwing up in bed following the after-party on Charles II’s Coronation Day (“thus did the day end with joy everywhere.”)

It’s probably best not to read the book when you are hungry. All the talk of lovely pies, pasties, custard and tarts made my tummy rumble. I was looking forward to finding a recipe for a Lamprey Pie (4 April 1663) - until I googled what Lampreys are. Then I nearly had a Pepysian post-coronation experience of my own.

As someone who likes a good breakfast I found Pepys morning menu selections particularly impressive - oysters, tongue and anchovies on New Years Day 1661, starting the day with brawn (pigs head) on January 25 1662. Pretty strong stuff.

In view of which, Pepys’ subsequent entries on the effects of his over indulgence will come as no surprise - but may add to what Kate Loveman calls the “affective proximity” (Loveman, p12) or closeness, with which we associate with Pepys (not always, she suggests, a useful trait). On 29 September 1661 Pepys confesses he was too drunk to say prayers before bed. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

Despite the lack of any context or commentary on the entries (The Latham’s ‘World’ offers a brief overview of dining habits before its selection on food), it is possible to glimpse beyond our “proximity” to the diary. As we are moved by the apparent candour of an entry to ask what Pepys may be being less than candid about elsewhere. To see through Pepys diatribe on various hosts and hostesses and imagine something of the class structure of the time and the insecurity of those not quite at the top of it. To glimpse aspects of the fascinating age of discovery that Pepys lived through and consider how those discoveries were made and financed. But such critical reading of the diary is for other, longer and more academic tomes. This book simply does what it says on the cover - and it is indeed an excessive joy to read.

It is a great privilege to have been appointed as Rector of St Olave Hart Street; what Pepys described as “our own church” and where Samuel and Elizabeth Pepys are buried. Do come and visit and explore the long history of this fascinating church and attend our services and events throughout the year.

References
Robert & Linnet Latham, The World of Samuel Pepys, HarperCollins, 2010
Kate Loveman, The Strange History of Samuel Pepys Diary, Cambridge University Press, 2025
Margaret Willes, The Curious World of Samuel Pepys & John Evely, Yale University Press, 2017