In Patagonia
3.1
19
5
1
Paperback
USD
15.76
$15.76
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780142437193 |
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| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 01/14/2003 |
| Series: | Classics Series |
| Pages: | 240 |
| Sales rank: | 76,901 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.60(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
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In Patagonia
3.1 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
19 reviews.
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In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin is a travel book about the author¿s experiences in Chile. Bruce Chatwin has traveled widely in Asia, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Africa, South America and Australia. In Patagonia is a great collection of tall tales that The famous author Paul Theroux described as ¿The classic of travel literature¿ exciting, boisterous, and bizarre.¿ (cover). As Bruce Chatwin travels through Patagonia, he encounters many interesting places, people, and cultures. Patagonia begins the Rio Negro in Southern Chile and Ends at the Punta Arenas which is in Southern Chile. Through Argentina and Chile, Bruce Chatwin experienced many different culture, and he described in detail the places in Patagonia. From Rio Negro, Bruce Chatwin traveled south to Port Madryn, Buenos Aires, Bolivia and Punta Arenas in Chile. The Moreano Glacier, the Land of Fire and Rio Pico were some of the most interesting places that he visited because there, he experience the beautiful view of their landscapes. In the Tierra de Fuego, the fires were the campfires of the Fuegian Indians. Previously, Magellan saw smoke only and called it Tierra de Humo, the Land of Smoke, but Charles V, the King of England, said there was no smoke without fire and changed the name. According to Captain Shelvock¿s voyage ¿The heavens were perpetually hid from us by gloomy distant clouds¿ we had not the sight of one fish of any kind, nor seabirds except a disconsolate Black Albitross, hovering near as if he had lost himself¿¿ (113). This quote well described Tierra de Fuego, and aided in the understanding. Bruce Chatwin spent most of his time at Punta Arenas and there, he experienced many interesting thins. In the Plaza de Armas a ceremony was in progress. ¿It was one hundred years since Don Josè Menèndez set foot in Punta Arenas and a well-heeled party of his descendants had come south to unveil his memorial. The women wore black dresses, pearls, furs and patent shoes. The men had the drawn look that some of protecting an over-extended acreage¿ (142). Also, the Salesian Father in Punta Arenas had a big museum of history. Beside these places, he finds many other interesting places through out his travel. However, it was a little disappointing at the end of the book. It seems to be that Bruce Ahtwin became bored because there was no revelation, and no feeling that the journey had taught him anything. By reading this book, readers can learn many things about Patagonia. Each of the chapters described different places, people and cultures. Since this book is a travel book, it is very descriptive and informative. In Patagonia is a god book for people who like to travel or like to know about places, people, and cultures in South America especially in Argentina and Chile. It is also good on people and history. In Patagonia Bruce Chatwin Penguin Books 199 pages
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In Patagonia very much had a Kerouac, On the Road, vibe to it. I was not expecting that at all, since this was thought to be a Travel Adventure book, so it took a little while to come to terms with that. Once understood, the reading did take on a certain, rambling rhythm to it, which was comfortable.
There were so many colorful characters, and such a wealth of insight into the history of the region that I will definitely look to find more reads on Patagonia specifically, and Argentina in general.
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This book is a must read before traveling to the disparate land of deserts and glaciers. Chatwin is a master of description and detail told from the view of a bold adventurer complete with history, intrigue, and a vivid description of diverse people and cultures. A must read for those interested in writing about travel.
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This book inspired me to follow the route Chatwin does and it was truly a magical experience. All of the information and back story provided me with the energy for a much more substantial and wondrous journey than I could have imagined or worked out with a travel agent. Read the book, take it with you to Argentina on a trip of your own.
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Descriptions spare and vivid, but overall style too laconic. Good on descriptions of all the European "exiles" though - highlights the key details of their lives through what they surround themselves with.
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Si alguien busca en "In Patagonia" un buen libro de viajes que se vaya buscando otra lectura. Nada más lejos de un género difícil y que puede caer en la caricatura de la manera más fácil. Chatwin no describe la magnificencia del paisaje fueguino, sus acantilados, el color de la mar... El autor nos hace una radiografía de sus gentes, sus mitos, la anécdota... Chatwin es el placer de narrar, de contar historias. Una obra ejemplar, repleta de belleza y de buen gusto. El estilo seco del autor no le resta emoción a alguno de sus fragmentos, especialmente cuando nos habla de las revoluciones patagónicas y de personajes como Soto, o bien cuando se centra en las aventuras y desventuras de Charlie Milward.Obra maestra.
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Often mentioned as a classic of travel writing, I had high expectations for In Patagonia. Flipping through the book, I saw photos of glaciers and ancient cave paintings. I should have looked more closely at the photos of rugged homesteaders and abandoned ranches. Chatwin's classic trek is tightly focused on the settlement of Patagonia by various Europeans and the possibility that Argentina was the last hiding place for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The book mainly recounts the names and home countries of various settlers and the type of livestock they raised and the church they attended. It provides little more than a few rambling theories about the notorious cowboy's time in Patagonia. The author never finds the time to describe the natural splendor of Patagonia or the history or culture of its original inhabitants. The framing of the tale is interesting but Chatwin's search of the origins of his Uncle Charley's Giant Sloth skin is a very small part of the story and not enough to make up for the monotony of the seemingly endless slog from isolated ranch to isolated ranch.
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What can I say? It's a classic, and it's a decent read. The fact that I was mildly dissappointed probably has more to do with hype than the book itself.It's a rambling and somewhat unstructured travelogue, far from the well structured chronicle of Theroux and his likes. Chatwin frequently bounces of track with anecdotes and historical tidbits, but that's all part of his charm. You just have to trust him - and keep up
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This book brings postmodernism to the traditional travelogue, in that rather than a single seamless narrative we get anecdotal splices of events and impressions. At first, this style proved exciting as it jolted me awake, but it wore thinn, and at several points in the book actual insight is supplanted entirely by technique. But the fragments have sharply etched details that serve to invoke the setting, and they are loosely united in the overwhelming themes of the book: restlessness, displacement, and the wayward coupling of far away places and lost times. Argentina appears as a fascinating mishmash of cultures and landscapes, a roughly hewn analogue of the rest of the world yet unique in itself.
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I have decided I prefer history to travelogues. Although Bruce Chatwin writes well, I could not interest myself in his travel experiences or the personalities he encountered. However, his historical characters perked me up. I especially enjoyed the saga of Robert Leroy Parker and Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids. The yarns of his cousin, sea captian Charley Milward, also fascinated me, and thankfully took up a good portion of the book.If you prefer your adventures from an armchair, you may relish Bruce Chatwin's quest for the skin of a Giant Sloth from Patagonia.
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Beautifully evocative classic account of travels and adventures in Patagonia. The author is particularly interested in the fate and lives of Welsh and other British emigrants to this forgotten and out of the way corner of the world. After a few generations and in relative isolation, how can those people maintain their culture? To me, this is of great interest and relevance. While some have questioned the veracity of the encounters depicted, I love the sense of authenticity ¿ the people, the feelings, the curiosity ¿ all feel so real. I also particularly enjoyed the meandering journey, the lack of agenda, or itinerary ¿ in the travels, in his meetings and in the anecdotes. This is perfect book to get lost in.
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I heard that this is considered classic travel writing, and maybe that means that it was groundbreaking once, or that it's a catalog of things to avoid in the future. In some parts, it reads like a journal, and some parts like a research paper -- but none of it is particularly compelling.
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Absorbing travel notes on a remote and little known region of the world.
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A remote part of the world wih its own ghosts and legends--Chatwin is extroverted and chatty
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While Bruce Chatwin, who was working as a journalist for the Sunday Times, was interviewing the then 93-year-old architect and designer, Eileen Gray, he noticed a map of Patagonia on her wall."I've always wanted to go there," he said."So have I," Gray replied. "Go there for me."Chatwin immediately left for Patagonia, and when he got there he telegrammed his employers: "Have gone to Patagonia". What follows is an amazing trip, mostly journeyed on foot throughout the south of South America, and the accounts experienced there written down in Chatwin's now-classic In Patagonia.The book starts off with Chatwin's recollection when as a child, he sees a piece of old animal skin in his grandmother's house. His mother tells him it is from a brontosaurus, but later he finds out it is actually from the sloth-like Mylodon. This doesn't dampen his fascination with the piece of skin and soon he becomes even more fascinated with the person, his great-uncle Charley, who had brought it all the way to England from Patagonia. Zig-zagging his way across arid plains and deserts, Chatwin tracks the history of the people and places he comes across as well as digging up information about his ancestor at his home in Punta Arenas.In this book, his first, Chatwin writes with variable consistency. Sometimes the prose feels forced and dry: "In the Plaza de Armas a ceremony was in progress. It was one hundred years since Don José Menéndez set foot in Punta Arenas and a well-heeled party of his descendants had come south to unveil his memorial. The woman wore black dresses, pearls furs and patent shoes. The men had the drawn look that comes of protecting an overextended acreage."Other times, it feels like he's riding on a passionate train of thought and one tends to feel Chatwin was as excited writing it as one is while reading: "Never in my life have I wanted anything as I wanted that piece of skin. My grandmother said I should have it one day, perhaps. And when she died I said: 'Now I can have the piece of brontosaurus,' but my mother said: 'Oh, that thing! I'm afraid we threw it away.'"In Patagonia isn't just a record of a wandering writer, it's a history book, a novel and a travel book in one. With this book, Chatwin redefined the genre of travel writing with his little nuggets of historical information weaved intricately together with his search for anecdotes about his uncle and his time. The result is a sometimes wonderful, sometimes tiresome account. But stick with it - you will be rewarded and delighted with Chatwin's experiences and discoveries.
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The style of writing was just not what appeals to me. Patagonia is an amazing part of the world but this just does not do it justice. I gave up after the first chapter.
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