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lukaseichmann's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mehul_dhikonia's review against another edition
4.0
Though Messer Marco was not the first person to walk on the silk road let alone document his journey, yet this is perhaps one of the most influential works of literature of its generation. Reading it now in the 21st-century one should adjust their eyes and thoughts to that of a 13th-century European traveler. I recommend reading the introduction by Nigel Cliff to set your expectations and let yourself be enchanted by the travelogue of epic scale even by today's standards.
It may at times seem that this book was written from a merchant's insight, you also need to remind yourself that most notes Marco made were written to report back to the Great Khan who was perhaps curious about the riches of the land that he ruled and Marco never imagined he would ever return to Venice. And yet between passages that mention names of cities and tells us there is nothing further important to speak of it there are beautiful descriptions of lands and their customs and tales of myth and history that reveal so much about the places he traveled through and stories of places he heard from other travelers he met on his journey especially the bits about eastern Africa.
As a modern-day reader you may find yourself wanting descriptions of human interactions or Marco's journey within, but alas his travels speak little to nothing of it.
Grab a map, be prepared to read the footnotes, it will not always be an easy read but still a fulfilling one that would fill your mind with adventure.
It may at times seem that this book was written from a merchant's insight, you also need to remind yourself that most notes Marco made were written to report back to the Great Khan who was perhaps curious about the riches of the land that he ruled and Marco never imagined he would ever return to Venice. And yet between passages that mention names of cities and tells us there is nothing further important to speak of it there are beautiful descriptions of lands and their customs and tales of myth and history that reveal so much about the places he traveled through and stories of places he heard from other travelers he met on his journey especially the bits about eastern Africa.
As a modern-day reader you may find yourself wanting descriptions of human interactions or Marco's journey within, but alas his travels speak little to nothing of it.
Grab a map, be prepared to read the footnotes, it will not always be an easy read but still a fulfilling one that would fill your mind with adventure.
abipinn's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
As far as writers in the Middle Ages go (and that’s a huge qualifier), Polo is pretty accepting/respectful of other cultures.
ialja's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
If you can get past the clunky language and repetitiveness, the Travels offer a fascinating glimpse at eastern cultures – and western prejudices – toward the end of the 13th century.
msand3's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this was an oddly disappointing book. I say "oddly" because it has all the elements of what could be a great journey narrative: exotic locales, narratives of folk tales/myths, descriptions of battles, details of the customs of faraway (and sometimes lost) civilizations, etc. And yet...it was stale, repetitive, and at times, a little dull. Not even the "true stories that Polo heard from reliable sources" (i.e. outrageous legends and myths) could hold my interest peppered between monotonous, dry descriptions of landscapes and peoples that I thought would be fascinating. By the time I reached the crazy/funny stuff (the search for Adam, the mountain where one can "see" Noah's ark, the dog-people, etc.), I felt like the pay-off wasn't worth it.
I found the most interesting sections to be on Kubilai Khan and India, perhaps because these were the areas most familiar to Polo. In the case of the former, I soon wished I were instead reading a book on the history of the Khans!
I think the most concrete example this book's bait-and-switch comes when Polo mentions in passing his observation of a "unicorn," while telling readers that he would soon give us details later in the book. Well, I kept reading to see just where this might lead, only to find that Polo is describing *SPOILER ALERT* a fucking rhinoceros! Normally, this would make me chuckle; but by this point in Polo's narrative, I was just annoyed.
I found the most interesting sections to be on Kubilai Khan and India, perhaps because these were the areas most familiar to Polo. In the case of the former, I soon wished I were instead reading a book on the history of the Khans!
I think the most concrete example this book's bait-and-switch comes when Polo mentions in passing his observation of a "unicorn," while telling readers that he would soon give us details later in the book. Well, I kept reading to see just where this might lead, only to find that Polo is describing *SPOILER ALERT* a fucking rhinoceros! Normally, this would make me chuckle; but by this point in Polo's narrative, I was just annoyed.