Scan barcode
alundeberg's review against another edition
4.0
In 2015 Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert explored the ancient port city of Marseille, extolling its beauty, varied culture, and long history. By then Marseille was finally (finally!) since its founding in 600 BC becoming a destination for tourists, not just global traders of everything legal and not. "Come to Marseille!" these two venerable chefs said. But they are not the first to say so. Decades prior to the "Part Unkown" Marseille episode, writer MFK Fisher repeatedly visited this storied city between 1929-1970s and wrote about her experiences in "A Considerable Town". Fisher, who traveled there as a young student, a young wife, and then a mother of two, encapsulates everything that Bourdain is noted for: fearlessness, curiosity, and an unflappable zest for experiences.
Her book is a curio of full of memories from her time in Marseille, and like one who is remembering a fond place, the narrative jumps around as one memory beckons another. It is not a travel guide, although you can Google the places she mentions and see that they are still there, like the Grand Hotel Beauvau, which looks like it has a received a much needed refurbishing since her time. Instead it is full of the best things about travel: chance meetings with a variety of people, attachments to places that you alone like and no one else gets, unexpected adventures that leave a greater mark than seeing "fill-in-the-blank" sight. It is a work that is reflective of someone who is open to having life happen to them. Fisher is a woman who likes what she likes and does not let others dissuade her (and many try) with their biases, xenophobia, and social class. I enjoyed reading it very much; it made me feel back out in the world.
Her book is a curio of full of memories from her time in Marseille, and like one who is remembering a fond place, the narrative jumps around as one memory beckons another. It is not a travel guide, although you can Google the places she mentions and see that they are still there, like the Grand Hotel Beauvau, which looks like it has a received a much needed refurbishing since her time. Instead it is full of the best things about travel: chance meetings with a variety of people, attachments to places that you alone like and no one else gets, unexpected adventures that leave a greater mark than seeing "fill-in-the-blank" sight. It is a work that is reflective of someone who is open to having life happen to them. Fisher is a woman who likes what she likes and does not let others dissuade her (and many try) with their biases, xenophobia, and social class. I enjoyed reading it very much; it made me feel back out in the world.
More...