A review by idicalini
Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

4.0

This is a strange, intriguing book. It really contains three stories - Mischa's (but fictional?) story of him and his girlfriend, the Walker missionary family, and Martiya the anthropologist. Having studied anthropology myself (though I never went abroad for fieldwork), it was quite interesting to read about Martiya's experiences in the field. I recognized a lot from stories I heard/read myself. The conclusion of the story - why did Martiya kill David Walker - was a bit disappointing after all the build up (I mean, the author went back to David's great-grandparents...). But I loved the descriptions of China and Thailand, the Dyalo, the concept of dyal... it reminded me of why I loved anthropology.