A review by deprofundis
Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have to admit to my own biases in saying that when I read the description of this book - a journalist becomes obsessed with figuring out why an American anthropologist living with a remote native community in northern Thailand murdered a local missionary - I didn't need to stretch my imagination much to provide an answer. Berlinski is considerably more charitable to his missionary family, although his feelings on the matter aren't exactly straightforward, and that's part of what makes Fieldwork a compelling read. This is an adventurous novel, full of complex and not easily explicable characters, and that is ultimately the point of the book. I, too, in my life have been struck by The Curiosity, and like all of these characters, I have been frustrated when I discovered that ultimately there is rarely a satisfactory answer to why people - at an individual or a cultural level - do the things they do. Whether you seek an answer in religion or scholarship or just the cold hard facts, it will always be a mystery, and no matter your motivation it's hard not to objectify your subject in the process. All the same, I deeply enjoyed journeying with Mischa, Martiya, and the Walkers.