schopflin 's review for:

The Cruel Way by Ella Maillart, Jessa Crispin
3.5
adventurous informative sad slow-paced
This is an interesting book with a lot of beautiful description of Central Asia. I learned a lot of history of the region and a snapshot of how it was in 1939. However, I found the writing/ translation style occasionally a little overblown and especially did not warm to 'Christina's' introspective writing. I didn't really warm to either of them as people although I am left with admiration of Maillart. The content warning is well-said. I think I find 'old-fashioned attitudes' harder to take in travel writing because they come with a sense the author considers themself an expert for travelling at all. Still, this is not to belittle their extraordinary achievement, or Maillart's resourcefulness. And I am glad I read it. Just one question (and this is not a spoiler), if you were trying to cure your partner of opium addiction, why would you go to Afghanistan? 
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