A review by jaytongue
The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin

lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.75

I really liked the first half of the book. The narrative is well composed, the plot is moving, and the characters are compelling. However, at some point it sort of feels like Chatwin gave up on actually integrating his perspectives and insights? a big portion of each chapter of the back of the book is excerpts from the main character's notebook, which is just unorganized anecdotes and quotations. These are a real damper on the book's momentum, and what narrative is left also also suffers accordingly.  It feels like an effort to do what Daniel Quinn did in the Story of B, where a device allows the main character to grand stand more directly to the reader, but I think Chatwin doesn't handle it as well. The result is an otherwise great main character is made into what just feels like an author's self-insert.