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guinness74 's review for:
In Patagonia
by Bruce Chatwin
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
I have reasons to believe that, even given the sources by Chatwin himself at the end of this book, that he is an unreliable narrator, dipping his pen into both the fiction and non-fiction inkwells to concoct these stories. While I’m not opposed to such, the book is rather presented as historical or autobiographical. Either way, it begins with a scrap of fossil and winds its way through Patagonian history and myth to track down another similar fossil. The book is written in haphazard segments, charitably called chapters, which may or may not relate to previous chapters. Characters are introduced and dispensed with as though they were mere attendees at a soirée that Chatwin is crashing. Some of the writing is engaging, but mostly it’s a meandering travelogue that hits on some Chilean/Argentinian high points.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation