In Patagonia (Vintage classics) (Paperback)

What emerges is an extraordinary chronicle of the nomadic wanderings of Chatwin during his 6 month trip to Patagonia (he quit his job at the Sunday Times in order to embark on this visit). He begins by describing how he was curious to find out more about a curious ancient beast, of which his grandmother had a fragment of skin, but soon becomes waylaid by a bizarre succession of people and stories that build upon each other as the book progresses like a ramshackle house of cards.

It is the stories that form the essence of the book. There is description of the geography and physical characteristics of the region but only in brief passages as a setting to another inspired piece of Patagonian folklore. Chatwin clearly has an ear for a good yarn and an almost dilletante, enquiring mind. Also, in the manner of a skilled raconteur, he is frequently economical with the truth in order to include his own even better facts. Thus the book is a curious conglomerate of part travel writing, part sociology, part history, part anthropology and part fiction.

Don't read if if you want a standard travel chronicle that will tell you where to go or what do do in this part of the world, but then there are plenty of Rough Guide and Lonley Planet books for that. If you are a budding voyager with a taste for scholarship and a penchant for bizzare tales, this book is an essential part of the travellers canon.

Patagonia has been a haven for many European nationalities besides the Spanish. British, Welsh, Scots and the Germans have found refuge and opportunities here. Chatwin encounters a wide spectrum of the inhabitants. By touring on foot, bus and horse, as well as obtaining the occasional lift, he is able to garner intense impressions. Lacing the account of what he observes with numerous piquant historical side notes, he imparts the place along with the spirit of the residents. The history varies as the land itself. Rising from the Atlantic across a vast plain until reaching the rising slopes of the "back" of the Andes, Patagonia offers incredible vistas and diversity. Decades of building immense rancheros and farms have been punctuated by social and political upheavals. Chatwin recounts the lives of many of the rebels and how they impacted the pampas scene. His literary capacity seems as vast as the territory. We even encounter The Ancient Mariner. There are no dull moments in this book.

Chatwin presents a more knowledgeable view in discussing aboriginal people than that of most travel writers. There's nothing patronizing in his tone as he tries to address their plight. "Tries to" because European intrusion has left so little for researchers of indigenous cultures to address. He cites the expressive terms in the Yamana language to point out how culturally inept the colonizing powers have been. We learn to use the term "primitive" with caution. Millennia of residence gained the original peoples skills the Europeans disparaged, often to
their regret. It's becoming a familiar story, made sadder at the realization the loss of cultures swept away by colonization.

At the end, his original quest brings him to a cave visited by Charley Milward, wrecked ship's captain. He cannot replace the artifact Milward left in Chatwin's grandmother's house, but there is other compensation. That the quest isn't a failure adds further lustre to an incredible journey. But what Chatwin has gained is as nothing compared to what he's given us. This book will remain a classic for years to come. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I would greatly recommend this book, since it is a refreshing change of style to the more modern travel experience books on the market, and so makes for very compelling reading.