South American Adventure

Last November our Library and Information Manager, Christine George travelled to South America. Here, she tells us about her holiday reading.

I recently read Bruce Chatwin’s “In Patagonia” while I was travelling in Chile with my daughter.  Like many people I enjoy a holiday read which adds to or expands the flavour that you get from foreign travel.  Chatwin’s book follows his travels through Argentinian Patagonia but the landscape extends beyond that country into Chile.

With over 90 short chapters it’s an ideal travel companion, offering great pleasure and many insights.  A sort of South American “On the road”, describing the bleak but fascinating landscape and the communities and individuals - often associated with various waves of immigration, who populate this unforgiving but heart stirring land. There are Welsh and German expatriates who have settled and live a frontier life style. 

Chatwin is in search of adventure – stirred by the idea of a lost city, a sea captain ancestor and a brontosaurus. He roams widely by any means possible, receiving hospitality and stories from those he meets. His subjects range from the treatment of the indigenous peoples to the story of Butch Cassidy, the Wild Bunch and their time in South America and to everyday portraits of the lives of people living in these sparse and remote communities.  A lovely book, with much to offer.