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Far Journeys
One hundred stunning photographs taken by the late novelist and travel writer complement his journals of the time that he spent in West Africa, Patagonia, Afghanistan, Java, Turkey, and other places, 10,000 first printing. First serial, The New Yorker.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1993
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73 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Chatwin
67 books678 followersCharles Bruce Chatwin was an English novelist and travel writer. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel On the Black Hill (1982).
In 1972, Chatwin interviewed the 93-year-old architect and designer Eileen Gray in her Paris salon, where he noticed a map of the area of South America called Patagonia, which she had painted. "I've always wanted to go there," Bruce told her. "So have I," she replied, "go there for me." Two years later in November 1974, Chatwin flew out to Lima in Peru, and reached Patagonia a month later. When he arrived, he left the newspaper with a telegram: "Have gone to Patagonia." He spent six months in the area, a trip which resulted in the book In Patagonia (1977). This work established his reputation as a travel writer. Later, however, residents in the region contradicted the account of events depicted in Chatwin's book. It was the first time in his career, but not the last, that conversations and characters which Chatwin presented as fact were alleged to have been fictionalised.
Later works included a novel based on the slave trade, The Viceroy of Ouidah, which he researched with extended stays in Benin, West Africa. For The Songlines (1987), a work combining fiction and non-fiction, Chatwin went to Australia. He studied the culture to express how the songs of the Aborigines are a cross between a creation myth, an atlas and an Aboriginal man's personal story. He also related the travelling expressed in The Songlines to his own travels and the long nomadic past of humans. Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, his novel On the Black Hill (1982) was set closer to home, in the hill farms of the Welsh Borders. It focuses on the relationship between twin brothers, Lewis and Benjamin, who grow up isolated from the course of twentieth century history. Utz (1988), was a novel about the obsession that leads people to collect. Set in Prague, the novel details the life and death of Kaspar Utz, a man obsessed with his collection of Meissen porcelain.
Chatwin was working on a number of new ideas for future novels at the time of his death from AIDS in 1989, including a transcontinental epic, provisionally titled Lydia Livingstone.
In 1972, Chatwin interviewed the 93-year-old architect and designer Eileen Gray in her Paris salon, where he noticed a map of the area of South America called Patagonia, which she had painted. "I've always wanted to go there," Bruce told her. "So have I," she replied, "go there for me." Two years later in November 1974, Chatwin flew out to Lima in Peru, and reached Patagonia a month later. When he arrived, he left the newspaper with a telegram: "Have gone to Patagonia." He spent six months in the area, a trip which resulted in the book In Patagonia (1977). This work established his reputation as a travel writer. Later, however, residents in the region contradicted the account of events depicted in Chatwin's book. It was the first time in his career, but not the last, that conversations and characters which Chatwin presented as fact were alleged to have been fictionalised.
Later works included a novel based on the slave trade, The Viceroy of Ouidah, which he researched with extended stays in Benin, West Africa. For The Songlines (1987), a work combining fiction and non-fiction, Chatwin went to Australia. He studied the culture to express how the songs of the Aborigines are a cross between a creation myth, an atlas and an Aboriginal man's personal story. He also related the travelling expressed in The Songlines to his own travels and the long nomadic past of humans. Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, his novel On the Black Hill (1982) was set closer to home, in the hill farms of the Welsh Borders. It focuses on the relationship between twin brothers, Lewis and Benjamin, who grow up isolated from the course of twentieth century history. Utz (1988), was a novel about the obsession that leads people to collect. Set in Prague, the novel details the life and death of Kaspar Utz, a man obsessed with his collection of Meissen porcelain.
Chatwin was working on a number of new ideas for future novels at the time of his death from AIDS in 1989, including a transcontinental epic, provisionally titled Lydia Livingstone.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 8, 2024
I bought this cheap at a local garage sale. Interesting experience to read at the same time as the author's novel On The Black Hill. A novel about two brothers, who only once in their entire lifetimes, leave the Welsh village they grew up in. "Far Journeys" is a large format compilation of the author's travel diaries and photographs from countries far away from the British Isles: Mali, Mauritania and Niger in West Africa; Afghanistan, Indonesia and Nepal in Asia; Argentina and Peru in South America; as well as Turkey, a country on the threshold between Europe and Asia both geographically and culturally. Two books by the same author could not possibly be further apart.
This is printed in a very large format (A3), making it unwieldy to carry but that format is necessary to display the full depth and detail of the gorgeous photographs taken by Bruce Chatwin that make often prosaic scenes look abstract and surrealistic. Chatwin displays quite the eye as a photographer for capturing everyday life intruding upon tableaux of vast desolate yet beautiful landscapes, on the rare occasion that humans do appear in the photograph. Meanwhile, as a travelogue writer Chatwin shows an exceptional level of attention to the traditional art styles and folklore of the many different cultures he interacts with in his journeys, as well as a good understanding of how the landscapes and terrain they live in have shaped their societies.
There is also quite a bit of political commentary especially in the chapters about the former French colonies in West Africa. Chatwin notices here that France exported the trashiest and most dysfunctional sides of its own culture to its colonies: Whenever he meets French ambassadors or expat businesspeople in Mauritania and neighbouring countries they are inevitably total weirdoes that could never make it in France itself. The Chinese businessmen whom Chatwin meets in the same places, on the other hand, come across as boring and normal but sane people.
People who like impressive photography of many different countries whose geographies and cultures vary immensely between each other, as well as travelogues shaped by the author's distinctive personality, would do well to give this a read.
This is printed in a very large format (A3), making it unwieldy to carry but that format is necessary to display the full depth and detail of the gorgeous photographs taken by Bruce Chatwin that make often prosaic scenes look abstract and surrealistic. Chatwin displays quite the eye as a photographer for capturing everyday life intruding upon tableaux of vast desolate yet beautiful landscapes, on the rare occasion that humans do appear in the photograph. Meanwhile, as a travelogue writer Chatwin shows an exceptional level of attention to the traditional art styles and folklore of the many different cultures he interacts with in his journeys, as well as a good understanding of how the landscapes and terrain they live in have shaped their societies.
There is also quite a bit of political commentary especially in the chapters about the former French colonies in West Africa. Chatwin notices here that France exported the trashiest and most dysfunctional sides of its own culture to its colonies: Whenever he meets French ambassadors or expat businesspeople in Mauritania and neighbouring countries they are inevitably total weirdoes that could never make it in France itself. The Chinese businessmen whom Chatwin meets in the same places, on the other hand, come across as boring and normal but sane people.
People who like impressive photography of many different countries whose geographies and cultures vary immensely between each other, as well as travelogues shaped by the author's distinctive personality, would do well to give this a read.
December 10, 2009
I've mentioned before that I used to be a huge Chatwin fan. I still like his works, but I've calmed down considerably fannishwise - possibly because I'm 15 years older now that I was when I frist discovered him.
"Far Journeys" is a book of photographs he took on his travels - it is quite fascinating to be able to take this different look at his work, as if one becomes a spectator to his writing rather than a reader. Plus, it's pretty to look at. ;-)
"Far Journeys" is a book of photographs he took on his travels - it is quite fascinating to be able to take this different look at his work, as if one becomes a spectator to his writing rather than a reader. Plus, it's pretty to look at. ;-)
June 9, 2017
This is a beautiful compilation of words and pictures, but mostly photos. Apparently Mr. Chatwin saw himself as a photographer and many of his photos are included in this book. I instantly liked his style and would enjoy having this book on my coffee table.
January 29, 2016
4 stars for the text, 5 stars for the photographs.
November 3, 2020
As much as I love Bruce Chatwin's writing, this felt disjointed, and the photographs didn't move me. Maybe I was in the wrong kind of mood.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews