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Amazon Dream
travel memoir by novelist Allen with photographs
- GenresTravel
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 18, 2016
This was an enjoyable account of a woman's extended trip to the Peruvian Amazon. She was traveling alone, finding guides, and going to cities and all sorts of remote villages and conservation sites. Her voyage had primarily personal/spiritual motives: chasing her childhood dream of life in the jungle.
The book is well-written for the most part, and she comes across some really fascinating sites. Most of the writing is descriptions and impressions of the landscapes and people she met, with some reflections on the contrast to life in New York. Seeping through the cracks are some larger reflections on life, and being open to change and discomfort. However, the author seems kind of reserved and uptight through much of the book, and doesn't let herself go as much as she might have. Her voice comes across as slightly whiny at times as she gets caught up with mosquitoes, the heat, frustrating cultural differences, etc. But hey, those things are uncomfortable so it's worth acknowledging. No use pretending life isn't hard. To her credit, she's very honest. It's a good book, so do pick it up if you come across it.
The book is well-written for the most part, and she comes across some really fascinating sites. Most of the writing is descriptions and impressions of the landscapes and people she met, with some reflections on the contrast to life in New York. Seeping through the cracks are some larger reflections on life, and being open to change and discomfort. However, the author seems kind of reserved and uptight through much of the book, and doesn't let herself go as much as she might have. Her voice comes across as slightly whiny at times as she gets caught up with mosquitoes, the heat, frustrating cultural differences, etc. But hey, those things are uncomfortable so it's worth acknowledging. No use pretending life isn't hard. To her credit, she's very honest. It's a good book, so do pick it up if you come across it.
December 12, 2020
I have had this on my to read list for a long time. It was ok but if you want to read a really good book about a woman in the Amazon get The Witchdoctor's Apprentice by Nicole Maxwell
June 17, 2010
Getting behind in my goal to read a book a day while on my vacation. This one is short and should help me get caught up.
Finished this morning, and was not disappointed, despite having misgivings throughout the story. The author's trip to the Amazon was meant to fulfill her dream of seeing life in the raw and visiting the Shipibo villages to buy their famed pottery. The conditions were difficult, but not always in the way you'd expect. Yes, she had to deal with bugs, snakes, bats, lack of sanitation and crummy hotels, but what demoralized her the most was the cynical, sometimes angry attitude of the locals. She nearly gives up on her dream, but in the end makes a river trip that restores her spirit when she encounters a village deep enough up river to still offer some of the native culture that she hoped to find. My advice after reading this would be to never, ever attempt to see the "real" Amazon jungle for yourself.
My favorite quote:
"I had come to the Amazon to experience life in its raw state. In Puerto Callao life is raw, but this rawness is not what nature intended. This rawness results from thoughtless tampering with the ecology. This is not a place that inspires fantasies of running wild in the virgin jungle. Puerto Callao, with its oil spills and garbage, looks a bit too much like the vacant lots of my childhood."
Another good quote:
The Shipibo mind their own business. I think they wish we would do the same. We're intruders, voyeurs. But I'm too fascinated to leave. The women look fierce.....I see great pride in their sullen faces, which seem hammered out of tawny metal. I haven't a clue as to who they are. They see the world from a perspective that I will never see. Only their hostility is recognizable to me.
And a final one:
He pauses for a moment. "this doesn't matter to you." he says, smiling, but there is an unpleasant edge in his voice. "You live in a rich country. You come here on vacation. You forget about the jungle when you go home." "I care what happens here," I say to him, but he is not convinced.
Today I will be reading a book of previously unpublished short fiction by Kurt Vonnegut, "Look at the birdie".
Finished this morning, and was not disappointed, despite having misgivings throughout the story. The author's trip to the Amazon was meant to fulfill her dream of seeing life in the raw and visiting the Shipibo villages to buy their famed pottery. The conditions were difficult, but not always in the way you'd expect. Yes, she had to deal with bugs, snakes, bats, lack of sanitation and crummy hotels, but what demoralized her the most was the cynical, sometimes angry attitude of the locals. She nearly gives up on her dream, but in the end makes a river trip that restores her spirit when she encounters a village deep enough up river to still offer some of the native culture that she hoped to find. My advice after reading this would be to never, ever attempt to see the "real" Amazon jungle for yourself.
My favorite quote:
"I had come to the Amazon to experience life in its raw state. In Puerto Callao life is raw, but this rawness is not what nature intended. This rawness results from thoughtless tampering with the ecology. This is not a place that inspires fantasies of running wild in the virgin jungle. Puerto Callao, with its oil spills and garbage, looks a bit too much like the vacant lots of my childhood."
Another good quote:
The Shipibo mind their own business. I think they wish we would do the same. We're intruders, voyeurs. But I'm too fascinated to leave. The women look fierce.....I see great pride in their sullen faces, which seem hammered out of tawny metal. I haven't a clue as to who they are. They see the world from a perspective that I will never see. Only their hostility is recognizable to me.
And a final one:
He pauses for a moment. "this doesn't matter to you." he says, smiling, but there is an unpleasant edge in his voice. "You live in a rich country. You come here on vacation. You forget about the jungle when you go home." "I care what happens here," I say to him, but he is not convinced.
Today I will be reading a book of previously unpublished short fiction by Kurt Vonnegut, "Look at the birdie".
September 2, 2022
My trip alone in the Amazon.
January 30, 2012
Interesting account of solo travels of NY woman in Iquitos environs. Captures the feelings, sensations, and spirit of jungle life.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews