The combination of palin and travel is always a winner
Basil Pao one of the best topographical photographers working today
Written while filming his TV series retracing the travels of America's literary titan, Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure is a masterpiece in its own right. And it's just as eye-delighting in book form, thanks to Basil Pao's wanderlust-arousing photography and vibrant design. The witty, literary Palin, a Monty Python alumnus-turned-professional adventurer, takes us on the journey of a lifetime--Papa's and his own. "Hemingway's world was close and uncomfortable and itchy and sweaty and frequently exhausting," writes Palin. "It was, I felt, the real thing. To experience it would require the ability to absorb a little punishment, it would demand an open mind and a degree of recklessness. But it could and should be done."
Palin visits the restless Hemingway's many residencies, drinks (less excessively) in the same charming Parisian bars, tries boxing and Cuban marlin fishing, but he's really trying to discover what made Hemingway tick--what inspired him to write. In Spain, Palin examines Hemingway's passion for the country and the character of the matador in Hemingway's work while studying with young matador apprentices in a dusty Madrid bullfighting school. In Africa, which inspired and almost killed Hemingway, Palin learns spear throwing from Masai warriors, flies in a small plane around Mount Kilimanjaro, and searches for the site where Hemingway's own plane crash-landed. At the end of the day, drinking Hemingway's preferred beer, brewed still in Nairobi, Palin muses, "Mortality, of one kind or another, always feels close at hand in Africa. Maybe that's why Hemingway liked it, student of death that he was."
Palin begins in Hemingway's Illinois birthplace and ends his journey standing on the spot in Papa's Idaho kitchen where he shot himself, having recently broken down in tears, unable to complete JFK's request for a few simple words commemorating his inauguration. This isn't just a lively travel or TV tie-in book; it's a thoughtful, emotional biography. --Michele Norton
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Make sure you get the right book:
Being a big Hemingway fan I was very excited to get this book after I first discovered it. I was looking forward to photographs of Papa and the places in his life. That's what I expected after "looking inside" another edition of the book at Amazon, which was the only choice to look at. I sure was surprised to get a little paperback with not a single photo. I saw the book I thought I was getting for $5 in a used bookstore the other day. There is no warning that the book you get is entirely different from the... more info
Good But Not Great:
I found this book to be good but not great. It is a mix of a short Hemingway biography and a travel book. For those that want an introduction to Hemingway and like to travel, it is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for a detailed Hemingway biography or a travel book only, then I would not recommend the book. Also, some chapters are better than others. For example, the short section on Pamplona (within the chapter on Spain) is well written and entertaining. But the rest of... more info
An interest in Hemingway's authorship is not necessary:
I really like Michael Palin's travel documentaries, both the BBC TV programs and the books based on the programs. He has a knack for finding interesting people and places, and he presents it all with wit and charm and a personal engagement that is beguiling. The books are beautiful with lots of great color pictures, most taken by photographer Basil Pao. This book is based on the BBC TV program where Mr. Palin traveled to all of the places where Ernest Hemingway had lived and traveled. One can't really... more info
A Teriffic Travelogue:
If you are going to engage in some armchair travel, you could do no better than to have Michael Palin as your guide. I love all of his books, possibly even more than the accompanying TV shows. The only reason this one gets four stars from me, instead of five, is by comparison- I thought the conceit of following Hemmingway's life's path was less engaging than some of his more challenging itineraries (but add the extra star back on if you're a Hemmingway fan). Like others who have reviewed here, I was... more info
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