Tales of a Female Nomad
NOTE: This is an aside... a side-track...
The title of this entry is the name of a book... an autobiography (a travelogue?) written by a woman who is a writer of children's books. In her late 40's, she found herself facing divorce and decided to spend time on her own traveling. She lived in Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand to name a few and learned Spanish and Indonesian. She lived with the communities in these countries and strived to be included in the social lives of these people... something she accomplished this by helping the women with their kitchen etc tasks. In each place she has her children come and visit. As we read on, we see how she views and experiences each of these places, but as for gaining any deep anthological insight into these countries, we fall short. I find the writing (and she is a writer!) flat and merely descriptive. We read about customs and things she clearly finds "exotic" which she contrasts with the realization that the emotions they (and she) share are the same. (I find this a bit trite somehow). She talks of crying with the locals re: their tragedies, but I am not moved to tears (and I tear easily... I can cry watching the "sad" parts in comedies). She participates in their joys, but I cannot realize them in any deep way. I was moved more by "Okubo Diary" the personal journal of an anthropologist who lived in a pottery village in Japan.
I am not sure why I am writing about this here on my Barbados blog, but I guess it is because I am wondering how it is that this writing that I find so flat was enjoyed by so many.... whereas I can write to entertain myself, but am not even sure my own mother will read it cover to cover. I guess I am wondering what makes a book readable.
I also wonder who reads a particular kind of book? Are the people who enjoyed this book other women who have dreamt of traveling and not followed through... or others who have traveled/lived abroad. Almost all of my friends are (or have been) ex-pats and travelers. They know what it is to have wanderlust... and have many tales to tell. How can we know which of those tales are really "tell-able"?
The title of this entry is the name of a book... an autobiography (a travelogue?) written by a woman who is a writer of children's books. In her late 40's, she found herself facing divorce and decided to spend time on her own traveling. She lived in Mexico, Indonesia, New Zealand to name a few and learned Spanish and Indonesian. She lived with the communities in these countries and strived to be included in the social lives of these people... something she accomplished this by helping the women with their kitchen etc tasks. In each place she has her children come and visit. As we read on, we see how she views and experiences each of these places, but as for gaining any deep anthological insight into these countries, we fall short. I find the writing (and she is a writer!) flat and merely descriptive. We read about customs and things she clearly finds "exotic" which she contrasts with the realization that the emotions they (and she) share are the same. (I find this a bit trite somehow). She talks of crying with the locals re: their tragedies, but I am not moved to tears (and I tear easily... I can cry watching the "sad" parts in comedies). She participates in their joys, but I cannot realize them in any deep way. I was moved more by "Okubo Diary" the personal journal of an anthropologist who lived in a pottery village in Japan.
I am not sure why I am writing about this here on my Barbados blog, but I guess it is because I am wondering how it is that this writing that I find so flat was enjoyed by so many.... whereas I can write to entertain myself, but am not even sure my own mother will read it cover to cover. I guess I am wondering what makes a book readable.
I also wonder who reads a particular kind of book? Are the people who enjoyed this book other women who have dreamt of traveling and not followed through... or others who have traveled/lived abroad. Almost all of my friends are (or have been) ex-pats and travelers. They know what it is to have wanderlust... and have many tales to tell. How can we know which of those tales are really "tell-able"?
posted by Zanmei at 3:21 AM
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