Chile Forum

Aedmunds wrote:...

I am reading Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes - A Year alone in the patagonia wilderness by Robert Kull.

I brought a copy of this down for a friend who had requested it. It sounded promising but I didn't get far into it... and, well, the reviews on Amazon tell it better. It seems that the list of not-recommended books on Chile is quite extensive. Much of what has been written in English about Chile since 1970 is so full of leftist pap that it is unreliable or unreadable, or both. Kull's book isn't so much about Chile or Patagonia as about the small space between his ears.

Here is one with a conditional suggestion/recommendation: My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile, by Isabel Allende. Keep in mind that the author's memory of what Chile used to be is probably cloudy but she usually (though not always) keeps her politics in the drawer. Other foreros may wish to weigh in with their own reviews.

patagoniax wrote:

Gringo Pillo wrote:I realized I have to start to read more books in Spanish and childrens books are a bit too boring so I bought the book Basta de historias! by Andrés Oppenheimer.
A really interesting book about Latin America.

The book might be viewed as a complement to similar observations in "Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot" by authors Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner, and Alvaro Vargas Llosa - the latter being the son of Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa. You can also find it in the original in Spanish in Chile as "Manual del perfecto idiota latinoamericano." The writing team of the original did a follow-up with El regreso del idiota. That set of books will help anyone understand development and social issues in much of Latinamerica. I was going to send my spare copies to Hugo Chavez.

Now that's a good read.
So is "Cuentos Chinos", by Andres Openheimer.

seawolf180 wrote:

patagoniax wrote:

Gringo Pillo wrote:I realized I have to start to read more books in Spanish and childrens books are a bit too boring so I bought the book Basta de historias! by Andrés Oppenheimer.
A really interesting book about Latin America.

The book might be viewed as a complement to similar observations in "Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot" by authors Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner, and Alvaro Vargas Llosa - the latter being the son of Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa. You can also find it in the original in Spanish in Chile as "Manual del perfecto idiota latinoamericano." The writing team of the original did a follow-up with El regreso del idiota. That set of books will help anyone understand development and social issues in much of Latinamerica. I was going to send my spare copies to Hugo Chavez.

Now that's a good read.
So is "Cuentos Chinos", by Andres Openheimer.

Earlier poster was looking for books in English on Chile.

I had not seen Cuentos Chinos in Engrish. And the reason is that the book title in English is "Saving the Americas: The Dangerous Decline of Latin America and What The U.S. Must Do." It is not specific to Chile and may not suit the poster's interests, but good and timely in what it does discuss. Author Oppenheimer is an Argentine living in the US.

I had suggested the Idiota books earlier as guides to Latin America in general. For Chile specifically, for a general introduction for new or prospective immigrants, it is hard to find useful/reliable general readings in English. After all, there are only 27 people who care about Chile in English and they all belong to this forum, including the two who used to work for the CIA.

I did not suggest, and recommend against, the book Heading South, Looking North as an insight into Chile, in large part because the author, also born in Argentina, remains an unreformed Marxist and an outspoken fan of the late Che Guevara, as well as otherwise incapable of useful writing on Chile itself. However, there are interesting and potentially useful observations on the issues surrounding expats and bilingualism . Your mileage on this may differ.

In the US they are celebrating ("celebrating"? ) the 150th anniversary of the onset of the War of Northern Aggression, aka The American Civil War -- depending on who you talk to. (NB: that was a joke to get penquista all stirred up). And from what I read in their papers, "the Civil War hasn't ended." So maybe the widespread Chilean unwillingness to get over their 1973 civil war isn't too surprising. It certainly colours a great deal of what has been written in English since that year. Something to keep in mind when selecting your reading.

JaJa..... not working. It's spring here.....

Kull's book isn't so much about Chile or Patagonia as about the small space between his ears.

I couldn't agree more. However, since writing my post I decided to take another crack it. Although I think his research is bogus... and his expressed motive for doing what he did does not match his real motive (I wonder if he will figure that out after being alone for a year...), I have since taken a bit more interest in the book. I still think overall I will be unimpressed, but its not necessarily a dud in all aspects.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am not necessarily looking for books about Chile, Chilean culture, and expat transitions. Mostly, I just want some good reads on Chile - or Latin America.

Chaaaaauuuu

Aedmunds wrote: Mostly, I just want some good reads on Chile - or Latin America.

Aedmunds, If the desired reading is not necessarily about contemporary Chile and Latin America, I can suggest some items relating to historical impressions of the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Perhaps not all are your cup of tea but if I were recommending books that would allow someone to better understand this region, I might include the following.

Voyaging: Southward from the Strait of Magellan - by Rockwell Kent. From a review: "An account of Mr. Kent's attempt in a tiny sailboat to steer a course from the Strait of Magellan south and west through the mountainous-islanded channels of Tierra del Fuego around Cape Horn. ...Mr. Kent has caught the wild beauty of this ominous region -- iron crags ringed with the froth of blown surf, wind-tortured trees, distant peaks incrusted with dazzling snow; but out of the very heart of this bewildering beauty emanates a sense of unseen presences appallingly, implacably hostile to man."--The Nation


Tschiffely's Ride - A. F. Tschiffely. From a review: Aimé Tschiffely had been teaching in an English-American school in Argentina for almost a decade when he conceived his astounding plan: to travel from Buenos Aires to New York—10,000 miles—on horseback. In April 1925, Tschiffely set out with two native Argentine horses, Mancho and Gato, and with rugged determination, the trio traversed the Pampas, scaled the Bolivian Andes, struggled through Peruvian sands, swam the crocodile-infested rivers of Columbia, and fought their way through the jungles of Panama. They crossed Central America through countries devastated by years of war to finally reach Washington D.C., followed by a reception in New York. The three had been together, exclusively, for more than two years; during that time, Tschiffely developed a remarkable relationship with his horses—an affinity that has seldom been equaled. This colorful account is a true classic of travel literature and perhaps one of the greatest animal stories ever written. Tschiffely also wrote This Way Southward: The Account of a Journey Through Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego

The Uttermost Part of the Earth by E. Lucas Bridges. From a review: When the author was born in Tierra del Fuego in 1874, it was truly an unknown land. On the southern coast was the small settlement established by his missionary parents; the rest of it, over 18,000 square miles of mountain, forest, marsh, and lake, was the hunting ground of fierce and hostile tribes. Bridges grew up amongst the coastal Yaghans, learning their language and their ways. In young manhood he made contact with the wild inland Ona tribe, became their friend and hunting companion, and was initiated into the men's lodge.

The Wreck of the Wager - The Hon. John Byron and his fellow midshipman Isaac Morris. Deals with mutiny on British ship in the Straits of Magellan area and the subsequent survival and onward movement under difficult conditions. An epic. Available online http://patlibros.org/mac/chp1.php?lan=eng

Description in the original printing: " The adventures of Capt. Cheap, the Hon. Mr. Byron, Lieut. Hamilton, Alexander Campbell and others, late of his Majesty’s Ship the Wager, which was wrecked on a desolate island in Lat. 47. S. Long. 81. 40. W. in the South Seas, in the year 1741.

A faithful narrative of the unparalleled sufferings of these gentlemen, after being left on the said island by the rest of the officers and crew, who went off in the longboat. Their deplorable condition, desperate enterprises, and prodigious distresses, till they fell into the hands of the Indians, who carried them into New Spain, where they remained prisoners of the war, till sent back to Europe, on the terms of the cartel, in 1746.

The whole interspersed with descriptions of the countries in which the various scenes of their adventures lay; the manners, etc. of the American Indians and Spaniards, and their treatment of the author and his companions.

An Estancia in Patagonia - Nora MacKinnon. Out of print and very hard to find.

Return To Patagonia - Rosemary Goring. From a review: Rosemary Goring's account, Return to Patagonia, followed a similar itinerary to Bruce Chatwin, but where he was travelling through terra incognita she was returning to the land of her childhood. She homes in on Puerto San Julian and on the nearby estancia (ranch) where she spent her early years. Return to Patagonia includes both childhood memories of the farm community and the recollections of her family who owned and managed it for over eighty years. It also breaks new ground. While much has been written about the Welsh settlement at Trelew in Argentine Patagonia, there is little about the English and Scottish sheep farmers who crossed from the Falkland Islands to colonize the barren mainland further south.

The book, which includes an account of an earlier visit to the Falklands, explores the links between Patagonia and its neighbouring islands. Having met people who were caught up on both sides in the Falklands War Rosemary Goring is able to offer another perspective on the conflict.

Idle Days in Patagonia - -- W. H. Hudson. There was a time in Argentina when this book was almost required reading. It is out of copyright and can be downloaded free from various sites, including the Gutenberg Project.
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0500641.txt My favourite book by Hudson is Far Away and Long Ago also available as a free download http://publicliterature.org/pdf/frwyn10.pdf

Hope some of those are useful to you.

Cheers for that PX. Now I gotta get through the book I am reading now so I can get to some of this. You recommendations sound right up my alley.

Yea, think I will write a book on expat living in Chile, as someone has to do it. I should have the link up by later this afternoon on amazon. Well, perhaps not this afternoon, but someday.

For the record, emphasis mine:

patagoniax wrote:

seawolf180 wrote:

patagoniax wrote:

Gringo Pillo wrote:I realized I have to start to read more books in Spanish and childrens books are a bit too boring so I bought the book Basta de historias! by Andrés Oppenheimer.
A really interesting book about Latin America.

The book might be viewed as a complement to similar observations in "Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot" by authors Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Carlos Alberto Montaner, and Alvaro Vargas Llosa - the latter being the son of Nobel prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa. You can also find it in the original in Spanish in Chile as "Manual del perfecto idiota latinoamericano." The writing team of the original did a follow-up with El regreso del idiota. That set of books will help anyone understand development and social issues in much of Latinamerica. I was going to send my spare copies to Hugo Chavez.

Now that's a good read.
So is "Cuentos Chinos", by Andres Openheimer.

Earlier poster was looking for books in English on Chile.

I had not seen Cuentos Chinos in Engrish. And the reason is that the book title in English is "Saving the Americas: The Dangerous Decline of Latin America and What The U.S. Must Do." It is not specific to Chile and may not suit the poster's interests, but good and timely in what it does discuss. Author Oppenheimer is an Argentine living in the US.

I had suggested the Idiota books earlier as guides to Latin America in general. For Chile specifically, for a general introduction for new or prospective immigrants, it is hard to find useful/reliable general readings in English. After all, there are only 27 people who care about Chile in English and they all belong to this forum, including the two who used to work for the CIA.

I did not suggest, and recommend against, the book Heading South, Looking North as an insight into Chile, in large part because the author, also born in Argentina, remains an unreformed Marxist and an outspoken fan of the late Che Guevara, as well as otherwise incapable of useful writing on Chile itself. However, there are interesting and potentially useful observations on the issues surrounding expats and bilingualism . Your mileage on this may differ.

In the US they are celebrating ("celebrating"? ) the 150th anniversary of the onset of the War of Northern Aggression, aka The American Civil War -- depending on who you talk to. (NB: that was a joke to get penquista all stirred up). And from what I read in their papers, "the Civil War hasn't ended." So maybe the widespread Chilean unwillingness to get over their 1973 civil war isn't too surprising. It certainly colours a great deal of what has been written in English since that year. Something to keep in mind when selecting your reading.

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:For the record, emphasis mine:

I am sure you were making a point with that, but I am not certain what that point is. And others may be wondering as well.