The Cloud Forest: A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness (Travel Library, Penguin) - Softcover

Matthiessen, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140095497 ISBN 13: 9780140095494

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1987

Synopsis

Peter Matthiessen crisscrossed 10,000 miles of the South American wilderness, from the Amazon rain forests to Machu Picchu, high in the Andes, down to Tierra del Fuego and back. He followed the trails of old explorers, encountered river bandits, wild tribesmen, and the evidence of ancient ruins, and discovered fossils in the depths of the Peruvian jungle. The Cloud Forest is his incisive, wry report of his expedition into this vast world to the south.

About this title

About the Author

PETER MATTHIESSEN has written eight novels and a book of short stories. His parallel career as a naturalist and environmental activist has produced numerous acclaimed works of nonfiction, most of them serialized in the New Yorker. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1974.

From AudioFile

Peter Matthiessen chronicles the wildlife and cultures he encountered during a lengthy trip through South America. His eloquent prose and unique descriptive talent make one think one is hearing a novel. First published in 1961, this book reveals some outdated attitudes, as when the author calls the indigenous people "savages" and describes children as having a "dirty-brown color." The baritone voice of narrator Stefan Rudnicki booms at a crisp pace. He capitalizes on the author's tendency to exploit alliterative phrases and pronounces the abundant scientific names with ease. However, to read a book about South America, a narrator should have a better ability with Spanish names and places. Also, audiobooks have no graphics, and that's disappointing in view of the extent to which flora, fauna, and geography dominate the account. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140095497
• ISBN 13: 9780140095494
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304