In 1974, Sunday Times journalist Bruce Chatwin headed for the most southerly region of Latin America, Patagonia, which straddles the border of Argentina and Chile. At the outset of the book, Chatwin claims an obsession with the area thanks to a hairy piece of Giant Sloth skin his grandmother owned and showed him when he was a boy.

Rather than simply being an account of his travels, Chatwin focusses on the history of some of the area's more colourful inhabitants. Its remoteness seems to have attracted all kinds over the years. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out down here. Victorian explorers and mercenaries came to the area having heard tell there were living dinosaurs. Immigrants came from many parts of the world but particularly Wales and Scotland, giving the rugged terrain a very un-Latin feel.

Unlike most travel writing, where the traveller themselves is the main protagonist and the journey itself is the centre of the narrative, "In Patagonia" feels rather episodic as Chatwin relates these stories from history and provides potted biographies of the people he meets. The feeling is exacerbated by the very short chapters, and Chatwin himself is barely a presence in the book.

This certainly makes "In Patagonia" an unusual, perhaps even ground breaking, contribution to the genre, creating a school of more impressionistic, rather than journalistic, travel writing. The persistent rumours that Chatwin played fast and loose with the facts contribute to the sense that Chatwin was more concerned with telling stories than documenting his travels.

Having gone into the book wanting to find out more about this remote corner of the planet, I ultimately found Chatwin's approach rather frustrating, but he certainly spins a good yarn. It's a bit like bumping into a weather beaten man in some far flung bar full of tall tales. You won't believe them all, you won't learn much, but you'll probably be entertained. ( )

When I first started reading this, I really liked it, but by the end, I felt like I was just getting through it. Chatwin travels all around Patagonia, tracking down the stories of historical figures and legends, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The book definitely gave me a sense of the land and the people. I was also amazed at Chatwin's sense of adventure--he just walks and hitchhikes for the most part, and he sleeps in all sorts of places. ( )

Peripatetic Englishman at the tip of South America. Impressions and imagined history.

"The candidate must submerge himself for forty days and forty nights under a waterfall of the Thraiguén River, to wash off the effects of his Christian baptism. (During this time he is allowed a little toast). Next, he must catch, without fumbling, a skull, which the instructor throws from the crown of a tricorn hat. He must kill his best friend to show he has wiped out all trace of sentiment. He must sign a document with blood from his own veins. He must disinter a recently buried male Christian corpse and flay the skin from the breast. Once this is cured and dried, he sews it into a ‘thieves’ waistcoat.’ The human grease remaining in the skin gives off a soft phosphorescence, which lights the member’s nocturnal expeditions."

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout ( )

A very cleverly told series of anecdotes about Patagonia. A great read if you want to know more about the region or are planning a visit. ( )

Often mentioned as a classic of travel writing, I had high expectations for In Patagonia. Flipping through the book, I saw photos of glaciers and ancient cave paintings. I should have looked more closely at the photos of rugged homesteaders and abandoned ranches. Chatwin's classic trek is tightly focused on the settlement of Patagonia by various Europeans and the possibility that Argentina was the last hiding place for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The book mainly recounts the names and home countries of various settlers and the type of livestock they raised and the church they attended. It provides little more than a few rambling theories about the notorious cowboy's time in Patagonia. The author never finds the time to describe the natural splendor of Patagonia or the history or culture of its original inhabitants. The framing of the tale is interesting but Chatwin's search of the origins of his Uncle Charley's Giant Sloth skin is a very small part of the story and not enough to make up for the monotony of the seemingly endless slog from isolated ranch to isolated ranch. ( )