The Purple Land

A picaresque, sometimes comic travelogue in novel form depicting the adventures of a daring young Englishman in Uruguay. First published in 1885, the book is beautifully written, and provides fascinating insights into the hopes and perils of partisanship during periods of political upheaval, the willfully simple lives of rural people undergoing the transition to modernity, and the connection between people, flora and fauna in an obscure corner of South America. A book about living in the world. Highly recommended.

When it was released, 'The Purple Land' was a commercial and critical failure - but clearly it was underappreciated by those who read it back then, as it has aged extremely well, and is definitely worth taking a look at today. The story follows Richard Lamb, on the run from Argentina with his underage bridge; he leaves her with her aunt in Montevideo, Uruguay, and sets off in search of a living at an estancia. On his travels he falls into all sorts of adventures and romances, each one well-described, as is the scenery all about him. For me, the highlight came with a delightful little sketch, where a group of locals are sharing tall tales, each one convinced of the truth of their own story; when Lamb tells his, about the crystal palace show more outside London and all its attractions, not a soul believes a word he says.

A magical adventure book, all in all, and I'm very glad I read it. show less

Freshly married naif gets mixed up in a Uruguayan civil war. During his derring-do adventures, every senora or senorita who crosses his path falls in love with him. Think [b:All the Pretty Horses|469571|All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1)|Cormac McCarthy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1341082426s/469571.jpg|1907621], only with less Spanish and more quotation remarks. This woild be consigned to the basement of historical relics would it not be for the profound knowledge that Hudson, a naturalist, demonstrates for the flora and fauna of his birthland, and the occasional vignettes of the obsessively beef-eating people of the pampas. The 1904 edition has charming woodcuts.

The use of Oriental to describe people of South America seemed strange to me, I looked and the Spanish called the area the Banda Oriental del Uruguay. The name means “east bank of the Uruguay River.”

Richard Lamb sets off to look for work. He has a series of adventures. Encounters beautiful young women. Ends up involved in a rebellion.