by Jonathan Raban
Pantheon Publishing; 2011
Reviewed by Michele Olsen
I really enjoyed Raban's Driving Home, a collection of essays by an Englishman who is transplanted to Seattle. As a relative newcomer myself, I appreciated his insightfulness and wit about all things cultural and historical. Stops along the way include a bar in Missoula, a Tea Party convention in Nashville hosted by Sarah Palin, the Mississippi in full flood, a trip to Hawaii with his daughter, a steelhead river in the Cascades, and Seattle's hidden corners. Raban explores public and personal spaces, poetry and politics, geography and catastrophe, art and economy, and the shifts in various arenas that define our society. I also enjoyed The Lower River, by Paul Theroux. This is a story about a disillusioned American who returns to Africa after a 40 year absence. He soon realizes that the Africa he remembered is not the Africa of today. In the memoir category, try Prime Time by Jane Fonda. This long-famous actress, now in her 70's, reflects on her life--now in the "Third Act", as she calls it. Pretty basic stuff, but her story is quite interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment