The Gnome King reviewed So It Goes by Nicholas Bouvier
Review of 'So It Goes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
As a reader I started reading Bouvier at the wrong place, I've not read anything by him before and I think you'd enjoy this more having read his other work. This feels like an accompaniment to finish off a wonderful career of travel writing. I still thoroughly enjoyed his writing, that mixture of humour and seriousness is quite unique, I just wish I had done things in the right order. Never mind though as it is an excuse to find his other books, read them and then read this again.
This book contains a collection of journal type entries and essays. First one is about a couple of weeks he spent on the Isle of Aran, suffering from a illness and experiencing some adverse weather conditions. His writing captures the stormy landscape perfectly, how he did that whilst being so feverish is beyond me. Another section is a brief tour …
As a reader I started reading Bouvier at the wrong place, I've not read anything by him before and I think you'd enjoy this more having read his other work. This feels like an accompaniment to finish off a wonderful career of travel writing. I still thoroughly enjoyed his writing, that mixture of humour and seriousness is quite unique, I just wish I had done things in the right order. Never mind though as it is an excuse to find his other books, read them and then read this again.
This book contains a collection of journal type entries and essays. First one is about a couple of weeks he spent on the Isle of Aran, suffering from a illness and experiencing some adverse weather conditions. His writing captures the stormy landscape perfectly, how he did that whilst being so feverish is beyond me. Another section is a brief tour around the Scottish borders, my favourite place in the whole wide world, it was fantastic to read about somebody visiting places I know so well, he has also pointed out a few places unknown to me which I'll be visiting on my next trip up there. This has to be my favourite bit of a travel book ever.
There are a few more travel sections which were really interesting, these were the sections that made me wish I knew more of his work. The final piece though is a real gem, an honest insight of his childhood and the battles with the tyrannical nanny, Bertha, who ruled his childhood. Reading about how he fell in love with the world and gained the knowledge to go up against Bertha left a massive grin on my face.
Nicolas Bouvier is one of the great travel writers and this is a must read for any of his fans.
Blog review> felcherman.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/so-it-goes-travels-in-the-aran-isles-xian-and-places-in-between-by-nicolas-bouvier/