Venture To The Interior (Vintage Classics) by Van Der Post. Sir Laurens () Paperback on leondumoulin.nl *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.
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Laurens, along with two white companions and an excessive amount of native bearers, explores mountain of Mlanje with its unique ecosystem and unpredictable weather. Here the tell-tale signs of untruth once again rear their head - Laurens in his great wisdom is able to pre-cognitively predict disaster and like Cassandra warns his companions against all mistakes, but alas! Disaster strikes but it is definitely super in no way saintly Laurens's fault!
After Mlanje, Laurens moves on to the Nyika plateau in the north of Nyasaland. Some of his descriptions of the scenery and wildlife are very beautiful and evocative. The philosophical aspect which is supposed to be a big part of this book fell a bit flat with me. A lot of the philosophical asides seemed frankly nonsensical to me - they sounded deep on the surface but on examination it was impossible to figure out what Laurens was trying to say.
One part that was clear, was that Laurens calls for peace and understanding between races, while in the same breath sexualising black people and romanticising their primitive, dark natures. Since the last book I read by a South African from this era was much more virulently racist, I guess Laurens gets a teensy tiny point for being a slightly less ridiculously racist?
To conclude, the latter pages of this book are entertaining, if perhaps not strictly factual. The main value I got from this book was a little more understanding of the history and geography of Africa. To Ingaret Giffard in order to defeat the latest of many separations. Africa is my Mother's country. Read more on Malawi here: Most of it lies at elevations of to m, t Dedication: Most of it lies at elevations of to m, the highest point being m at Nganda Peak. It is roughly a diamond in shape, with a long north-south axis of about 90 km, and an east-west axis of about 50 km.
It towers above Lake Malawi elevation m , and the towns of Livingstonia and Chilumba.
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Its well-defined north-west escarpment rises about m above the north-eastern extremity of the Luangwa Valley, and its similarly prominent south-east escarpment rises about m above the South Rukuru River valley. It is known for its wildlife, including Burchell's Zebra, many birds and endemic butterflies, chameleons, frogs and toads, and also for its orchids.
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The only settlement on the plateau is Chelinda, the headquarters and accommodation site for the Malawian park. Aug 29, Katja Willemsen rated it really liked it Shelves: Colonial and written in a clunky style of the times, I nevertheless loved this book. He was an adventurer, fascinated by cultural differences, and even if his attitude is occasionally superior, the stories he tells are rich, and deeply personal. Sep 27, Cathy rated it did not like it. Another one the my stupid grammar school gave us to read and study.
I was about 14 and understood nothing. It did me no good at all at the time. I began reading these in my mid-twenties and found Kontiki brilliant. I could never have read it earlier. I believe there's a right time to read a book, and don't buy the kids something that's far too old for them. You'll ruin Another one the my stupid grammar school gave us to read and study.
You'll ruin it for them. Another lecture - but hopefully useful. Jun 05, Stephen Hayes rated it really liked it. It is 50 years since I read this book, so I am reliant on my diary for what I thought. It was quite a thought-provoking book. That was why i bought the book and read it, and that coloured my attitude to the book. It provoked two thoughts in me: That annoyed me, particularly because of my own circumstances at the time. Secondly, he wrote about forgiveness in a way that may have been reflected in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa thirty years later.
So this is what I wrote in my diary on 6 June I read more of Venture to the interior and came to the conclusion that van der Post is above all things a European. He may have been born in Africa, but to him Europe is home. He writes about and sees Africa through European eyes. There may be others, but I haven't read them. Much of what van der Post says is true, though, particularly about air travel. There is something about an international airport that is unlocated, almost like the in-between land of pools in The magician's nephew.
It is neither here nor there. It is not a part of the world at all. A strange unreality pervades it, and an atmosphere that both attracts and repels. One is no longer located in time and space. One is not anywhere, but everywhere is a possibility. The possibilities are exciting. It is a sort of cocoon transitional stage, only here, you feel, can you make the choice. I am nowhere - where shall I be? It bugs me, this European outlook, the assumption of European superiority. Even he, born in Africa, writes in terms of England as if England is the almighty bloody absolute from which everything else in the world is to be judged.
It is understandable in an Englishman, who must describe new things in terms of what he already knows, but not in someone brought up on a Free State farm. He writes very well at times, but I can't help feeling that he is a traitor to the land of his birth. He has become an Englishman. And what is this England, this soft land, where the corners of everything are rubbed off? Where so many things are blurred and ill-defined? The climate and geography are strange to me.
I have just been through an English spring, but it is completely different to spring back home. England in spring is like a great fat lazy cow chewing over the cud.
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It is not, as in South Africa, a sudden awakening. A fanfare of wattle blossoms to announce its arrival in August. Then spring, when in a few weeks of September everything turns green. The Scarlet Pimpernel Published: Pictorial jacket covering brown cloth boards.
Pages are moderately yellowed with light foxing to text block edge and the endpapers. Binding is firm with bright and clean boards.
Venture To The Interior
Unclipped jacket has light tearing and soiling to the covers. Spine has light scuffing to the ends. The World of Rare Books Published: Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! Better World Books Condition: First Edition, First printing. Mark Post, Bookseller Published: Used - Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Andrew Barnes Booksellers Published: Venture to the Interior Laurens van der Post London: Pale blue boards shing a little sun at the spine and rear top edge of the boards.
The titles are in gilt to the spine. The previous careful owners signature is written neatly on the front inside fly sheet. Top edges are tinted brown. A tight and well cared for copy..
Pictorial, illustrated upper wrap with negligible shelf-wear to edges,minimal creasing, or rubbing. Slight chip with minimal reciprocal loss to front top, right-hand corner. J A Johnson Books Published: Venture to the Interior. Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. Two small stains on fore edge, else very good in a very good minor edge wear with a few short closed edge tears dust jacket and wrap-around band.
DJ has loss to head of spine and closed tears. Strawberry Hill Books Published: Sturdy book, dark yellow cloth, black lettering with an illustration of pine tree on spine very fine, lightly browned inside covers and adjacent end papers, lightly browned, heavy pages. DJ glossy bown and red front and spine, praise on front from Orville Prescott and Pearl Buck, white back very slightly browned overall. DJ has tiny tear at front tips, creased at top front tip and across top front edge, three very tiny tears or nicks along bottom front edge, spine very slightly faded, thin chip along spine top edge, very tiny tear at top back edge.
Callaghan Books South Published: Owner's name on endpage. The Hogarth Press Ltd, Blue dust jacket with yellow lettering over blue cloth. Moderate tanning to endpapers and page edges. Mild wear to spine, board edges and corners. Heavy sunning to spine and board edges. A Letter from Paris Louisa Deasey. Sixty Degrees North Malachy Tallack. No Reservations Anthony Bourdain. Deep South Paul Theroux. Rick Stein's India Rick Stein. Figures in a Landscape Paul Theroux. Born to Run Christopher McDougall. Marching Powder Rusty Young. Swiss Watching Diccon Bewes. Jupiter's Travels Ted Simon.
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