Editorial Reviews: |
Of the great travel writers, Norman Lewis may well be the author who will leave the greatest legacy. For 60 years, he has covered every corner of the globe, bringing a totally unique vision to his many books. And what books! Through his eyes, we have been taken everywhere from the most exotic sun-drenched vistas to the darkest, most dangerous corners of the world. Just a few sentences into his new book, A Voyage by Dhow, and we're reminded why Graham Greene described Lewis as "one of our best writers--not of any particular decade, but of our century". This fascinatingly diverse collection reveals an unparalleled career: from the intrigues of Aden before the War to the fetid jungles of South America; from the beauty of Naples to an unsettling journey to the Russian Steppes (courtesy of the Writer's Union of the USSR)--all of these are conjured for us in prose of maximum vividness. The most bizarre encounters are conveyed in writing that is either lush or astringent (depending on whichever is most appropriate), and the characters he meets (from a persuasive colonial pimp to a frightening Huichol shaman) are brought to teeming life. Even if you have some of these pieces already, the collection functions perfectly en masse--as a way of looking at the world through the eyes of one of its most perceptive observers. Joseph's profession was Senior Officer's Pimp. We talked for a while of his occupation and he assured me that Aden City possessed in all 8,000 prostitutes, and that those under his protection could perform tricks that would cause a guest's enemies to disappear and be seen no more, although they naturally demanded a higher fee... --Barry Forshaw
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