Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics

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Life in the tropics isn't easy, and part of Frater's story is a homage to his British parents: Air-conditioning and antibiotics have changed everything. Frater has said that the reasons for making a journey often take precedence over the journey itself, and the best traveller's tales are really voyages into the mind of the author. This book is both. Skip to main content. Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics. Sunday, 19 June, , Here, finally, Frater almost manages to build a narrative thread. His journeys down the Irrawaddy and up the Amazon were good to read.

I have been in the far western Amazonian jungle and to Rio, Brazil but never actually seen the Amazon River. His interaction with the Burmese princess was fascinating and reminded me of the royalty that I know, including an Uzbek prince, and the Cambodian princess that my husband worked with. If ordinary people find it hard to start again in a new culture, imagine how hard it is for ex-royalty! The other interesting section was his trip to Yemen where he encounters a wedding party.

The men of the grooms family stood on a cliff top on one side of the valley, slowly dancing and shooting their Kalashnikovs, while on the other side, the women of the brides family climbed onto precipices, dressed in heals and fancy clothes, and sang to the men on the other side, who paid them no attention. He is exceedingly well connected and I enjoyed reading some of his interactions with Chiefs and the arbitrary way that they would connect and then just as quickly disconnect from Frater.

I first posted this review on my blog: Dec 29, Nicole rated it liked it. A celebrated author and travel writer whose colleagues include Bruce Chatwin and Paul Theroux, Frater has a large list of publications under his belt in both magazine and novel form. This book is a collection of stories which is equal parts narrative, non-fiction, and memoir.

Frater grew up in the tropics and lived there for the duration of his childhood, until he left as a young adult for further education. He has subsequently traveled the world over many decades and has amassed innumerable sto A celebrated author and travel writer whose colleagues include Bruce Chatwin and Paul Theroux, Frater has a large list of publications under his belt in both magazine and novel form.

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He has subsequently traveled the world over many decades and has amassed innumerable stories, tales, and memories, some of which are retold here. As the title suggests, this book focuses on those countries which exist in the "Torrid Zone" and begins with some of Frater's early memories while a child. While the novel as a whole is quite interesting, with a plethora of assorted tales of countries both known and unknown and a varied cast of characters that have come in and out of Frater's life, I found its stream of consciousness tone quite challenging to read.

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Discussions of events in Fiji would lead to a few paragraphs telling a tale from Brazil several decades earlier which would then digress to random thoughts from a visit to east Africa. While the sheer diversity of cultures and tales are fascinating and Frater has a light, humorous voice that easily conveys history and anecdotes, this is at times disjointed and confusing. I finished it feeling I would need to reread it again to simply keep track of it all.

In the backdrop of the entire novel is the story of how Frater promised to pay for and provide a new church bell to the congregation of the village where he grew up.

Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics - Alexander Frater - Google Книги

Portions of that storyline are intertwined randomly and does attempt to provide a scaffolding to the novel as a whole. However, if Frater had perhaps focused individual chapters on a given country or area instead of the wanton randomness that appears to permeate this work, the reader might have been provided with a more structured memoir. Wonderful book, poetic and reminiscent. Has the dreamy quality of the tropical subjects of its pages. Small remembrances interspersed with a gossamer thread of narrative that brings the author back over and over to the original torrid place that started his fever for equatorial zones--Vanuatu.

Grandson of a Scottish Presbyterian minister who was the first Frater to travel into the deep tropics, and son to parents that set up both hospitals and schools there, Alexander retraces his family's roots Wonderful book, poetic and reminiscent. Grandson of a Scottish Presbyterian minister who was the first Frater to travel into the deep tropics, and son to parents that set up both hospitals and schools there, Alexander retraces his family's roots in the region.

Surprisingly to the author, the locals still remember his missionary grandfather with great fondness and gratitude, though the still running church is in need of a new bell. So begins the adventure of procuring one from the very old and historical White Chapel Bell Foundry that made the famous Liberty Bell amongst others Westminster, Canterbury, etc. I adore travel literature, but Frater's books really stand out to me for their humor, love of the absurd, and droll insights.

It's a slow, sensual, leisurely, tropical meander through most of the hot, sultry places the planet has to offer. Bat curry, reflecting lakes, magic mushroom omelettes--what more could you want from a travel memoir? Nov 20, Jrobertus rated it liked it. This is a mix of travel narrative and memoir. Frater was born in the south Pacific into a family of missionaries and physicians. He has spent a lot of time in the tropics, working as a writer and on documentary films. As he narrates, an event will elicit memories from other places and he lapses into anecdotes from there.

His wiritng style is very lush, with complex sentence structure. This makes it hard to speed read, but I suppose gives a sense of the tropics, which Frater stresses is sloooow. Although not my favorite, I did enjoy this unusal narrative, and it does give a strong sense of place. Nov 17, Mark rated it it was amazing Shelves: Thoroughly entertaining and chock full of tidbits and factoids, thick enough to keep one busy for at least a full week Narrative revolves around Frater's desire to bring a mission bell to the island where he was born, and the church his grandfather founded on Iririki.

In between his journey to England and back to the prestigious bell makers of Whitechapel, he throws in history and episodes from adventures over the years in equatorial lands, with all their incongruities and idiosyncrasies. C Thoroughly entertaining and chock full of tidbits and factoids, thick enough to keep one busy for at least a full week Comparable to the book Pacific , however, with more attention to local color than just the historical narrative.

A fine book, if a bit uneven. Frater does have a good eye for the details that you wouldn't catch as a simple traveler, and writes very lyrically at times and very funny at times. The thing is, some of the locations war-torn Mozambique, some of the Southern Pacific isles and stories for example, the Quiros travels are way more interesting than others, and especially in the middle it becomes a bit of a muddle.

But, he closes with a good set of chapters around one central theme wood, for ex A fine book, if a bit uneven.

But, he closes with a good set of chapters around one central theme wood, for example and a personal story that brings it all back Oct 17, Matt rated it liked it. A very good read! The author, a journalist who grew up in Vanuatu, has a knack for story-telling, and for the irony of life. He good-naturedly contrasts ancient ways and modern day life, and tells of travels in Africa and the S.

Pacific with wistful observations of lost opportunities and unrealized potential in the places he travels through. Enjoyable throughout, it will make you laugh and wonder with appreciation of the little-known remote tropical corners of this wide world we live in.

Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics

Jul 25, Tori rated it liked it. See all 11 reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published on June 30, Published on August 2, Published on March 26, Published on April 26, Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.

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