具体描述
Review
After pursuing an advanced degree in Latin American studies, Kohnstamm reluctantly took a position as a researcher at a large Wall Street firm. The restless author quickly tired of the corporate drudgery and, after some hesitation, accepted an assignment to update Lonely Planet's guidebook on Brazil. The resulting book (a "chronicle [of] events that took me from bourgeoisie working stiff with a repressed travel habit to a full-time mercenary travel hack, with all the good, bad, and surreal shit that it entails") is a wonderfully picaresque journey through the vibrant Brazilian landscape. Following a marathon bender through the streets of Manhattan with his friend, "the Doctor" (one of the book's many parallels to the work of Hunter S. Thompson), Kohnstamm departed for Rio de Janeiro with little more than his laptop and a few changes of clothes. He awoke the first morning in bed with Inga, a Lufthansa stewardess who proved to be one of many female companions bedded by Kohnstamm, who comes off here as quite the Casanova. Amidst the hard partying and endless nights, however, the author began to realize the difficulty of gathering adequate information about the countless locales he must visit. With his paltry funds dwindling, he reached out to previous Lonely Planet scribes, most of whom were far from reassuring: "Remember that if you are in your room at night writing, you aren't doing enough bar research." Along the way he befriended numerous memorable characters: Nils, a baggage handler from Copenhagen and singer for a grunge band, Synthetic Jesus; Inara, a Brazilian beauty who shares an apartment with the author for a couple of weeks (and who turns out to be a prostitute of sorts); Otto, formerly of the Israeli Defense Force; Mr. Yay, so named for his prodigious coke habit; and Bobby, from whom the author buys Ecstasy tablets in an effort to make some quick cash. Readers will relish the countless stories of the author's misadventures, but Kohnstamm brings more than just anecdotes: He offers a solid understanding of the mechanics of the travel-writing industry and a unique ability to illuminate that world to readers.
Notable for its spirited prose and insightful exploration of the less-romantic side of travel writing. Kohnstamm is one to watch.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Product Description
For those who think that travel guidebooks are the gospel truth.
The waitress suggests that I come back after she closes down the restaurant, around midnight. We end up having sex in a chair and then on one of the tables in the back corner. I pen a note in my Moleskine that I will later recount in the guidebook review, saying that the restaurant “is a pleasant surprise . . . and the table service is friendly.” –Thomas Kohnstamm, professional travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks
WANTED: Travel Writer for Brazil
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Decisiveness: the ability to desert your entire previous life–including well-salaried office job, attractive girlfriend, and basic sanity for less than minimum wage
Attention to detail: the skill to research northeastern Brazil, including transportation, restaurants, hotels, culture, customs, and language, while juggling sleep deprivation, nonstop nightlife, and excessive alcohol consumption
Creativity: the imagination to write about places you never actually visit
Resourcefulness: utilizing persuasion, seduction, and threats, when necessary, to secure a place to stay for the evening once your pitiable advance has been (mis)spent
Resilience: determination to overcome setbacks such as bankruptcy, disillusionment, and an ill-fated one-night stand with an Austrian flight attendant
As Kohnstamm comes to personal terms with each of these job requirements, he unveils the underside of the travel industry and its often-harrowing effect on writers, travelers, and the destinations themselves. Moreover, he invites us into his world of compromising and scandalous situations in one of the most exciting countries as he races against an impossible deadline.
作者简介
目录信息
读后感
用户评价
我必须承认，这本书的基调是相当阴郁的，但它的阴郁并非为了制造绝望，而是为了探寻希望的微弱光芒究竟能穿透多厚的黑暗。作者对人类行为的观察极其敏锐，他似乎能够看穿人们戴在脸上的所有面具，直抵其下疲惫不堪的灵魂。书中有几段关于“背叛”的描写，不是那种大张旗鼓的戏剧性背叛，而是那种日积月累、在沉默中滋长的、难以言喻的疏离感，描绘得入木三分，让人读了后背发凉。这本书的语言风格，在我看来，是非常具有音乐性的，即使在描述最残酷的场景时，也保持着一种令人不安的韵律感和节奏感，仿佛是某个古典乐章的悲怆变奏。它强迫读者面对一个事实：生活往往没有清晰的对错，只有各种程度的妥协和不圆满。它像一面镜子，让你看清自己不愿意承认的那部分人性，但同时，它也给予了理解和同情，让你知道，在那些幽暗之处，你并不孤单。
评分这本书的结构简直像是一个迷宫，每一次翻页都感觉自己深入了一个更深的层次，但出口似乎永远遥不可及，而这正是它的魅力所在。作者的语言充满了画面感，仿佛每一段文字都带着特定的气味和温度。我尤其欣赏他对环境的描摹，那种对细节的偏执捕捉，使得那些抽象的情感具象化了。举个例子，书里描述一个被遗忘的火车站台，那种潮湿、生锈的气味，几乎要从纸页间弥漫出来，这不仅仅是背景，它本身就是角色的一部分，烘托着人物内心的荒凉。更妙的是，作者似乎拒绝给出任何明确的道德评判，他只是将各种极端情况赤裸裸地摆在你面前，让你自己去判断，去感受那些灰色地带的重量。这种开放性给了读者极大的思考空间，我发现自己常常在阅读过程中停下来，在脑海中构建不同的可能性。这本小说挑战了我对“叙事完整性”的传统期待，它更像是一系列精心编排的梦境，逻辑是情感的逻辑，而非现实的逻辑。
评分这本书，说实话，读起来就像是跟一个老朋友在深夜的酒吧里聊天，只不过这位朋友似乎对人性的黑暗面有着异乎寻常的洞察力。从头到尾，作者都保持着一种近乎残忍的坦诚，毫不留情地剖析着那些我们通常选择视而不见的角落。书中的叙事手法非常独特，它不是那种线性的、目标明确的旅程，更像是一系列碎片化的、情感驱动的片段，每一个场景都像是一张快照，捕捉到了人与人之间最微妙也最脆弱的瞬间。我特别喜欢作者处理冲突的方式，不是那种戏剧化的、你死我活的对峙，而是那种渗透在日常对话和眼神交流中的、令人窒息的张力。读完之后，你会忍不住停下来，审视自己生活中的某些决定，那些看似微不足道的选择，是如何一步步将人引向某种未知的境地。那种感觉很奇妙，既有被揭露真相的痛苦，又有一种豁然开朗的释然。它不是一本让人读起来轻松愉快的书，但绝对是一本值得反复咀嚼，让你思考“边界”究竟意味着什么的作品。
评分这本书的文字密度高得惊人，需要反复阅读才能真正体会到其中蕴含的深意。它不像市面上流行的那种快餐式阅读材料，它要求你全身心地投入，去解码那些隐藏在看似平淡的对话之下的潜台词。作者的叙事视角不断地在宏大叙事和极微小的个人感受之间切换，这种跳跃感创造了一种独特的张力。你可能前一秒还在关注一个社会现象的冰山一角，后一秒就被拉回到主角内心一次微不足道的挣扎中。这种叙事策略使得主题的讨论变得多层次、立体化。特别是对“选择的后果”这一主题的处理，作者没有采取简单的因果论，而是展现了时间如何扭曲和重塑我们的记忆，以及我们如何不断地为过去的自己辩护。我发现自己常常因为一个精妙的比喻而停顿下来，不得不去查阅一些背景知识，以更好地理解作者所构建的那个复杂的世界观。这是一次智力上的挑战，也是一次情感上的洗礼。
评分坦率地说，初读这本书时，我感到了一丝不安。它不是那种让你感到被安抚的作品，它更像是一把手术刀，精准地切开了社会表象下的肌理，暴露出了那些令人不适的真相。作者的笔力老辣，他对人物心理的刻画达到了近乎病态的精准度。那些主要角色，没有一个是完美的圣人，每个人都有着深深的阴影和自欺欺人的习惯，但这反而让他们显得无比真实。我最欣赏的一点是，作者在处理“痛苦”时所采取的克制态度。他不会过度渲染，而是用极简的、精准的词汇来暗示巨大的情感波动，留白的处理非常高明。你必须自己去填补那些空白，去感受人物的呼吸、心跳和绝望。这本书的节奏感也很有意思，时而缓慢到令人窒息，仿佛时间凝固了，时而又在不经意间爆发出一场情感的海啸，将你卷入其中，措手不及。读完后，我感觉自己像是经历了一次精神上的“排毒”，虽然过程不舒服，但事后感觉清晰了不少。
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