Commentary/review

An incredibly honest bout of talent. An epitome of survival. A spiritual quest into the remnants of the soul of the ancient Australian land.

For me, the most striking part of this testimony is the apparent lack of any attempt at putting this patchwork of impressions together. It was written two years after the journey and, according to a later memoir, took the journey away from Robyn, robbing her of most of her memories from that time. Even with the hindsight, she did not attempt to order her thoughts and images any more than chronologically. This is courageous and admirable but also created a fascinating, lasting piece of connaisseur literature. The result seems much closer to the truth about human beings than the coherent, well put together individuals we often imagine ourselves to be.

I loved the narrator’s style and detachment. There is also something “lower class” “upper class” going on there, although I was not able to fully appreciate it, lacking familiarity with the upper class Australians…

The book was produced in 2022 and I greatly appreciate it, now that this classic could finally reach me. An enriching adventure. I should also mention that images of Robyn Davidson from that time available online left me speechless.

The loveliest cover this year – great idea, great colors, true to the content, yet simple.

Cover photo by Camden & Hailey George on Unsplash