For twenty thousand miles, Peter Matthiessen crisscrossed the South American wilderness, traveling from the Amazonian rain forests to Machu Picchu high in the Andes, down to the edge of the world at Tierra del Fuego and back. In the course of his journey, he followed the trails of old explorers; encountered river bandits, wild tribesmen, and the evidence of ancient ruins; and discovered a fossilized snout of a giant unknown crocodile hidden in the depths of the jungle on the wild mountain rivers of Peru. Filled with observations and descriptions of the people and the fading wildlife of this vast world to the south, The Cloud Forest is Matthiessen s incisive, wry report of his expedition into some of the last and most exotic wild terrains in the world.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
The range of these travels is astonishing....Mr Matthiessen has three indispensable qualities for an all-around writer: a sense of style, a sense of humor, and an ungovernable curiosity. --New York Times
A completely delightful book. Beneath the clean, dry, straightforward prose, there is an extraordinary perception. Nowhere in The Cloud Forest did I come across a false note. --New York Times Book Review
A completely delightful book. Beneath the clean, dry, straightforward prose, there is an extraordinary perception. Nowhere in The Cloud Forest did I come across a false note. --New York Times Book Review
About the Author
PETER MATTHIESSEN has written eight novels and a book of short stories. His parallel career as a naturalist and environmental activist has produced numerous acclaimed works of nonfiction, most of them serialized in the New Yorker. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1974.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eye openning,
This review is from: Cloud Forest (Classic, Nature, Penguin) (Paperback)
Matthiessen always teaches,in a quiet sober way.The extent of his experience coupled with a wonderful style has always made his subject fascinating.The Cloud Forest is no exception.From ornothology,Buddhisum,indigious peoples,spirituality,the environment,to his fiction... on every subject he gives the reader a clear insight.Quammen, Lopez,Finnegan,Mcgune,Proulx et al,all in one.Simply the best.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's with Ginsberg?,
By Chuck (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cloud Forest (Classic, Nature, Penguin) (Paperback)
Macchu Picchu, a giant fossilized mandible, steam ships, and Allen Ginsberg. What can be wrong with a book that features all that. Seriously, this is a great book. Good culutral anthropology without all the anthropology to get in the way. From his depiction of the natives to his own almost childlike desire to explore and see, Matthiessen conveys a great story in a great way. Not exactly up to the Snow Leopard's level, but a great read.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Adventures through the Pongo on a raft,
By
This review is from: Cloud Forest (Classic, Nature, Penguin) (Paperback)
What I like about Matthiessen's account is that he has no clear destination (e.g, through "some remarkably bad planning, I crossed the Andes nine times in five months")., and hence open to adventure and experience. He writes of what he sees and what affects him. He also is reflective about how he effects the local residents or native Machiguenga guides. I have some sadness that the tribes he encountered (1960's) may no longer be there. He writes honestly, not claiming superiority, for example he takes pistol shots at crocodiles. His adventure down the Urubamba was particularly compelling ... would he find the giant crocodile bones, would he find the lost city ruins? Along the way he manages to accomplish something remarkable (the traverse of the Pongo), and as any proud adventurer, tries to understand if his adventure was historically unique. For bird watchers, there is an added enjoyment of trying to identify some of the birds he describes along the way. This travel journal sets a standard for other adventurers and for my own daily journals.
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