Peter Matthiessen crisscrossed 10,000 miles of the South American wilderness, from the Amazon rain forests to Machu Picchu, high in the Andes, down to Tierra del Fuego and back. He followed the trails of old explorers, encountered river bandits, wild tribesmen, and the evidence of ancient ruins, and discovered fossils in the depths of the Peruvian jungle. The Cloud Forest is his incisive, wry report of his expedition into this vast world to the south.
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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 --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
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 --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
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.
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
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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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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
A PALE NOVEMBER SKY, like a sky on the moon. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
South America, Tierra del Fuego, Pongo de Mainique, Machu Picchu, Juan Pablo, César Cruz, North America, Rio Grande, Santa Cruz, Happy Days, United States, Buenos Aires, Padre Daniel, Sargasso Sea, Windward Islands, Black Drunken River, Fidel Pereira, Punta Arenas, Gulf Stream, Padre Manuel, Rio Picha, Yarina Cocha, Saint Vincent, Strait of Magellan, Wayne Snell New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
A PALE NOVEMBER SKY, like a sky on the moon. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
South America, Tierra del Fuego, Pongo de Mainique, Machu Picchu, Juan Pablo, César Cruz, North America, Rio Grande, Santa Cruz, Happy Days, United States, Buenos Aires, Padre Daniel, Sargasso Sea, Windward Islands, Black Drunken River, Fidel Pereira, Punta Arenas, Gulf Stream, Padre Manuel, Rio Picha, Yarina Cocha, Saint Vincent, Strait of Magellan, Wayne Snell New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 28
books:
See all 28 books this book cites
38
books
cite this book:
See all 38 books citing this book
- Green Hell by Julian Duguid on page 156
- Wildlife in America by Peter Matthiessen in Back Matter
- Sailing Alone around the World (Penguin Classics) by Joshua Slocum on page 16
- Rio Grande (Rivers of the World) by Raymond Johnson in Front Matter
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson in Back Matter
See all 28 books this book cites
- The Land's Wild Music: Encounters with Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, Terry Tempest William, and James Galvin by Mark Tredinnick on page 111, page 120, and Back Matter
- Travelers' Tales Brazil: True Stories (Travelers' Tales Guides) by Scott Doggett on page 179, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Travelers' Tales Brazil (Travelers' Tales Guides) by Annette Haddad on page 196, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Land's Wild Music: Encounters with Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, Terry Tempest William, and James Galvin by Mark Tredinnick on page 111, page 120, and Back Matter
- 365 Travel: A Daily Book of Journeys, Meditations, and Adventures by Lisa Bach on page 286, and Back Matter
See all 38 books citing this book
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