Customer Reviews

Into the Heart of Borneo

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Naturalist and adventurer Redmond O'Hanlon's first travel tome is a timeless classic. His well-observed descriptions of nature are charmingly lyrical and his dry wit (and that
of fellow traveller, reknowned poet James Fenton) will leave you laughing on every page. Think Bill Bryson meets Charles Darwin and you might approximate O'Hanlon's writing style.

I have read all three of his travel books - this one twice - and though "No Mercy" - his Congo odyssey, is the most breathtakingly ambitious and epic in scope, "Borneo", a lighthearted romp, remains my sentimental favorite.

The reader should have a healthy taste for nature and anthropology to fully appreciate any of O'Hanlons works. Birds, insects and trees share equal billing with the human cast. But
O'Hanlon's infectious enthusiasm for flora and fauna, his deprecating humor, his gift of hyberbole and capacity for capturing the nuances of character are enough to keep anyone
glued to the page.

Also in this book (and even more so in the ribald "No Mercy"), there is a surprising amount of sexuality, as the libidinous habits of the Ibans are often as frankly observed as the mating
habits of the Hornbills,Kingfishers and rhinos, adding voyeur to O'Hanlon's talents as naturalist and humorist.

Long before Bill Bryson set out to take his walk in the woods, London Times' literary reviewer, Redmond O'Hanlon, and his friend, poet James Fenton, trekked deep into the heart of Borneo in search of a rare, albino rhinoceros, accompanied by three Iban natives, Dana, Leon, and Inghai. Romping through jungles, traveling by river, and doing the seven-step disco in late-night villages, the two aging academics tried their best to avoid 1,700 different species of parasitic worms, snakes, wild-boar ticks, leeches, amoebic and bacillary dysentery, yellow and blackwater and dengue fevers, malaria, cholera, typhoid, rabies, hepatitis, tuberculosis and crocodiles. O'Hanlon writes with a naturalist's eye for detail, noting the various birds, insects, trees and critters he encountered along the way. Equal parts travelogue and memoir, and with a generous measure of Monty Python-like humor, INTO THE HEART OF BORNEO relives O'Hanlon's 1983 quest into "the heart of twilight, the home of 'old mankind'" (p. 129). For me, life couldn't be much better, sitting in a Boulder coffeehouse, reading about O'Hanlon's adventures in Borneo.

G. Merritt

The book is about two educated englishmen who venture to the island of Borneo determined to capture the the sights of a rare albino rhino. The author sets the humor rolling straight off, and in his sardonic wit, recounts his adventures into the rainforest of Borneo.

Duly noted are the risks to life and limb (and appendages)he must be aware of during his adventure. These lessons are given to him by his good natured guides who taunt and tease the overweight white (very white) man. All in good fun, the banter flows both ways. Descriptions of their meals may take a tough stomach on the part of the reader. He spared the reader nothing when it came to describing the delights of dinnertime. The recollection of some repasts, especially the gourmet monster lizard meals were among the more memorable (unfortunately). It was amazing what they scrounged up to eat. I will not spoil all the little surprises they had at mealtime, you will know soon enough when you read the book!

Aside from the culinary experience, I found the travel journey delightfully funny and educational. While I know this is NOT the kind of trip I would care to have, I appreciate that the author had the guts to do it. At times, he doubted his stamina, but that is what made the novel work - he was a regular guy doing something outrageously difficult, not to mention dangerous. I can see that this kind of adventure would appeal to many others, but for me, I took his trip in an armchair where I was safe and knew what I was eating for lunch!

He is a charming writer, hooking the reader with teasing references. I admit I learned alot about their culture and some of their more sensitive political and social issures. A quick read, I went out and bought more of his books and look forward to a similar experience.

If a book has Redmond O'Hanlon's name on it, buy it. While reading this book, when I wasn't laughing out loud (and I never laugh out loud) I was enthralled with the subject matter. I hate to compare writers, but think Paul Theroux (but not mean), David Quammen and throw in a little Tim Cahill for good measure and you come close to Redmond O'Hanlon. I've read a quite a few travelogues and Redmond O'Hanlon represents the very best of the genre.

This the fifth book I've read on traveling in Borneo, and in certain ways it rivals my favorite (Eric Hansen's "A Stranger in the Forest"). O'Hanlon is not only literate and well-informed on the subject (Borneo), but he's one of those highly-educated writers who doesn't take himself (or his elderly, unathletic) traveling companion (a famous poet) too seriously. The screamingly funny parts are when O'Hanlon is either making fun of himself sweating like a pig, covered with flies and falling down or up one muddy trail or another while his Borneo native guides are laughing themselves silly at his ineptness. O'Hanlon is fat and out-of-shape and his small, powerfully strong, local guides never let him forget it for a minute!

O'Hanlon is able to describe characters so well, one feels as if you are on the boat with them; the three guides are lovingly drawn (unlike other travel writers who don't view their local guides as complete people).

For those with an interest in the ecology of Borneo, birds, or river journeys, there is much to learn through this engrossing read. I recently saw a documentary that filmed the "remote" areas where O'Hanlon's journey took place and I am sad to say it has been totally deforested by the Indonesian timber industry; huge corporations that are destroying the Borneo rainforest due to graft and a lack of enforcement by the Indonesian goverment... Subjects that O'Hanlon writes about in this book. Think twice about buying teak furniture, much of it comes from poached wood that is illegally cut from Borneo's rainforest, a sad coda to this funny book.

I picked this book up while I was vacationing in Holland several years ago. I found it to be one of the funniest books I have ever read. It tells about two friends looking for the elusive albino rhino in Borneo. The first few pages were completely riotous - how they were getting ready for the rigors of jungle travel made me fall out of my chair from laughter. This book is written by a funny guy! It tells his own story, in his own words from his point of view. It is sincere, hilarious and sensitive. A very good story! If you do not want to laugh, do not read this book. If you want to experience some humor in life about a place the majority of us will never go, read it and enjoy! Lighten yourself up a little!

There are three things you should know about Redmond O'Hanlon's Into the Heart of Borneo: it's very educational, it's very funny, and it's a heckuva good adventure. The premise is that two middle-aged British academics, poet James Fenton and naturalist Redmond O'Hanlon, are dispatched to Borneo in search of the rare mountain Rhinoceros. Whatever their ultimate goal, after two pages you're hooked by O'Hanlon's clever writing and self-deprecating wit as he describes the preparations for their epic journey.
You can learn a lot from this book. For example, did you realize that Borneo is the world's third largest island? that over 1,700 different species of parasitic worm can infest your bloodstream? that a bite from a Wagler's Pit Viper will lead to nothing worse than near-death? On the more substantive side, you will also learn about Borneo's history, native cultures, geography, flora, and fauna-especially its amazing birds! And funny? the education you'll receive about Borneo is a bonus because the book could carry itself quite successfully on O'Hanlon's hilarious writing. Imagine two English intellectuals travelling by foot and canoe through remote rainforest with three Iban tribesman; one of whom, Leon, could host the Letterman Show.
I giggled continually throughout this book. One passage describing how Redmond and the Iban planned to "take Jam's head" upon returning to camp where a nervous but unsuspecting James was waiting had me laughing with glee.
As a fellow middle-aged, balding, and slightly pudgy man, this book gave me great hope that I too could travel to Borneo and survive such an adventure. Read it to learn about Borneo. Read it to laugh. Just read it! You won't be disappointed.

I lived in Borneo during the same period that this trip was made. O'hanlon has done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of this magnificent land. I traveled the Baram river and found the experiences very similar. The Iban and Dayak are true party animals.

This twenty-five year old tale of two Brits being transported by their faithful guides into the deepest jungle of Borneo is amusing and interesting.

Redmond O'Hanlon and the smoking (as in smoking) James Fenton (improbably) the Queen's Poet Laureate embark on a journey to discover the highest mountain of Borneo and hopefully the white Rhino, possibly an island dweller and certainly unseen in decades.

O'Hanlon takes a whimsical approach to this travelogue. The stars are his faithful tribal guides and the locals he meets as he journeys up river and away from modern life. Particularly enjoyable are the village stops where he and his crew are (usually) met with feasts, libations, dance and the occasional memory from the local chieftain's female relatives. The clash of cultures provides many funny moments without slipping into condescation.

Although there is a lot of discussion of birds and waxing about the various properties of rushes, finches, yellow-bellied-sap-suckers and the like, the book is informative and interesting with the occasional chuckle thrown in. Altogether an enjoyable arm chair trip.

This book is spit-your-Coke-out funny. I have read more than 100 travel/adventure books in the last ten years for work-related reasons and Into the Heart of Borneo is the very best one. O'Hanlon's other books are good but this first work is sublime. The only American writer that can compare to him is W. Hodding Carter.