Customer Reviews

The Journeyer

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I admit that I thought Aztec was a better book, but I'm still giving Journeyer 5 stars. Why? Well, it really is an interesting and captivating book that draws you in as you read it. Journeyer is the story of Marco Polo and his journeys to Asia, supposedly the other half that he did not actually tell the scribe who recorded his journeys in real life. I am not familiar with the history of that period, so I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy, but I will say that this book made me want to read up on the history. There is danger and adventure on every turn as Marco and his father and uncle make their way to China. The book is at turns violent, sexy, and dramatic, but also enlightening and fascinating. I found it very hard to put down, once I had picked it up, even moving quickly through some squeamish parts. Jennings really knows how to get the reader's attention and keep it.

Whoever came up with the title for this book was surely a genius, because it manages to convey multiple things about the novel in one word. First of all Marco Polo was a journeyer, perhaps the quintessential explorer of who that we are taught of in school with his amazing adventures along the silk road that spanned the length of Asia. Secondly, reading this book feels like you are going on a journey, not only the physical one that Marco Polo takes but one of the spirit, a journey of growth, not only in age and maturity but in philosophy. And last of all, this is a book about what it means to be a "journeyer" at heart, a man with a wandering spirit and soul who has a constant drive to explore.

I'm not going to go into details about the plot, mainly because the plot is the story of the journey and to tell it would be to write the book again. This is a long book, divided up by the place in which Marco Polo is at the time and told in the first person, but from a removed standpoint because he is writing it all down long after the events occurred. It is very, very well written, and I say that not liking first person narratives too much. In a sense it reminded me of "Shogun", if perhaps only in the description of landscapes. In other ways, well...

This book is extremely sexually explicit. In every way possible. Every persuasion and perversion is mentioned (some in great detail) and though our narrator himself is fairly decent a great deal of the sex stuff in this book is upsetting and disgusting because it describes sex with children and animals and the sexual norms of the many cultures we move through, many of which are (justly) felonies today. This is NOT a book for prudes or people who can't handle anything that's sexually upsetting or explicit. In fact I would have to rate it (movie style) "X"-and there is a great deal about sex in the book. Some of it is normal, run of the mill novel sex though.

What isn't about sex is very interesting. Though I have no idea about the actual accuracy of the novel when it comes to Marco Polo's journey there is a ton to be learned from this book in historical and cultural tidbits. And as I said, it's a very well written book. But it's also very long and has some boring stretches (like between pages 400-700 but after that it really picks up) as well as those of great excitement.

What really struck me about this book is how complete it is. This book has more of a sense of being completely written, perfectly filled out, than anything I've ever read. The beginning really starts off the story, the middle is the adventures and the ending wraps things up so perfectly-with so much poignancy about the true journey and what it means to be a journeyer-that I was slightly stunned. It's obvious that Gary Jennings is talented not only in the creative sense, but in the technical aspects of writing as well.

4 stars. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very well written both in technical aspects and in creativity. But there were those boring spots (which were quite boring) and all of that sex, which while I understand was used to describe the culture and times of the book in a complete way, was still too explicit in some cases.

It's been many years since I read The Journeyer, and it still is first in line when I recommend a book to a serious reader. I am not one for historical reading; "Marco Polo?" I said, rather haughtily," over my dead body!" However, out of respect for and curiosity over my friend's glowing description, I picked it up and COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I carried it everywhere with me, stayed up nights, read at stop lights in the car...wherever I could find a moment, I devoured the book. Jennings' descriptive prose let me feel the textures, smell the aromas, taste the delicacies, hear the crowd and the silence, and see all there was to see. I was there in all senses, immersed in the life and times of his multidimensional characters and interwoven story lines. A timeless classic!

"The Journeyer" is a magnificent, wonderful story that will hook you in the first few pages and hold on for all 800 or so! In a truly inspired idea, the author created a possible story for the many unrecorded years of the merchant Marco Polo on his travels in Asia in the late thirteenth century. There are so many colorful characters and exotic locations, interspersed with wonderfully informative tidbits, that the amount of research required must have been staggering. Mr. Jennings' grasp of the English language is superb, and he always seems to find the right words to describe a person, place, ect. Another aspect of this book that is refreshing is how nothing is held back. For every beautiful, vivid description that will have you smiling as you read, there will be another scene of such misery and brutality that it will leave you cringing. The most lovely aspects this world has to offer are given equal time with the world's most repellent aspects, including graphic violence, sexuality, and disease. This leads to some heavy shifts in tone, but it can't be called anything but true to life, especially for that time period. I don't want to describe any of the characters, places, or situations because doing so could only lessen the reader's pleasure (or discomfort) when they first come across them. I will only say that anyone at all that enjoys historical fiction, and doesn't mind the effort required in a book of this size, simply must read "The Journeyer". It is an incredible achievement in every way.

A great epic adventure! Tells the story of a young Marco Polo and his adventures in Persia and the Mongol Empire.A truely historic adventure!Highly recommended!

I just finished reading the Journeyer, and can not say enough good things about it. I read Aztec previous to this book and was quite impressed with the author's writing ability. Although I did not think it possible, this book surpassed even Aztec in it's vivid discriptions, interesting characters and awesome adventure.

The book artfully and imaginatively fills in the gaps of Marco Polo's journey across Asia, bringing to life each character as Gary Jennings does so brilliantly in Aztec as well.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in adventure, history, travel and great reading.

The time spent on reading this book, is regarded as my best spent time ever. I even enjoyed it more than I do making money! The man's literary genius is such that one could almost smell the pot of frogs boiling, or taste the pomegranate delicacies served by the supposed barbarians. The broadening of one's horizons is immeasurable. Invariably, conversations lead to this or that which I have read in THE BOOK, to such an extent that my first copy has been read to pieces by now. I myself have read it six times. Top Honours to Mr Jennings. If Your ability to spellbind could be bottled and sold, you would put Bill Gates to shame!

My favorite book of all time. If anyone asks me if I know of any good books - and if they have the heart for it, The Journeyer is one that I recommend to them. I can still see so clearly in my mind several scenes. I wake up at night with a vague recollection of a dream then realize that it was a story from this book. I finshed Aztec two weeks ago and was absolutely entertained by Dark Cloud's life story, his humour, his philosophy on living and his devistating realization of love. I join all the Jennings supporters in giving The Journeyer and Aztec a perfect 10 in the world of historical fiction.

talk about thrills and adventure at every turn! gary jennings knows how to weave a tale that combines historical fact with the best of what a novel is supposed to be. this book has got everything in it. sex,violence,romance,intigue etc. bieng a fan of history and well read of the mongols and theire conquests in the 12th to the 14th century only added to the delightfull background as marco polo and his father and uncle travel from venice all the way to the court of the great KUBULAI KHAN grandson of GHENKIS KHAN , where polo becomes a favorite of the great ruler. there is a ton of sex in this novel that may seem perverted to some but it is done in a very mature 'soft" way with no crude or vulgar language that artfully describe what must have most certainly been accurate at that time. H.L. MENCKEN once said that most of sex is not serious or evil like americans treat it but"buffoonery", the way the french treat it. youll understand that when you read some of the hilarious passages that take place in this book. youll learn about the "silk road" , life in china and the trading and commerce aspects of the venetians and how life was transformed by linking various cultures and countrys for the firast time. a great book over 1000 pages long but youll still be aching to read more after youve finished. unfortunatley for all of us GARY JENNINGS the author has passed away so there will be no more books from him just as there are no more polos and khans.

How do I love these books, let me count the ways. Gary Jennings is prolific in the manner with which he weaves history and fiction together. EVERYTHING you could ever want from an author from ordinary protagonist to rich character developement, political intrigue, romance and historical references to keep you grounded ; the utter savagery and acceptance of it along side the wonderous beauty and uninhibited nature of culture, people and time. Besides the heroic climaxes, he has a beautiful way of tempering them with the way he slyly leads misfortune directly to your door and you answer before you realize what is upon you. The best part is that long after you have digested the words, you still remember the lessons of frailty, grandeur, mortality and the still present savagry the we live in.. not to stuff too much prose down your throat but this is one damn fine author and I have read Raptor, Journeyer and Aztec at least 3 time in 10 years now!