A punk rock vision quest told in the tradition of the anarchist travel story, Off The Map is narrated by two young women as they discard their maps, fears, and anything resembling a plan, and set off to Europe. Wandering across that continent, the dozens of vignettes are the details of the whole - a squatted castle surrounded by tourists on the Spanish coast, a philosophizing businessman on the highways of France, a placa full of los crustos in Barcelona...Originating as a zine given out to a few friends in Prague, this has now received the Crimethinc lavish production treatment, and clocks in at 146 pages, complete with photographs, illustrations and a cover featuring original artwork by Nikki McClure. Cometbus eat your heart out.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking...,
By M. Asturias "MRA" (Grand Junction, CO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Off the Map (Paperback)
I found this book at a used book shop and was curious enough by the title and the opening sentences to buy it. I'm so glad I did.
I'm not sure if the author is writing under a pseudonym, but if so, I hope she one day reveals her true name, as I would love to read anything else she writes. She has a beautiful grasp of the language, a very strong, unique voice that lingers in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned. I've done my share of backpacking (mostly solo, occasionally with a friend) and sometimes find myself frustrated with the self-absorbed, pointless travel literature penned by some of my colleagues on the road. This, however, is a stunning first (?) effort. There are few blow-by-blow, word-for-word, moment-by-moment descriptions of events and adventures -- she doesn't dwell on the minutiae of backpacking; rather, the writer often expands her field of vision to embrace not just the many practical aspects of traveling but also the nature of friendship, love, longing, loneliness, beauty, and humanity, and does so in a way that's not self-conscious, self-serving, or cynical. She admits that she can't be cynical, and indeed, the book exudes hope, a feeling not often associated with the anarchist movement. It's an optimistic tale of two girls in search of more than adventure, something that already distinguishes it from the hundreds of traveler's tales on the bookshelf. I wish there were a sequel, or at least something to let us know what happens to these extraordinary women once they reached their destination. There's no information on the Crimethinc Web site (the publisher) about the author, nothing to indicate whether or not they found their way home, or if they decided to seek their dreams elsewhere. If you do decide to purchase this book, I would recommend going straight to the publisher (Google Crimethinc). It's much cheaper than going through Amazon, even with S&H thrown in.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Off The Map,
By
This review is from: Off the Map (Paperback)
Off The Map-Hib ****1/2
Off The Map is essentially the punk On The Road, only set in Europe. This is part of a two part series from Hib (the author) and Hibickna the author of the other book. This follows the two girls as they travel from squat to squat in search of adventure and piece of mind. It's an entertaining read and certainly one anyone can enjoy. Though I must admit I did have to motivate myself to open it up sometimes, though it was very rewarding once I did. Off The Map is for those who never ever give up on their dreams and are always chasing new ones. off The Map was a refreshing read. "Those people who claim to be fighting for radiacal change-they claim success when they enter negotiations with their opponents, but that isn't change. It's just a different round of obedience." (pg.114)
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Off The Map and Evasion,
By
This review is from: Off the Map (Paperback)
This is a joint review for Off The Map and Evasion, posted under both. Why? They both have essentially the same issues and same basic (lack of) structure, and I don't want to be redundant. Both books are travel narratives, by punk rockers, and both are written casually and with more personal reflection on what they saw than descriptions of the same. Both were published by Crimethinc in relatively nice packaging. Both have some black and white photos, with and some hand-scribbled notes/drawings. Both are (as far as I can tell) written by healthy, young, middle class white people who are astounded that more people don't just live off the system the way THEY do, because it's just that easy. I'd love to see a single black mother or a guy with a chronic health condition write a book like this. Maybe we'll see that, someday. Of course, there's little reflection on the fact that their role in relationship to this civilization is that of parasites, symbiotes, and/or scavengers, depending on how favorably we view them. That is to say, because more people like me work full time than spend our entire lives backpacking like them, they can live without working really easily. I don't begrudge them their lifestyle, but it would be nice to see some acknowledgement of its practical causes and effects somewhere in these books. They clearly begrudge others their own lifestyles and opinions though--the Evasion author expresses a clear dislike of people who use intoxicants, hold down jobs, don't steal, eat meat, and/or dress differently. He also says that if poverty isn't fun, you're doing it wrong. If you can go back to your mom and dad's house or mooch off a girlfriend (as he seems willing enough to do) then, umm, you're not really living poverty, you're more just having a low-budget vacation. The girls who wrote Off The Map detail some really condescending attitudes towards people who helped them out, and at one point angrily leave a squat they've been allowed to crash at because there was a (possibly) mildly sexist element in a mural on the wall. Dissing your hosts in print is really such a spoiled and fanatical way to act that I wonder if they're leaving some details out about other aspects of the trip. Neither book is without value; both have some very good descriptive writing and admittedly both made me want to get out and travel more. And at heart, I like kids like these when they're thoughtful and not acting like spoiled brats; travel is great, adventure is great, and lord knows living with less material crap would benefit us all. But there's an evangelistic and ugly tone, and refusal to acknowledge reality, in both books, and I just couldn't hang with it. Your mileage may vary. 2.5 stars.
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