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Not all of Tim Cahill's essays in Pass the Butterworms are comic, however. Perhaps the most memorable in the collection is "A Darkness on the River," Cahill's account of the senseless murder of a friend's son in Peru and its aftermath. And even his funniest tales have a bittersweet quality to them--the inevitable by-product of an outsider looking in. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Pass the Butterworms" to Your Favorite Friends,
By sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered (Paperback)
No butterworms, but plenty of reasons why not to live in Honduras, the joys of watching the international spear fishing competition (similar to watching the grass grow) and how to work the crowd of hostile natives (laugh a lot).Tim Cahill is an unabashed delight. If I had to go all or any of these places, he's my pick of a companion. Funny, quirky, compassionate and I suspect a lot more competent than he lets on. An added bonus is his lyrical writing; his descriptions are magic. His analysis of bringing stone age people into the age of technology is thoughtful, insightful and all empathy. In the essay, "On the River of Cold Fire" I have never read a better description of a totally cold, wet miserable journey. All the times, we have said "If I ever get out of here---" are summed up in this article. I've decided I will forgive him for accusing Emily Dickinson of over-editing and even his titles. It is so difficult to tell your loved ones you want "A Jaguar Ripped My Flesh" or "A Wolverine is Eating My Leg" for your birthday. But be firm. Insist these are what you really want.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tim Cahill gets thoughtful,
By A Customer
This review is from: Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered (Hardcover)
I've been a big fan of Tim Cahill for as long as he has been compiling his articles into books. Years ago, he was fending off sharks armed only with a nail-tipped broomstick or avoiding the bite of poisonous sea snakes while drunken diving (sic) or evading mysterious armed intruders among the ruins of Peru's mountains. At least, that is what I was particularly drawn to as a testosterone-charged adolescent growing into adulthood. Back then, his spectacular piece, "The Shame of Escobilla," had less appeal for me because it was missing the feats of derring-do that I thought I read Tim Cahill for.
Mr. Cahill is mellowing out with age, and it suits me perfectly. His stories still have the twisted humor that has always been a hallmark of Tim Cahill. But there is a lot more of the "why" around different cultures and different species. I find myself putting the book down often and wanting to share what I just read with someone else, rather than quickly getting to the next story to see what that wacky Tim is going to do next. And I find that I am enjoying it.
My only complaint is that Tim Cahill does so much travelling around that he doesn't do enough writing. I wish he would publish a book every year instead of every three. Either that or begin to take me on his travels.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
See Him, Wouldn't Wanna Be Him,
By
This review is from: Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered (Paperback)
Here's another winning collection from Cahill, who takes all the risks of travel to remote and dangerous places and reports his travails in a humble and good-natured style. In this book we witness Cahill coming down with recurring malaria, going numb while posing for rock-climbing photos, and taking a great many falls and spills, usually resulting in embarrassing injuries. Much of Cahill's trademark sarcastic humor is missing from this particular collection, which seems to (intentionally or unintentionally) focus on more descriptive and serious examples of Cahill's writing. Some of the essays here are unexpectedly deep and even disturbing, such as the self-explanatory "Search and Rescue" and the real winner of the book, "A Darkness on the River," in which Cahill analyzes the murder of his friend's son. This book also has several interrelated pieces on the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in Irian Jaya, and the not-so-certain benefits of ecotourism in Honduras. The collection is held back from greatness by some sketchy and fragmented short pieces that don't offer any true insights, such as "Buford's Revenge" or "Help My Pilot..." but these may be useful for Cahill's more star-crossed fans. In any case, Cahill almost always brings us along for an enjoyable ride as he gets himself into all sorts of hardship for our amusement. ...
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