Rainbow Diary [Paperback]

John Malathronas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2005

A fascinating portrait of the new South Africa by the acclaimed author of Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul. From the stillness of the Karoo savanna to the warmth of the Indian Ocean, and from the exclusive white neighbourhoods of Pretoria to the destitution of the black townships in Cape Town, John Malathronas chronicles a journey in one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. Whether dancing the night away in a club, mountain-biking on the backpacker's bus or watching animals on a safari, John Malathronas is full of sharp observations, be they social, historical, political or botanical. The author draws fascinating portraits of the many Afrikaner, Xhosa, Zulu, Indian and Swazi characters he encounters, all of whom make up the tapestry of the new South Africa.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Malathronas is a seasoned traveller, photographer and writer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Summersdale Publishers (June 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840244453
• ISBN-13: 978-1840244458
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,060,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Travelogue, August 17, 2005

By 

Malcolm K. Tetley (THAILAND) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rainbow Diary (Paperback)

After reading and greatly enjoying John Malathronas book on Brasil, I was looking forward with great anticipation to his new book on South Africa. I was not disappointed. As with his book on Brasil, John mixes facts, history, humour and social commentary in equal measure to provide a finished effort which is impossible to put down, and this is from a determined non bookworm!! Normally most books take me weeks if not months, Johns two efforts lasted two weeks and one week respectively (the Brasil book is almost twice the size of the South Africa one!)
Frankly, I find many travelogues disappointing and stodgy, with the writers unsure on the balance to be maintained between facts and anecdotes, and in most cases, theres almost no history at all.
John on the other hand clearly spends a significant amount of time researching his subject. I have visited South Africa, and Brasil, on many occasions, yet Johns books have provided me with insights,and a wealth of new knowledge, and most importantly, presented in a balanced and digestible format which is guaranteed to have you galloping forward to the next page or the next chapter.
The criteria which is always in my mind when I read a travel guide is this. Does the book make you want to go there? In the case of Rainbow Diary, yes, absolutely and totally, now I need to return to South Africa to visit places highlighted by Johns book which in the past I have missed. In fact, as I read the book, my next travel itinerary for South Africa was formulating itself in my mind.On the other hand, if you simply want to know and understand a lot more about two very large and complex countries without actually going there, the two books by John Malathronas come very very highly recommended.I cant wait for the next one!!!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A darn wiry bio, October 9, 2006

By 

Bjørn Chr Tørrissen "World traveller" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rainbow Diary (Paperback)

Now, before you buy and/or start reading John's books (this one or the other, "Brazil: Life, blood, soul", which in many ways is similar to this one), you should know what you're in for:

* John is British.
* John likes to travel.
* John is gay.
* John likes to go to parties and start them off by eating small pills with smiley faces on them.

And all this is not only evident from, but actually emphasized in his writings. So if you're heavily into any of those bullet points, preferably more than one of them, you're likely to enjoy the books.

I only share the travel bit with him, but I have traveled in South Africa and am always eager to compare my own experiences with those of others. Although John's trip takes him through much of South Africa, do not think this is an adventurous trip in any way. Basically he has been traveling on the Baz Bus, a backpackers' door-to-door transport service, guaranteed to see you through safely. Neither does he do anything out of the ordinary or on his own, but just signs up for daytrips offered by the hostels where he's staying. Which of course is fine, as it will probably be relevant to what you yourself will be doing if you ever go there.

As a supplement to a standard travel guide (Lonely Planet/Rough Guides), this book will help you to understand not necessarily more of South Africa, but probably sooner than you would have if you had not read it. It's well written, although I would not have missed it if he had concentrated less on the gay dance clubs early on in the book.

John will not write so much about traveling. Instead he'll be very happy to throw in lengthy anecdotes about stuff he learns and finds interesting about the places he travels through. You're likely to find it interesting, too.

Bjørn

PS: The title of this review is just the best anagram I could come up with from the book's title now. Don't put too much into it.