Roads to Santiago: Detours and Riddles in the Lands and History of Spain [Hardcover]

Cees Nooteboom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

An elegant and richly detailed chronicle of Nooteboom’s exploration of Spain, conducted over three decades. His ultimate destination is Santiago de Compostela. Humorous, affecting, and reflective, these essays beautifully describe the author’s journeys through this mysterious and mystical land. Black and-white photographs. Translated by Ina Rilke.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A worthy travel book does not encourage a reader to follow in the author's footsteps in search of the "good spots" so much as it creates a sense of adventure and the desire to understand a place. In Roads to Santiago: Detours and Riddles in the Lands and History of Spain, Dutch author Cees Nooteboom seeks out the soul and spirit of Spain in a way that suggests a journey of self-discovery as much as an actual expedition. Although the stated goal is to reach Santiago de Compostela--a church in northwest Spain that was once the object of pilgrimages during the Middle Ages--Nooteboom doesn't follow a single or direct route to the village. The more serendipitous the journey, the better. Nooteboom followed many "detours," taking nearly every back road he found and making sure to avoid anything resembling a major thoroughfare or urban center. The result of his circuitous travels is this collection of moving essays on Spain's history, geography, architecture, and people.

From Library Journal

In this series of essays, Nooteboom (The Following Story, LJ 8/94), one of Holland's most popular and translated authors, ventures through what he calls his "adopted country," from Barcelona to Santiago. Detours are what Nooteboom delights in, and true to form he takes the reader through detours of monasteries; art galleries; La Mancha in search of Don Quixote and Dulcinea; the Prado museum in Madrid, where he waxes eloquently about Velazquez and Nooteboom's favorite, Zurburan; and churches and courtyards in cities and villages once protected by their geography and now isolated in the empty plains of the Meseta. The strength of Nooteboom's book is in his lyrical descriptions of Spain, a country he believes has never been quite a part of Europe. Some knowledge of European history is required to appreciate his work fully. Recommended for large public and academic libraries or where there is demand for literary travel books.?David Schau, Kanawha Cty. P.L., Charleston, W. Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151001979
• ISBN-13: 978-0151001972
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting essay on Spain, December 13, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Roads to Santiago: Detours and Riddles in the Lands and History of Spain (Hardcover)

Cees Nooteboom is a well-known Dutch novelist and travel-author. Spain is his favourite country (like mine), he lives partly on the Spanish island Menorca. This book of essays was published in Dutch in 1992 and includes articles written between 1979 and 1991. Nooteboom is a traveller who has a great interest in the history of a country : i.e. in the of case Spain the historical relations between christians, jews and moors. He also has a particalur interest in medieval (roman) architecture. His 'route' is somewhat unsystematic : he does not follow one road, but his travels are full of 'detours' (time and again he is attracted by unwellknown placenames). Nooteboom certainly doesn't limit himself to the typical must-sights'. Sometimes Nooteboom seems to be travelling more in the past than in the present, but his comments on the places he visits are always personal, original,(he avoids 'clichés') proving a deep insight in the roots of Spanish culture. Therefore "The roads to Santiago" is not an easy travel-guide but rather an interesting book to take with you when touring through this country : it's revelation to visit places and read Nooteboom's comments at the same time.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great context if you're planning to take the pilgrimage, October 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Roads to Santiago (Paperback)

This is a spectacular book, written by the best kind of travel writer. Mr. Nooteboom's passion for Spain, Spanish art, and Spanish architecture is infectious. I did the pilgrimage to Santiago in September of 2003, and understanding the Camino in the larger context of Spanish history (which Mr. Nooteboom limns so admirably) was invaluable. I don't believe I would have looked for, much less appreciated the Romanesque architecture I saw along the way. Coincidentally, his love of the great Spanish painters Zurbaran and Velazquez inspired me to visit New York for the Velazquez to Manet exhibit. I consider this one of the essential books to read before you set out for Santiago de Compostela. Guide books will get you from A to B. This book will help you understand the importance of A, B, and all the points in between.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVER WONDERED HOW TO TRAVEL?, August 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Roads to Santiago (Paperback)

first of all, cees nooteboom is a shining oasis in the arid intellectual desert of contemporary travel writing, and secondly, you should let go of everything that makes you unhappy, and set sail tomorrow.

the sheer profundity and wit of nooteboom's observations left me, for one, in like total dumbstruck awe, and his seemingly divine ability to translate the most visceral of emotions into words (a medium of communication i had always, up till now, considered inferior) made me feel a little bit the same way i felt the first time i went skydiving. folks, this here is a man who knows how to travel, as well as being a freakin miracle of a writer--and anyone who is capable of firing a sincere philosophic-type synapse will LOVE HIM. also read "the following story," all you existential types out there--he's like a dreamy, colorful Camus, and his prose will make your eyes feel clean for the first time in years.