Customer Reviews

The African Safari Papers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I give this book four stars simply because in his first book he already has a writing style that made the book extremely enjoyable. The main character in the book was honest, witty, and very easy to connect with. I think Sedlack relayed the inner thoughts, dilemmas, and turmoils of disenchanted youth with unbelievable accuracy and insight. At times I felt as if I was reading my own thoughts. The author's honesty proved very entertaining and very comical.

This book would be an easy 5 stars if there was a more developed plot. I think he might wanted to keep the plot simple so he could have room to vent the thoughts of the main character on a regular basis throughout the novel. However, it would be very interesting to see a mix of his writing style with a bit of Chuck Palahniuk style plot mixed into it.

If he continues to grow as a writer he will be AMAZING. He is already very, very close.

A self-involved teenager, a psychotic mother and a domineering father complete the clan that is the Clark family. Set in the context of an extended family vacation in Africa, Robert Sedlack's The African Safari Papers chronicles, in excruciating detail, the dissolution the Clark family as witnessed by their teenage son Richard.
Written in the form of a first person narrative of journal entries, Sedlack's book is a pleasure to read. Sedlack admirably captures the unique teenage perspective of wry cynicism without context. The character of Richard, the teenage son, is quick to mock and then dismiss the attributes and actions of both his mother and father throughout the book. Ultimately however Richard grows to understand his own naivete and hubris in assuming that he is in a position to judge anyone. Overlaid with a tapestry of his own short-comings and insecurities the trip and the journal entries become a journey of self-examination in which Richard comes to finally understand not only his parents but himself.
Author Robert Sedlack has crafted an excellent novel. The writing, as noted rings true both in content and form. Terse and yet colourful the series of journal entries are rich not so much for what they include but for what they evoke. Sedlack has succeeded in creating a series of passages which ring true to the reader, evoking familial memories of conflict, love and hate which are bound to be familiar to any reader. Thus, in Sedlack's book the reader in essence "fills in the blanks"; an engaging form of writing which leads to an early suspension of disbelief for the reader. It is as if each journal entry in the book is a line drawing which Sedlack invites the reader to colour in using their own experiences.
Despite its dark subject matter this book is hard to put down. The characters are engaging, the protagonist darkly amusing and the setting more than a mere backdrop for the events that ultimately; spin out of control. The African Safari Papers is well crafted, well thought out and a joy to read - evocative and challenging it is one book that should not be missed this season. It is one book that can safely be placed on your "must buy" list.

Now *this* -- no matter what others may say about other recent books (or even call their own book) -- is *truly* a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Part David Sedaris, part Hunter S. Thompson and, yes, part J.D. Salinger, The African Safari Papers perfectly blends the disparate elements that make up modern, tragicomic life -- and, triumphantly, announces a new, unique voice to the pantheon of revered literary narrators. This is the book that should get all the press and attention. This is the book that should sell 5 million copies.This is the book for anybody who's ever had parents to deal with, or who has had (or still has) ideas about what's wrong with relationships, with religion... with the world. This is the book for anybody willing to stare upon a soul stripped of protective armor, in order to discover something about the people around them and about themselves. This is a book for people who love great books.

Very good book if you like black humour. I await his next along with Peter Lefcourt's!

I just finished the book last night, and it is the best book I have gotten my hands on so far. The thought process and ideas are so powerful that I highlighted quotes all through the book that inspired me in several different ways. The book is really powerful because of how real it is, it is an invitation into someone else's world and mind while stuck in many different situations and experiences. This made it so interesting to me since I write myself, and I am just a few years older than he was at the time. Don't make the assumption that a journal would not have an interesting plot or story, because the ending proves that assumption wrong..there is a build up throughout the whole book that explodes at the end, as I closed the book after finishing the last page I got a strong chill and sat in a daze for about 5 minutes trying to pull myself back into reality. I suppose I am a really deep person, but this book had an affect on me that will change the way a perceive life and situations. I plan on reading it again soon to see if I can pick up on more views.....you have to have an open mind to really get sucked into this book.

Robert Sedlack's brilliant debut novel deserves to be on the bookshelf of every person in the country. I won't ruin anything by giving away the plot, but the comments Sedlack makes on everything from religion, to love, to drugs, and everything in between make one stop and think about our North American perspective on life. One of the most entertaining novels I've read, ranking up there with Martel's Life of Pi. Just do your brain a favour and read them both.

Somewhat of a stream of conscious narrative about a screwed up kid and his screwed up parents. I found it interesting that none of the three Clark family members end up as the least or most worst of the bunch. Issues, problems, and idiosyncrasies are just about equally dispersed. The narrator, Richard, virtually vomits his thoughts into his journal, bile and all. What is also interesting is how he sometimes will put down his thoughts, consciously edited, but generally will end up stripping away the bows and ribbons to expose what he thinks is his most primal and honest feelings. We are all guilty of presenting our thoughts to others with a patina derived of conventional morality sometimes only hinting at our true feelings. I think this book exposes the paradox of private thought that is influenced by conventional morality when held up to the mirror of one's experiences. What are our true thoughts? Can a person really know? Richard struggles with what he feels are his true feelings in his efforts to honestly chronicle the safari, straining their current experiences thru a mesh built by his past. In the end he really is not sure how he feels. The only downer for me was the violent ending for his parents. I thought it to be somewhat of a too convenient contrivance. It seemed like it was a hasty way of wrapping things up and came off a little too corny.

I recommend this book. This was a fun summer read. While saying this I also must explain to you that this book is not meant to be anything more than a summer adventure. As I look back to my summer adventures, though they are not as explosive as the African Safari our hero embarked on, are just a break from the routine life that I was accustomed to. Similarly with our hero who after returning from the trip will leave Africa behind and all his troubles. That is why this book must be read with that in mind. Our hero is 19 so of course he think his wisdom is worthy of contending against Solomon in his pride. His spirituality and philosophizing is not meant to blow the reader away in awe, but to be viewed condescendingly by the reader. Condescendingly as in, "Ah, yes. I remember being 19 and being that silly."

Man, it was okay, but it wasn't that good.