African Silences (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A superb vicarious experience of Africa that provides a dazzling, if dismaying, report on the state of the environment. Map.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Matthiessen's previous travels in Africa have been largely confined to the East, described in The Tree Where Man Was Born ( LJ 12/1/72) and Sand Rivers ( LJ 3/1/81). In this account of three trips to Central and Western Africa, Matthiessen reports on the almost total devastation of wildlife in Senegal, Gambia, and the Ivory Coast and describes an exhibition searching for the rare Congo peacock and gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Zaire. Matthiessen's disgust for the government, ruined landscape, and many of the people he found in these countries makes for uncomfortable reading. Especially engrossing is his "African Silences" chapter in which he accompanied ecologist David (Jonah) Western to the Central African Republic, Gabon, and Zaire to survey populations of the forest elephant and visit the Mbuti Pygmies of the Ituri Forest. Matthiessen's delight in the Mbuti and his cautious optimism about the effects of the recent ban on ivory trafficking somewhat softens his otherwise grim message about the fate of the people and wildlife of Africa. Recommended for college and public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/91.
- Beth Clewis, J. Sar geant Reynolds Community Coll. Lib., Richmond, Va.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (June 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679731024
• ISBN-13: 978-0679731023
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #533,363 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No feeling for place, no feeling for people, June 3, 1998

By A Customer

I grabbed this book because it is so hard to find books about West Africa, and because it appeared to be so well reviewed. But I hated it! The wildlife aspects didn't captivate me; but the writer's whole attitude to the people he met alternately shocked and dismayed me. He talks of people's villages "littering" the landscape; refers to languages as "dialects" without seeming ever to recognise the incredible complexity of the culture in Senegambia; patronises the people he meets; never bothers to learn the correct names for things ("tom-toms" is not really a term used for African drummers) ... refers to how he likes his African musicians "wild" and gets dismayed when they instead start wearing "modish trousers" in Paris ... His driver buys a charm to hang from his window but discards it, jealous of his compatriot's "shiny" souvenirs ... He treats people like children and the descriptions of wildlife fail to grip. A very very great disappointment.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Matthiessen shines again!, January 30, 2001

By	Yan Gluzberg (East Brunswick, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have tremendously enjoyed reading this book. This book takes a reader on a perilous journey in Senegal, Gambia, and the Ivory Coast as well as Gabon and Zaire. Author's prose, as always, is powerful and lyrical, shows the grim reality of people and wildlife in the area. Despite the previous reviewer's opinion, I am giving this book the best rating possible. The author's intention was to document the reality. This book is not work of fiction. In my opinion the book is excellent.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Matthiessen shines again!, January 30, 2001

By	Yan Gluzberg (East Brunswick, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have tremendously enjoyed reading this book. This book takes a reader on a perilous journey in Senegal, Gambia, and the Ivory Coast as well as Gabon and Zaire. Author's prose, as always, is powerful and lyrical, shows the grim reality of people and wildlife in the area. Despite the previous reviewer's opinion, I am giving this book the best rating possible. The author's intention was to document the reality. This book is not work of fiction. In my opinion the book is excellent.