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felicity_willow's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
idilemmi's review against another edition
4.0
took me forever to get around reading it, but ever since i first bought it i knew this was My Jam (with a bonus of feeling more validated now with running away every chance i get). might have enjoyed it a tinsy bit more if Chatwin skipped the freudian tirade in the very last pages, but alas.
rowanglass's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
This book has as its self-confessed aim the presentation of an anatomy of restlessness--anatomy being suggestive of dissection, the idea being, I think, to uncover the workings of what Chatwin sees as a fundamental aspect of the human condition. Unfortunately, few of the essays take on this challenge very overtly, but the theme of restlessness is indeed apparent in most of them. The book remains, however, something of an eclectic melange--of autobiographical episodes, stories, essays, and book reviews. Anyone familiar with the history or anthropology of nomadism can tell that Chatwin is no scholar on the issue; readers looking for a scholarly analysis of nomadism should skip Part IV. However, there is much here to interest readers interested in travel, culture, art history, and other topics that Chatwin addresses with an authorial voice that is a simple pleasure to read. As someone who has traveled and to whom the experience of restlessness is indeed an essential aspect of the human condition (if my own experience is anything to go by), I found Chatwin's description of the urge to wander relatable and inspiring. I particularly enjoyed the essay "It's a Nomad Nomad World" on this basis, even though many of its factual claims may be wrong.
johno's review against another edition
2.0
Not really my kind of book. A bit of a mish-mash connection with a few interesting points.
lesadoreyl's review
3.0
I really enjoyed the autobiographical essays and reviews, but even I could tell that the section on nomadism is just one giant [citation needed] disaster, and I don't even know all that much about nomads.
brgntteva's review
3.0
Anatomy of restlessness is my first Bruce Chatwin after hearing about him a lot. This is a collection of articles, reviews, short essays, and short stories (and I didn’t know that was the case). I really liked some parts and was bored by others. I loved the way he talked about gypsies and nomadic people as in more egalitarian kinds of societies (I always wanted to go to Patagonia) in contrast with “civilizations” based on hierarchy, social obligations and things (Letter to Tom Maschler, The Nomadic Alternative and It’s a nomad nomad world).
It definitely makes you ponder about your life, about your level of curiosity and wildness, how much you are or aren’t hampered by things in living the life you’re meant to.
It definitely makes you ponder about your life, about your level of curiosity and wildness, how much you are or aren’t hampered by things in living the life you’re meant to.
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