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Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea :: 0792274172
Description
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| Following the route taken by British explorer Ivan Champion in 1927, and amid breathtaking landscapes and wildlife, Salak traveled across this remote Pacific island-often called the last frontier of adventure travel-by dugout canoe and on foot. Along the way, she stayed in a village where cannibals m was still practiced behind the backs of the missionaries, met the leader of the OPM-the separatist guerrilla movement opposing the Indonesian occupation of Western New Guinea-and undertook an epic trek through the jungle. The New York Times said "Kira Salak is tough, a real-life Lara Croft." And Edward Marriott, proclaimed Four Corners to be "A travel book that transcends the genre�It is, like all the best travel narratives, a resonant interior journey, and offers wisdom for our times." Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
Reviews
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Author: Guest
WOW! This book blew me away, and like the title of my review states, there were several times throughout where my heart was literally pounding. Any writer who can transport a reader like that knows how to write. This book is definitely among my "Top 5" favorite travel narratives.
Some reviewers suggest that there was too much inner reflection on the part of the author regarding why she was in PNG and what she was trying to reveal about herself. While this was definitely a thread running through this book, I do not believe that it takes away from the overall "picture" in any way. Any traveler who embarks on a similar trip and who doesn't reflect on why they're doing it has simply been on vacation. Those that do choose to reflect have been on a journey.
If you are a seasoned traveler to PNG, like one reviewer annoyingly overstates, why would you want to read a travel narrative by someone else about the same place? Being there is always better and I make it a point to not read books about places that I have already visited extensively. What would be the point? So, if you've spent a good deal of time in PNG you probably will not get much from this book. If not, then I highly recommend it! * Side-note: Just because you've been to a place does not neccessarily make you qualified to review a book that takes place there.
While I agree that some of the situations that Ms. Salak gets herself into do seem very dangerous she herself is honest about the immensity of these situations and does not try to down-play them in any way. Lucky for readers because this makes the book that much better. The suggestion by one reviewer that Ms. Salak in not respectful of PNG and the people that she meets there is unfounded and I do not recall anything in the book indicating that this was the case. This book is not a "PNG how-to" and the suggestion that the author's journey is irresponsible (and even unbelievable) is ridiculous, she is simply telling her story and it is fabulous! If you are looking for something to help you travel in PNG then pick up the Lonely Planet guide. If you're looking for a great adventure story that takes place in PNG then this is the book for you.
I have resisted reading Ms. Salak's second book, "The Cruelest Journey" for some time now because I will then have nothing of hers left to read and that's a depressing thought! I eagerly await more work from this author!!
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Author: Guest
This is by far the BEST travel adventure book I've ever read. The first chapter is so intense I guarantee you won't be able to put the book down! Without giving away anything from the book (you can read the description on Amazon yourself), I'll tell you this book is exciting from the first page all the way to the last. Does this woman have a death wish traveling alone through Papau New Guinea? I've read her other book, "The Cruelest Journey" and that was also incredible. I can't wait until she writes another book!
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Author: Guest
I was very disappointed in this book. Although well written, its focus is not just on PNG. The author begins her first chapter writing about a life threatening experience she had while traveling in rather unsafe places in Africa. It is hard to believe that her story is true, as it makes her seem very stupid because of the truly foolish risks she takes and "always" manages to survive these horrendous situations with flying colors. Don't get me wrong as I am no wimpy traveller myself but I travel with respect for the people I visit. I am a "guest" in "their" country. I have visited many off the beaten path countries and lived with the local people traveling with only a backpack on my back. I have no problems riding in dusty local transportation vehicles with a chicken or two in the seat next to me. I have even hiked in places Borneo (Kalimantan), where you did not see one person all day. I have been to PNG many, many times and am the lucky recipient of a large Papuan family in Port Morsby that were so kind as to "adopt" me. I love and am addicted to what you could call "adventure travel", but I am a "Traveller and not a Tourist". There is a vast difference between the two. Although I really don't consider the author a tourist in her travels in the book, but she does make, what I would call, inappropriate demands on the indigenous people. Some of her behaviour makes me think of her a bit like "the ugly American" traveller of the 1950's. At times her behaviour seems rude to the indigenous people she has contact with and I got the impression that she made the trip, and possible others, focusing only on finding her self and not on any negative impact she might be making on the peoples in the rural villages she encountered. What REALLY upset and angered me reading the book, is the many foolish and dangerous risks she puts herself in. I feel she may give the impression to male readers that many women travelers are like this.
She gave me the impression that she willingly puts herself in life threatening situations seemingly without thinking it over realistically first. The book starts out interesting but chapter after chapter the situations she falls in become wilder and wilder to the point of being unbelievable. This makes you begin to wonder if her story is real or a dramatized fiction piece. After finishing the book, I ended up feeling angry at her foolishness. I am a well-travelled person, an experienced writer of creative non-fiction and have a very large collection of non-fiction books regarding Melanesian history and its peoples. I have a degree in Socio-Anthropology, but this woman's story really makes me wonder about her rational mind. I would not be surprised that one day she winds up dead somewhere that is if she has really put herself in the kind of situations she presents in the book. Read it only to learn what NOT to do when while visiting indigenous people in developing countries and only if you can get a copy very cheap. I have been a volunteer in quite rural villages, in PNG, that were located beyond the Highlands and I was the only white woman/person there, but if I behaved like this woman did I would not be writing this review now. I am sorry that this is so very long, but in all my extensive readings and studies, regarding PNG this book is very unbelievable. MaryAnn
E-mail me should you want to know of excellent and true books regarding PNG and Melanesia.
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Author: Guest
Being keen on New Guinea biota, I have been working to collect all the literature I can on the area. Most resources one finds are by missionaries, anthropologists, or military stories of World War II. Fairly useless for learning of the flora and fauna. Thus, seeing a book of a peregrination along hundreds of miles of lowland territory was intriguing.
Now, I'll concede there are no rules for writing a book about exotic adventures. However, I *did* have some preconceived expectations of travel writing about such an exotic destination.
I did not expect her to spend 1/10th of the book talking about how dangerous Africa is. I did not expect her to mention how dangerous PNG is on nearly every page, and manage to elaborate on it over and over with each mention. If she wants to cross PNG, sure, admit it can be a little dangerous. However, it gets old reading it page after page after page.
I really feel as though she could have packed twice as much information into the pages as she did. I felt as though I got to know few of the characters, and there was scant mention of the background settings. It was all about her, her thoughts, and how she is growing as a person. Now, this is all fine and dandy for some people, but I really wanted to read more about the characters she encountered, adventures she took. It was her book and she is allowed to write as she pleases. It just was NOT what I expected.
I especially find it incredible how she was able to cross the main landmass, and write so little about the flora and fauna she encountered. New Guinea is a mecca for wildlife, and you could write entire books on the subjects you find in 1 metre square. There is almost no mention of any plants or animals.
Despite my criticism, Ms. Salak indeed has a gift for writing and journeyed through one of the Earths most amazing regions. My review offers a poor rating because the book really wasn't about New Guinea, it was about a confused young woman trying to "find" herself.
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Author: Guest
Bravo to Ms. Salak! This book was a pleasure to read from beginning to end. It's what you call a page-turner, but it's also the kind of book that gives me something when I'm done. In this book we're taken through some of the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea, where you can only travel by dug-out canoe or by chopping your way through the jungle. It's ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE what the previous reviewer said about how she doesn't do anything adventurous or doesn't go to remote locations. I don't know which book he read, but it wasn't this one. He should at least get his facts right. Ms. Salak stumbles upon villages where people have never seen white people before, where men dress in tribal wear and sorcerers still cast spells. I can only assume, from the way he was so greatly determined to misrepresent this book, that the previous reviewer must be intimidated by the idea of an adventurous woman going on such a difficult trip by herself, so he needs to try to discredit her. Remember what Schopenhauer says: "What Peter says about Paul says more about Peter than it does about Paul."
Also, it's not fair to criticize the author of a book for a lack of photos. My wife is in the book publishing business, and I know that the decision to not have photos is one the publisher makes to try to save money. It has nothing to do with the author.
To sum up: This entire book is a courageous journey deep into the heart of a fascinating country. It is an ADVENTURE story and also a kind of coming to age tale. It's not a scientific study of New Guinea tribes. If you've got unshakeable expectations for your travel books that they "must" have in-depth scientific descriptions and lectures on anthropology, etc. then I agree with a previous reviewer: go to the anthropology part of the library and have a ball.
I also agree with the other reviewer who said that this book is unpretentious. Unlike many travel books which are written like chronicles of glory by the "brave adventurer", Ms. Salak doesn't turn on any bravado. Instead she explores a new world which she admits is frightening and exciting, while at the same time trying to understand the reasons why she needed to go on such a daring trip in the first place. A great read.
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