h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hope this is the kind of thing. Was unsure whether this was too close to the bone given current events in Iraq but I only read it last week so it was uppermost in my mind. Feel free to keep it on ice until a later date.

Jules
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The Cloud Garden

By Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder

In 2000, these British men, who’d met when travelling separately around South America, decided to try to cross the Darien Gap (an area of land linking North and South America). The area was rife with paramilitaries and guerrillas and tourists were advised to steer well clear.

Paul, 29 at the time, was the adventurous type and believed that he was up to the challenge. Tom, six years his junior, was travelling in order to search out rare orchids and was keen to add to his findings.

They hired a local guide and travelled for six days with no incident. Just as they were about to reach the Colombian border, they were ambushed and taken hostage by an unknown group. Their guides disappeared. For the next nine months they were forced to travel around the area with the armed group, whose members came and went.

The book describes their ordeal and experiences and tells the tale of how they returned safely home, which itself contains a surreal twist.

The narrative is shared between the two men, who pull no punches in the description of their feelings, both towards each other and their captors, during this time. Both tell their stories with a dry humour and the reader is surprised to find themselves laughing out loud at incidents which happened in the depths of a fearsome journey. The characters within the armed group are described in detail; some are frightening, others frankly comical. The pair are well aware of how surreal and yet painfully real their experiences are.

Once started, this book is difficult to put down. It gives an insight to a subject which is highly topical and poignant at this moment in time. Given that they were travellers and not writers in search of a story, both men’s stories read well and complement each other.

No topical is good! We like topical!...

Excellent review, I did wonder why it was called 'The Cloud Garden' though... I do want to read the book now.

The origin of the title seems to have been left to the reader's interpretation (unless I am especially dense) - it could relate to the general high-level terrain they were living in (linked to Tom's love of orchids) or to a specific garden actually created by Tom while in captivity. Or both. Have had a flick through and can't find it specified.

Oh right, - that makes sense. It just seemed to be a bit of an airy fairy title for a book written by two guys.

Thanks for the review, and I'll definately look it up soon

Brilliant! *does a happy little dance that she doesn't have to do work*

Glad you approve.

I'm sure your 'to do' list is longer than one item, though - otherwise we all want your job !



Jules

Um, let's see?

*has a think*

Read all new bookworm threads. If they are sign-up requests, welcome new member and add researcher number to main bookworm page.

If they are reviews, tell researcher how brilliant they are, then, on appropriate day, delete old review from Rough Writing page and copy and paste new one, making small editing changes if necessary to grammar. Or, if no review is available, dredge own memory and write one myself. Change author on Rough Writing page. E-mail Shazz to tell her that review is ready, and who wrote it. This happens once a week.

When new edition of Post is out, read through review again in its full glory, and subscribe to the page to recieve any convo's on that review.

This is quite time-consuming...

Just realised, I saw those blokes on This Morning...

Yep, me too - I didn't realise at first but there's a key event that was well-publicised, so then I joined the dots in my memory (haven't put it in the review so as not to spoil it for those who don't watch daytime telly!)

Would that be the thing with the people that they gave funny nicknames too?

Well they did give them nicknames but that wasn't the key 'odd' event which happened, no.

PP you do a simply marvellous job - and now I have to get hold of this book. Honestly you'd think being stuck on the Outer hebrides I'd have time to read, but It seems I've acquired a life up here!

Gosh, lots of walks and nature-type stuff up there, then? And serious weather!

*PP's head grows considerably larger and bangs into the gentleman on the computer next door*

Well that's one way of attracting his attention !

He was quite an elderly gentleman, I think I probably would have just frightened him!