This is one of those seductive books that, as you read, slowly insinuates itself into your consciousness and becomes more and more compelling and entrancing.
This is one of those seductive books that, as you read, slowly
insinuates itself into your consciousness and becomes more and more
compelling and entrancing.
The premise is simple. As Stratte-McClure explains: "I'm in the
midst of existential self-examination that, following a divorce and
general weariness after 30 years as a working journalist, has me
wondering where I'm going and why."
Or, in more detail, after his marriage of 20 years collapses,
Stratte-McClure, a US citizen who has lived in France for three
decades, decides to clear his head by walking around the
Mediterranean.
He is accompanied, at least for part of the journey, by his dog,
Bogart, and a copy of Homer's Odyssey, which he quotes regularly.
It is a journey of the mind, the body and the soul.
It is also a reminder that a leisurely stroll, even if it does
involve walking thousands of kilometres, is a wonderful opportunity
to see and experience different cultures and to think about your
own life.
In reality, Stratte-McClure doesn't walk around the
Mediterranean. He walks along the coast of France, Spain, Morocco
and then up the western coast of Italy. That is not really the
point.
Stratte-McClure belongs to a generation that was entranced by
the road journeys of Jack Kerouac and Robert Pirsig (Zen and the
Art of Motorcycle Maintenance). These were journeys where the
landscape and the exploration of the author's psyche were blended
artfully.
Stratte-McClure has done the same thing. It is a high-wire
literary act that is always in danger of collapsing into
pretentiousness but Stratte-McClure is so knowledgeable about the
paths he walks and so sensitive to the history and landscapes
around him that what he produces is not only a interesting travel
book but a compelling story about a simple attempt to overcome a
midlife crisis and make some sense of the world.
