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Title: Fellowship of Ghosts: A Journey Through the Mountains of Norway
ISBN: 0792267990
Author:
Paul Watkins
Publicate Date: 2004-07-01
Publish: 2004-07-01
List Price: $24.00
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.41
Amazon Merchant Price: $19.20
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Very disappointing
This is a very superficial account of a "hiking" trip that involves rental cars and hotels. It's basically a short series of day hikes with too many irrelevant reminiscences of his days at Eton.
I was offended by his repeated use of the old term for Sami people and the region of northern Norway that they inhabit (comparable to using racist terms for African-Americans).
I was very surprised to see that the book was so poorly edited. My guess would have been that National Geographic would have access to proper fonts for Norwegian and people who can edit place names, etc. I also was very surprised that someone who teaches writing would have such a wordy writing style (for example, "the reason is because"). It just all added up to a very careless type of writing. Again, I would think National Geographic would be able to find editors to help an author overcome these kinds of things.
It's a shame. Norway is a wonderful country, and an in-depth travel book would be such fun to read; however, this is not that book. There's not much here that you couldn't get in a tourist guidebook.
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2: Major disappointment
I am an American lving in Norway. I bought the book based on the other reviews I found here, thinking it might give some fresh insight into my adopted country. Not so. It seems to be a chronicle of a two-week vacation in Norway, half of it driving around in a rented car and staying in expensive mountain hotels -- "Norway lite". Watkins didn't spend enough time here or get deep enough into the mountains to write about them with any real authority. The few nights he was actually out in a tent he camped a few hundred meters from a tourist hut, and his hikes were all day hikes that didn't take him all that far from the roads. He seems to avoid contact with the locals, and never really avails himself of Norway's marvelous huts, which make long treks possible with a reasonable measure of comfort and security. (In some of the less-visited mountain areas, it is common to have a comfortably furnished old farm buliding, built of logs and with a turf roof, all to yourself!) His gasping account of his ascent up Storronden makes it sound much more difficult than it is -- because it is located directly above one of the huts, it is a suitable hike for six year-olds. His descriptions of the mountains are sorely lacking -- Rondane and Jotunheimen are dramatically different mountain landscapes, but you would never know it from this book. Even the cover photo is a misleading composite that has little to do with the content of the book. Finally, he regularly misspells and misuses Norwegian words. Some proofreading by someone who knows the language should be a minimum requirement for a book like this. You are better off tracking down and reading some of the 'ghosts' of the title -- Three in Norway by Two of Them is an absolute classic. There are many other, better books about Norway and Norwegians.
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3: Fantastic
If you're a travel buff or fantasize about travel, you'll find this tale of Watkins' journey through the mountainous terrain of central Norway a page turner. His descriptions of ladscapes are vivid. Additionally, he aquaints the reader with the people, customs, and foods of the area. In fact, he does a phenomenal job such that if you really get into the book, you'll feel as if you've traveled to central Norway yourself. He carries books by those before him who have already made the journey. He uses previous tales of Norwegian travels to guide his tour. These are his ghosts, i.e. the ones before him. He constantly refers to these previous works, giving the reader a synopsis of previous travels by others in addition to the vivid description of his own account. If you're a sightseer and enjoy the outdoors, you will likely enjoy Watkins' tale. If, on the other hand, you prefer to spend you time indoors and in the city, you might find his tale quite dull. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I love the outdoors, state and national parks etc.
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4: An Inward Journey
Paul Watkins' "The Fellowship of Ghosts" is equal parts highly readable travelogue and introspective musings as the author hikes and travels through the mountains of Central Norway. The ghosts of the title are earlier, mostly English, authors who wrote about their travels in the mountains of Norway: Watkins travels much of the same ground and notes what has and has not changed. As an American graduate of an English boarding school, the author is in a position to critique his precessors.
Watkins' interest in Norway is stirred when, as a college student working on a fishing boat, he is injured in an accident. During his convalescence, a shipmate entertains him with stories of his Norwegian homeland. Watkins is enthralled by the stories and visits as soon as he is well. The experience never quite leaves him, and the present book is oriented around Watkins' second visit many years later.
The area of Watkins's travel is Central Norway, specifically the Rondale, Jotunheimen, and Dovrefjell ranges, beautiful and still largely underdeveloped country. Watkins' observant eye captures a series of vignettes of the fickle weather, the austere tourist facilities, the magnificent terrain, and of his sense of mysticism inspired by the experience of being there. In these mountains, man is not the center of the universe and defines himself against an epic natural landscape. Watkins finds both the outer beauty of the mountains and a measure of inner peace.
Part of Watkins's commentary is a comparison of the marauding Viking stereotype against the kind and honest, if stoic, Norwegians with whom he has contact. Watkins touches on the long history and extensive mythology of Norway in a manner that provides context to his travels and to the Norwegian customs he encounters. Watkins' prose is wry and entertaining, often at his own expense as an American who speaks virtually no Norwegian.
It is unfortunate that the book has only one map and a single photograph of the author in the mountains. This reviewer was able to follow Watkins' adventures with a medium scale map of central Norway.
This book is highly recommended to those who have visited central Norway or plan to do so. It is not meant to be a travel guide but will provide some perspective to enhance the experience of those who cover the same ground.
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5: A trekk through a Nordic Wilderness
I just finished this travel memoir, THE FELLOWSHIP OF GHOSTS by Paul Watkins about his solitary hiking trip through the lesser traveled area of Norway that lies just below Trondheim. I gave it 3 stars in relative to a general audience, but for those who have a genuine interest in this type of trip, it is a definite 5 star find.
The title is derived from the guidebooks that inform his journey, all written by Englishmen long-dead. It seems there is precious little available on this region of the world other than books written 100 or more years ago.
The book itself is an inner exploration of a trekk. Words often fail this experienced writer as he attempts to convey the timelessness and the depths of silence that accompany him as he hangs suspended outside of the 21st century. He also explores the meaning of being a Norwegian, delving into our cultural differences and the meaning of Norway's Viking history.
Although I know Norway rather well, this Central region (Jotunheimen and Dovrefjell) was a bit of a no man's land in 1967 when I was there for extended studies. I did not see much of it, and was told it was a place for the hardiest of souls, or, alternatively, It was the realm of trolls and giants. It seems little tamed over the past 40 years by this account. I only wish I was strong enough now to attempt to emulate his itinerary!
The book is a refreshing change from the derring-do approach of many mountaineering books and may serve to initiate some young minds about the value of such travels----But I suspect the most receptive audience will be people like me, who have already trekked through vast wilderness areas. We will certainly sit in our armchairs and relive our travels as we read through this book----
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