Currently I am bushwhacking my way through The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. It just came in through an Amazon order placed after seeing an interview on The Daily Show (I only mention the company since it's namesake is in the title).The beginning of the book was a little difficult to get into but now I am having fun alternately being grossed out by stories about cannibalism and scared by the many ways to die in the Amazon. It amazes me anyone had the tenacity to explore so many difficult places, survive and then head back for more. I guess I am just an armchair explorer type. What cracks me up about this book is the author is kind of like me, then he gets interested in this mystery of what happened to Faucet (a Victorian era explorer) and he ends up going there himself trying to solve the riddle of Faucett's life.
I was looking at the title and thought the sub-title (A Tale of Deadly Obsession Into the Amazon) may have not only referred to Fawcett's demise, but also the biographer's obsession with the subject. Since the author survived I guess it is only about Fawcett but it must take a bit of an obsession to really write a biography well. Janet Malcolm compares a biographer to a "professional burglar, breaking into a house, rifling through certain drawers that he has good reason to think contain jewelry and money, and triumphantly bearing his loot away." This book is very entertaining and makes me interested in a subject I thought I only had a small interest in. I am mid-way through the book and currently I am obsessed with finding out if the mystery behind what happened to Fawcett will be answered; either way, I am enjoying the ride.
Check out David Grann's website for more information on him (plus the Daily Show interview as well as a slide show about his book).
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