Concetti Chiave
- Bruce Chatwin was a prominent British writer known for his travel literature and exploration of themes related to nomadism and indigenous cultures.
- His upbringing and frequent relocations during WWII significantly shaped his interest in travel and diverse cultures, which later influenced his writings.
- Chatwin's works often critique Western materialism and highlight the values and traditions of native and nomadic peoples as more authentic and meaningful.
- His visual and observational writing style focuses on detailed descriptions and often employs allusions and references, with the narrative sometimes taking a backseat.
- Some of his notable works include "In Patagonia," "The Songlines," and "Utz," each reflecting his unique perspective and thematic interests.
Indice
Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989)
Chatwin was born in 1940 in a middle-class family. During WWII, he changed often house with his mother, and this influenced his interests and future writings. After prep school, he became interested in antiques and read Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. After high school, he decided to start working for at the London fine art auctioneers, and soon became its director. He then decided to leave for Africa and started his years of travelling as a “The Sunday Magazine” freelance contributor.
He wrote “In Patagonia”, and “ The Viceroy of Ouidah”, the story of a Brazilian slave trader. His most famous book “The Songlines” (1987), narrates about Australia’s natives and their traditions, after came “Utz”, a book about the monastic cell of an art collector. He then died in Nice of HIV, while working on his last works “What Am I Doing Here”, a collection of his writings for different magazines, and “Anatomy of Restlessness: Uncollected”, an autobiography full of motivations and interests.
Themes
Chatwin called his books “searches”, which criticised Western materialism and described the lives of natives and nomads and their traditions as closer to the centre of things, and aimed to the recovery of values that Chatwin considered as forgotten in the “civilised” world.
Style
Chatwin’s style is visual, and often describes details of the outside world. The writer is a great observer and usually uses allusions and references for the reader to understand the meaning, since the plot is not always the most important part of his works.
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