Customer Reviews:
 Couldn't put it down - I even read it under my desk at work July 14, 1999
48 out of 50 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful collection of tall tales, fiction, fact and bizarre anecdotes, loosely connected by their association with a sparsely populated part of South America. Unfortunately critics and publishers in their obsessive need to categorise books, called it a Travel Book. This was misleading, as are the claims that he reinvented travel writing or had some sort of unique insight into Patagonia, its people, history and landscape. Chatwin was primarily a storyteller, not a travel writer or an expert on Southern Argentina. His talent for the 5-6 page yarn is unparalleled in modern literature and this is as good as anything he wrote.
In Patagonia is a solid piece of literature April 8, 1999
Chatwin, here, is capable of bringing into light what impression aroused in him concerning Patagonia. One can see that,particularly, in the last chapter. It is within the final sentence. Read it once more!
 An interesting travel book although it dies at the end. March 16, 1999
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
While an interesting read, with good research, and a cast of characters who help move the book along, I was disappointed with the ending which just trailed off. It was as though he became bored with the subject. There was no revelation, no feeling that the journey had taught him anything, and no distillation of this great expanse land. I never even knew what he thought about Patagonia by the end of his journey, or if his journey had changed his perceptions. Nevertheless, for someone who is about to live in BA for three years it was a pleasant primer.
 Mixed impressions December 28, 1998
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Being Patagonia a huge extension of land, everyone expects that it's a vast and complex subject to write about. Reading this book made me feel that, in a certain moment, there'd be a shocking experience or kind of "revelation" for the author. But, as the chapters ran, I got somewhat frustrated and felt that, despiting his skills as a writer, Bruce didn't really try to deepen himself on the mysteries of the region, remaining in the surface of some sparses topics, like go in search of Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid's steps there, sheep raisers, etc... Anyway, it still had a story good enough to encourage me to take my car and drive some 7.500 Km from home and know Patagonia. I expect to write a further review after completing this trip (mid-March).
Good on people and history, nothing on natural wonders September 24, 1998
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Cute sketches on the interesting and rare types of people that would choose to live at the bottom of the world, far from the bothers of civilization. I was more interested in the natural wonders of Patagonia, of which this book says almost nothing.
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