<i>Unreliable Memories</i> by Clive James

I am struck by how many personal histories of current British personalities include intensely remembered tales of mutual masturbation. at ages of about 6 to 10. Stephen Fry has such a mention in his autobiography. And Clive James, though really Australian, includes one here. I can swear I've read others, as well.

I hadn't heard of Clive James until recently when some essays and interviews by him began appearing on Slate.com. The recommendation for his memoirs also came from Slate.

The book covers James's boyhood, adolescence and young adulthood in Australia. I am reminded again, as I was when I read Bryson's In a Sunburned Country that it is purely by good luck that anyone survives in Australia. There are so many things that can kill you. James tells stories of his near misses, paranoid moments and petrified situations. Many of them, though, seem to be brought on by his own actions, inattentiveness or negligence.

James is a funny and engaging writer. He writes regrettably about his callous actions toward his motion, using his writing as a therapy for laying bare the insolence of his past. (I have a feeling that many writers use memoirs to do just this.) He is almost exasperated at his own past actions---seeing clearly his mis-steps and mistakes with the clarity of hindsight. Though he regrets some of his past, he has resigned himself to accept it---though not fully---placing blame on the circumstances rather than people (except for a few bad teachers).

The stories that make up the book are great. I particularly liked his tale of tunneling up the backyard ("Little kids ruin everything") and those from his stint in the National Service. He tells the stories with humor and comments on how these experiences still influence him today.

James spent much of his young life doing little but angering his mother. This work, in part, seems to try to make amends for that by bringing meaning to his own past; making it clearer for himself, while providing excellent stories for us to enjoy. Highly recommended.

10/10

<i>Katahdin: An Historic Journey</i> by John W. Neff

I purchased this book for my dad as a birthday gift. He read much of it while he was sitting on the edge of a lake in Maine. I read much of it while sitting on a bus between Providence and Pawtucket, RI. He enjoyed it, but thought it was a bit repetitive. I have similar feelings.

Neff collected and organized all the stories and histories he could find about Mount Katahdin. This starts with Native American stories and tales of the first explorers to the region. One of the more interesting things to note about this point in Katahdin's history is that the first recorded ascent of the mountain wasn't until 1804. As a comparison, Mount Washington in New Hampshire had its first recorded climb in 1642.

Neff continues from there, including the logging history, the background of every camp trail and road in the area, as well as a summary of the drive of Gov. Baxter to create a park around the mountain for everyone in the state to enjoy (he purchased much of the land with his own money then gave it to the state). He glosses over the holdouts to Baxter's purchases of land (my dad said he can now see why some Mainers aren't too keen on Baxter), choosing instead to show Baxter as an unerring (probably not) and deeply committed (very true) protector of Maine's north woods.

Neff does tend to repeat stories, mostly as a result of the way the book is split into sections and chapters; including history, campsites, trails and "inspiration." Thoreau's trips to Katahdin, for instance, are described at least twice: once in the history and once in "inspiration." The writing also reflected that Neff was gathering stories form all corners of the state: it tended to be choppy and a bit rambling.

All in all, I think this book would be a good companion for travel through the Katahdin area and better as a book where portions are read here and there rather than as a single narrative all the way through.

6/10