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A review by karen_unabridged
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard
3.0
I loved Millard's "Destiny of the Republic" and gave it five stars. I had high hope for this one too, especially after recently reading "King Leopold's Ghost." I had hoped this title would combine the best things of both books (compelling subject, brilliant author). But...
That never really happened. This one was a slog for me, although it feels whiny to say so, when compared to what the explorers and caravans faced as they sought to answer the old question about where the Nile's source could be found. It just really should have been riveting reading and somehow it wasn't.
I think this book didn't really know what it was supposed to be: a celebration of Richard Burton, adventurer extraordinare, man's-man, man of the world, earthy, brilliant linguist, everlasting taunter of Victorian norms? A refutation of John Speke and his narrow, selfish, proud, and misguided views on pretty much everything? Isabel Arundell Burton is fairly ridiculous as pictured in these pages but it was news to me that Burton ever married anyway. (That's on me. All I knew about R.B. before reading this was that he was an explorer and translated Arabian Nights into English, including any and all naughty parts.)
Basically everyone in this tale does not come off well, with the exception of Sidi Mubarak Bombay. So maybe I would have preferred a story with him as the center instead of part of a trifecta (in this case, Burton-Speke-Bombay. Also, I suspect Millard has a bit of a crush on Burton. What is it about this dude that makes him so mesmeric even so long after his death?).
So, for me this was not a page-turner. But Millard does write well and it's well-researched so it would be a good source for a novelist wanting a dynamic set of characters and an implausible setting for a murder mystery in Victorian times.
Also, it did end up intersecting with "King Leopold's Ghost" a bit, if only because Henry Morton Stanley makes an appearance and carving up Africa was a huge motivation in mapping the continent. (Hint: the Europeans didn't want accurate maps just for educational purposes. Mapping somewhere is the first stage of conquering somewhere. And P.S. for Christians: ever wonder how "The Curse of Ham" racist myth took hold? You can give partial credit to Mr. John Hanning Speke. Find out why within these pages.)
That never really happened. This one was a slog for me, although it feels whiny to say so, when compared to what the explorers and caravans faced as they sought to answer the old question about where the Nile's source could be found. It just really should have been riveting reading and somehow it wasn't.
I think this book didn't really know what it was supposed to be: a celebration of Richard Burton, adventurer extraordinare, man's-man, man of the world, earthy, brilliant linguist, everlasting taunter of Victorian norms? A refutation of John Speke and his narrow, selfish, proud, and misguided views on pretty much everything? Isabel Arundell Burton is fairly ridiculous as pictured in these pages but it was news to me that Burton ever married anyway. (That's on me. All I knew about R.B. before reading this was that he was an explorer and translated Arabian Nights into English, including any and all naughty parts.)
Basically everyone in this tale does not come off well, with the exception of Sidi Mubarak Bombay. So maybe I would have preferred a story with him as the center instead of part of a trifecta (in this case, Burton-Speke-Bombay. Also, I suspect Millard has a bit of a crush on Burton. What is it about this dude that makes him so mesmeric even so long after his death?).
So, for me this was not a page-turner. But Millard does write well and it's well-researched so it would be a good source for a novelist wanting a dynamic set of characters and an implausible setting for a murder mystery in Victorian times.
Also, it did end up intersecting with "King Leopold's Ghost" a bit, if only because Henry Morton Stanley makes an appearance and carving up Africa was a huge motivation in mapping the continent. (Hint: the Europeans didn't want accurate maps just for educational purposes. Mapping somewhere is the first stage of conquering somewhere. And P.S. for Christians: ever wonder how "The Curse of Ham" racist myth took hold? You can give partial credit to Mr. John Hanning Speke. Find out why within these pages.)