Review: Got Me Laughing Aloud, Really...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2013
Title: Journeys with the CaterpillarAuthor: Shivaji DasReviewer: George ShadowSummary:Okay, the cover of this book doesn't do its interior enough credit, and believe me, this is the most important flaw I found out in the course of reading this book. Author Das might as well be a tour guide for Indonesia rather than a consultant somewhere in Singapore! Flores and Sumba are very remarkable places in Indonesia, and JOURNEYS WITH THE CATERPILLAR, which reads as a personal diary, has succeeded in putting these exotic destinations on the world's tourist map. Vivid descriptions of the climate, peoples, foods, societal doings and traditional attires of the natives of these Indonesian regions are brought to live through Shiavaji's pen. I must say that this is a journey worth enjoying with him and his fiancée as they dance across a picturesque country on buses and motorcycles, cars and trucks, and canoes.Social/Historical Context:The book's apt title comes from the stuffed caterpillars Indonesian drivers usually put on their windscreens. Many people outside Indonesia are yet to discover the rich diversity of this lively country, and that is why this book comes in as a handy tour guide. Yes, it is meant to be enjoyed, but if you want to fully appreciate the beauty of Indonesia if you're visiting for the first time, then many places mapped out in this book are a must see-for you.Writing Style:I had an exhilaratingly fun-filled weekend with this book, and what's even more remarkable is that the author succeeded in portraying the simplistic lifestyle of a range of Indonesian ethnic groups as a natural fortune without making their being poor a big issue like most other journals would. The book is constructed using simple sentences craftily strung together to build pictures that will forever remain in the reader's mind. Entertaining and insightful, the author brings to the fore the remarkable peoples of Indonesia, it's vast array of mountainous peaks, awesome phenomena as well as the lush greenery of its vegetation, Komodo dragons and other wonderful threats that dot its landscape. There are no grammatical or editing errors in this work, and that makes for an even more enjoyable reading.My Thoughts:The author is very funny indeed. His descriptions often got me laughing aloud, really. He is not a frugal writer like most tourism enthusiasts, and this makes for jovial reading!George Shadow is the author of THE BLACK BOOK.