Dark Star Safari

Review by Antonio Sanchez

Let's get it out of our system. Say it with me: "Paul Theroux is arrogant". Nowhere is this more apparent in Dark Star Safari where the self-uplifting, know-it-all-travel-guy makes his way from Cairo to Capetown. Examples of his boastful nature litter the entire book, but his self-identification with Livingston, Rimbaund, Greene, the Lone Ranger, and Steppenwolf (pgs 311/393) are too much. These hubristic comparisons stretch the truth by embellishing the narrator's influence, resourcefulness, and importance.

Frequent sexual references throughout the book provided another distraction. Authors for centuries comment directly and indirectly on African sexuality. Like many authors before him, the narrator pays homage to this tradition in a more subtle way. He talks with prostitutes, quotes historical references about the sexual organs of the Wagogo tribe (pg 247), mentions his own sexual adventures (pg 278), and frequently reminds the reader about his ongoing pet project - an erotic romance. It is completely valid to converse with prostitutes. Indeed his conversations with the prostitutes provide the reader with a lens through which they learn about a dominant sub-culture. However, the narrator goes to great length to ensure the reader that it was conversation only, leaving the reader to wonder why the disclaimers were necessary. On several occasions he discusses sex in context of AIDS and the economy, the observations are on point and relevant. However his idle disclaimers, along with the other unnecessary sexual references make for curious distractions.

If readers get beyond these minor foibles, the book is a treat. Two major themes occur throughout narrator's journey. Theme one flows from the many conversations with anyone and everyone he meets. It is clear the narrator wants to reveal little covered slices of life, easily overlooked and ignored by common travel. From the political and scholastic elite, to prostitutes, shopkeepers, laborers, evangelists, displaced farmers, prisoners, ex-soldiers, and native tribesman the narrator succeeds in showing a wide, brilliant, and colorful swath of the tapestry that is Africa.

The focus the author gives to some communities over others may cause discomfort to some. For example, the narrator spends a great deal of his later chapters focusing on the plight of the white man in Zimbabwe and South Africa. This is not racist, but instead attempts to represent an injustice felt by Boers in South Africa and the victims of land grabs in Zimbabwe. To the narrator's credit, he does speak to people on both sides of the conflict. However he does a poor job of providing context and perspective, brushing only in the most superficial manner over the centuries of exploitation of Africa's human and material resources by dominant western powers. Despite this, all the narrator's interviews, discussions, and encounters show a rich and complicated view of the countries he visits.

The second theme, underscored by the narrator's previous Peace Corps experience in several of the countries, relates to the deterioration of Africa as a whole. Although tempting, it would be wrong to interpret this theme as the western saviors got it right in the sixties and now the Africans fouled it up. Again and again the narrator, through his personal experience and interviews, draws distinctions between how life was like, how people live now, and the trajectory of the African lifestyle in years to come. This perspective provides tremendous insight into the collective frustration he encounters at every leg of his journey. He regularly chastises the charities and religious movements. In just about every chapter, his anecdotes show examples of power corrupting, and the concentration of corrupt power in governments. These governments receive the bulk of charitable contributions. Thus, while charities fund corrupt governments, the population becomes less empowered. Dis-empowered people in combination with an uninvolved government result in social unrest and a general deterioration of those societal elements attributed to developed countries. Beyond these observations, the narrator, with his unique perspective, misses opportunities for a more in-depth analysis of the reversal and failures of development in the African nations he visits.

Beyond these two themes, some important lessons for travelers resonate between the two covers of this book. Learn about the country before visiting. Aside from context that will enhance the travel experience, it may direct you to a location otherwise missed. Also, talk to people, especially people on the road less traveled. Lastly, the world changes daily and often in unexpected ways. This book is not one to read before a first trip to Africa, the experiences of the narrator are not representative of the whole, but instead representative of voices not often heard. More importantly, the narrator gives a skewed version of history, focusing on elements important for his point or obscure sources that focus on the life of a particular tribe or person. Travelers intent on journeying to Africa should not read Dark Star Safari before they go. It will cloud their vision, and may most likely adversely affect the view of vast and complex collection of diverse countries. It is however, the perfect book to read, after returning from an African journey.