The Songlines
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Narrated by:
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Hugh Fraser
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Bruce Chatwin provides a fascinating background to indigenous Australian life.
The songlines are the invisible pathways that criss-cross Australia, tracks connecting communities and following ancient boundaries. Along these lines, Aboriginals passed the songs which revealed the creation of the land and the secrets of its past. In this magical account, Chatwin recalls his travels across the length and breadth of Australia seeking to find the truth about the songs and unravel the mysteries of their stories.
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What listeners say about The Songlines
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- Anonymous User
- 28-12-19
Memorable
Engaging, enlightening, brilliantly narrated. A glimpse of a timeless culture and soul of indigenous people.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Mr Stefan Chmelik
- 19-08-24
Insightful
A highly valuable journey into the world of what it is to be indigenous and of a place
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- Mr. M. J. Webb
- 07-06-21
Fascinating blend of travel memoir and research on man’s origins and deepest nature
Fascinating exploration of the Aboriginal world view, told through Chatwin’s journey alongside a white expert and friend, Arkady. There are also his extensive reflections on the origin of man and his prehistoric and traditional lifestyles around the world. These are also really interesting but mean that there isn’t an especially powerful flow of a story.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jonathan Charles Cracknell
- 20-01-20
More than travel writing
This was my first book by Bruce Chatwin: when I read it I wasn't aware that he was classed as a travel writer. He is so much more than that. This book is about Aborigines and the concept of "Walkabout" and although this was Bruce Chatwin's doctoral thesis, it is eminently readable, as I said, he is so much more than a "Travel writer". His analysis of "walkabout" is gleaned from his interaction with aboriginal tribes ,who are jealously protective of the secrets of their culture. It shows an incredibly sophisticated map of connections, transcending family ties, or indeed tribal ties, that remain inscrutable, to the outsider, and an almost mystical connection to the landscape and the process of sustaining creation. eg. the dance of Shiva in Hinduism,The deity destroys and creates, simultaneously, and dances in the circle of fire, which is the cosmos, and the very fact of the dance, sustains creation.All these concepts are contained in this wonderful book which gave me a much deeper understanding of the complexity of Aboriginal culture. Highly recommended
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4 people found this helpful