Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon (Crown Journeys)
by Chuck Palahniuk
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Read in January, 2006
recommended to Jen by:
merecommends it for: Visiting/Moving to Portland
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I didn’t realize it at the time, but apparently this is one of a series of books that attempts to blend travel writing and guide book into one.
Naturally, when I saw that Palahniuk had written a book about Portland, I was intrigued. As a fan of his writing, I was fairly certain I’d find a hodge-podge of travel trivia and quirky destinations. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Not content to tell you about the usual tourist attractions, though he does cover those as well, Palahniuk...more
Naturally, when I saw that Palahniuk had written a book about Portland, I was intrigued. As a fan of his writing, I was fairly certain I’d find a hodge-podge of travel trivia and quirky destinations. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Not content to tell you about the usual tourist attractions, though he does cover those as well, Palahniuk...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Brooke by:
Josie (co-worker friend)recommends it for: portlanders, curious tourists, but not to the easily ruffled or those unwilling to skim
It's a quick read, and a fun primer (in parts) of Portland's underground and history, mixed with a bit of Palahnuik's attempt at autobiography. I actually give this book more like two and a half stars, but since Goodreads doesn't work like Star Search, I don't have that option.
The book lost points with me for being uncomfortably seedy in places; to put it more plainly, a chapter with restaurant recommendations, great local gardens, or tips on how to pronounce local streets was often immediat...more
The book lost points with me for being uncomfortably seedy in places; to put it more plainly, a chapter with restaurant recommendations, great local gardens, or tips on how to pronounce local streets was often immediat...more
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Read in April, 2008
3.4 Stars
A fun, informative journey through Portland's joyful underbelly. As a recently arrived resident, I was treated to a recounting of just the kind of eccentric adventures I was in search of.
I found some useful shopping advice and marked a number of spots on the map that promise to be quality, future excursions.
I would have given this book four stars a few weeks ago. It's rare to find exactly the book you didn't know you were looking for, but that's what happened to me, and I ...more
A fun, informative journey through Portland's joyful underbelly. As a recently arrived resident, I was treated to a recounting of just the kind of eccentric adventures I was in search of.
I found some useful shopping advice and marked a number of spots on the map that promise to be quality, future excursions.
I would have given this book four stars a few weeks ago. It's rare to find exactly the book you didn't know you were looking for, but that's what happened to me, and I ...more
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Read in November, 2004
recommends it for:
People thinking of moving to Portland
In short, this collection of non-fiction essays is a love letter to Portland. If the style of this guide book appeals to you, if the odd, macabre, and sometimes loathsome puts you in just the right mood, if you want an adventure, come to Portland. Then read Fugitives and Refugees. The rain merely keeps the riff raff out and the green in. The battle for Canine Equal Rights has been won. The microbrew revolution began here and is thriving. And the people are as weird and welcoming as you could eve...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone that lives or loves to hang out in Portland, Oregon
I really enjoyed Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, read it from cover to cover in only a couple hours. Written by Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and Choke, it's a quick and enjoyable 175 pages. It's a type of alternative tra...more
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Something a little different from Chuck Palahniuk: a kind of travelogue of some of his favorites among the more eccentric things Portland, OR has to offer. Each essay provides a little bit of history as well as information about a different site or aspect of Portland. Maybe a bit of an odd comparison but it reads like a book version of Insomniac with Dave Attell. I get the impression from interviews with Palahniuk that I have read that contrary to many of his readers' expectations, his...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
People who love Portland; fans of quirky travel writing
Palahniuk discusses his lists of weird Portland sights & experiences, interspersed with personal vignettes. There are chapters on Adventures (such as participating in volcano basketball or the Adult Soapbox Derby), Eating Out, Ghosts of Portland, Shopping, strange museums, sex, gardens, transportation, animals (zoo & others), the Shanghai Tunnels, & where to get your picture taken. I've lived in Portland 7 years & I've been to about half of the places he talks about, so I plan to...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone traveling to or living in Portland
In this book, Palahniuk gives an insiders guide to some of the more odd things in and around Portland. He describes the neighborhoods, places of interest, and the things that makes Portland weird and oh so loveable. It's a quick read that should be bought before traveling, whenyou move here, or even if you've lived here your whole life. There is all kinds of information in this book no one would know otherwise. Plus, he gives his own personal experiences living and traveling here to make it more...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
twisted Santas, those who long to creep around in Shanghai tunnels
Ahh...dear old Chuckie P wrote a beautiful love letter to our fair city of Roses.
Written about the time my wife and I left Portland (in early 2002), it took me right back, leaving myself to wonder yet again..."Why did we leave there?"
But then, the answers come rushing back (family, farm, cost of living, humidity, snowy winters) and I settle into the couch, satisfied, patting my midwestern belly.
Now I have a whole new set of places to visit the next time we find ourselves in...more
Written about the time my wife and I left Portland (in early 2002), it took me right back, leaving myself to wonder yet again..."Why did we leave there?"
But then, the answers come rushing back (family, farm, cost of living, humidity, snowy winters) and I settle into the couch, satisfied, patting my midwestern belly.
Now I have a whole new set of places to visit the next time we find ourselves in...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
people going to Portland.
Not surprisingly, my least favorite Palahniuk read. However, that may have been due to me reading it as if I were actually reading a novel, not with the mindset of "I'm going to go to Portland and here are things I should do!"
Informative, yes. Funny, yes. Pretty much everything one could want from reading a travel guide when not planning to travel to the place in question.
And, once again, the fact that Americans are lazy and uninventive when it comes to naming places/streets...more
Informative, yes. Funny, yes. Pretty much everything one could want from reading a travel guide when not planning to travel to the place in question.
And, once again, the fact that Americans are lazy and uninventive when it comes to naming places/streets...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
people who are visiting portland, OR
Excellent book about Portland's past and present, including lore, ghost stories, and stories from the author's life. I wish I'd read this before I visited, but I didn't know it existed!
A good guide for the travel who would rather see Portland's quirky side than do the typical tourist thing, but there are also lots of suggestions for 'normal' activities like botanical gardens and museums.
At less than 200 pages, it's a fast read made even faster by how interesting all the stories are.
A good guide for the travel who would rather see Portland's quirky side than do the typical tourist thing, but there are also lots of suggestions for 'normal' activities like botanical gardens and museums.
At less than 200 pages, it's a fast read made even faster by how interesting all the stories are.
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Read in March, 2008
Random stories and tidbits about Portland from ficion writer Chuck Palahniuk ( Fight Club). It gives a good sense of the quirks and eccentricities of Portlanders past and present (the fugitives and refugees of the title). Want to know where to find ghosts? Sex shows? Or random museums? Palahniuk has it covered. At 175 pages it isn't exhaustive, and inevitably places are lost to the change always afoot in cities, but it's a quick, fun read.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who calls Portland home
Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon was so interesting I was able to read in one sitting. The author brings to life many random and unknown facts about Portland as well as offers advice on what to go check out in the city - the Shanghai Tunnels, haunted houses, Burlesque shows, etc...all the things Portland is not commonly known for but have a rich history in the making of the city. Definitely grab a copy and read it!
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Read in January, 2005
Well worth any Portlander's read. It certainly has the Palahniuk spin, but because it's about my favorite city, I quite enjoy having read.
This is my Palahniuk spiel:
I might compare Palahniuk to Tarantino. They both are amazing stylists that have made great art, heavily rooted in pop-culture and drenched in shock value. They get distracted easily though and their work starts to get tired and same-old same-old.
This is my Palahniuk spiel:
I might compare Palahniuk to Tarantino. They both are amazing stylists that have made great art, heavily rooted in pop-culture and drenched in shock value. They get distracted easily though and their work starts to get tired and same-old same-old.
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I don't own this book but have totally read bits of it. This is because my sister lives right outside of Portland, which always makes his books enjoyable to me because he discusses areas I am well familiar with. I bought this for my sister and she enjoyed it. Definitley for people who are into the portland area though (and really who couldn't be? I would LOVE to live there) not sure if you'd dig it otherwise.
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Read in January, 2008
It's strange to read a guide to a city that I once lived in. On the one hand, I recognize a number of places and events, including the infamous blackberry patch above Barbour Boulevard. Some things strike me as odd, or missing, but overall the book did what it was supposed to - made me want to experience living in Portland (again), or at least that strange slice that Pahlaniuk describes.
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone traveling to PDX
I borrowed this book from the library before flying to Portland on vacation. I didn't get around to reading it until the plane ride back home. That was a mistake. I missed out on all sorts of landmarks that a true (-ly twisted) insider like Palahniuk points out in the book. It will definitely be on my reading list again BEFORE my next trip to the City of Roses (and shanghai tunnels).
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
some
Just go to Portland. I have been there 7 times. Just outside of the city are the mountains and waterfalls (a five minute drive). Perhaps my favorite city in the U.S., it is full of life, culture, hate, and wonder and yet still costs as much as living in Tulsa. I plan on moving there after my Bachelor's degree. Screw the book, just book a flight.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
people who are going to Portland
This would be great book if I was looking for wierd things to do in Portland! It's kind of like a bunch of advertisements for places and events there. I could plan a really crazy week there! It definitely makes me want to visit, but it's not such a great book to curl up with. The "postcards" were great, though. I love Chuck Palahniuk, as always!
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