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55th out of 104 books
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30 voters
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Tristes Tropiques
First published in 1955, Claude Levi-Strauss's accounts of his researches among the peoples of the Amazon is a fascinating study and influential in understanding the organization of human society. He writes of myths and superstitions, modern cities and ancient villages, and each page is packed with anecdotes and observations. Photos & illus. throughout.
Paperback, 417 pages
Published
August 1st 1992
by Penguin Books
(first published 1955)
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I don't think I can say it any better than SS:
"Tristes Tropiques is one of the great books of our century. It is rigorous, subtle, and bold in thought. It is beautifully written. And, like all great books, it bears an absolutely personal stamp; it speaks with a human voice."
_______________________________________
Only forty pages in and I already sense that this will be one of the best books I've read in the last five years:
I wished I had lived in th...more
"Tristes Tropiques is one of the great books of our century. It is rigorous, subtle, and bold in thought. It is beautifully written. And, like all great books, it bears an absolutely personal stamp; it speaks with a human voice."
_______________________________________
Only forty pages in and I already sense that this will be one of the best books I've read in the last five years:
I wished I had lived in th...more
A classic work or book by Claude Levi-Strauss, one of the leading guys who studied other guys from other cultures. This book is about guys from Brazil. But really he's a master and a wonderful writer. A travel writer of sorts who is really smart. Dig?
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I can't say I'm a fan of Levi-Strauss' anthropological theory, by and large. I find it to be generalistic and, while it makes broad claims about innate human nature, it provides no scientific data to back these claims up. I do like his idea of bricolage, though, and it's the bricolage that really shines through.
This is because Tristes Tropiques, is, far more than an anthropological work, a memoir, dealing with a flight from the Third Reich takeover of France, the twilight of tribal soc...more
This is because Tristes Tropiques, is, far more than an anthropological work, a memoir, dealing with a flight from the Third Reich takeover of France, the twilight of tribal soc...more
Gees Louise!
Oh should I say "gees louise" in French?
"Georges! Louis!" with a silent "s"
really, this should have been right up my alley. early, prehistoric anthropology mixed with diary-esque tangents about art and sex and gender roles and travel.
but blah! this book put me to sleep every night for weeks before I skipped ahead 100 pages.
then I fell asleep again for a few nights.
now it's collec...more
Oh should I say "gees louise" in French?
"Georges! Louis!" with a silent "s"
really, this should have been right up my alley. early, prehistoric anthropology mixed with diary-esque tangents about art and sex and gender roles and travel.
but blah! this book put me to sleep every night for weeks before I skipped ahead 100 pages.
then I fell asleep again for a few nights.
now it's collec...more
I have been trying to get through this book for probably at least a year now, though I'm not sure. I finally finished it two days ago. I know I'm sometimes prone to fits of enthusiasm and I might change my mind about this, but I think it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. Lévi-Strauss was clearly an extraordinary thinker, extremely well-read, restless, creative, morally sensitive, funny, and painfully self-aware. The final chapter, in which he begins musing over the moral implications ...more
Levi-Strauss at the top of his game. After expressing his distaste for explorers and travel books, he proceeds to write a book that combines travel anecdotes, memoir, ethnography and a bitter critique of colonialism rolled into one. In his critique Levi-Strauss does not fall into the trap of idealizing primitive culture, or making superficial claims about modernity. His prose is luscious. His ideas are presented clearly. A must-read for anyone remotely interested in the social sciences.
Part travel book, part ethnography, part treatise on the nature of traveling in "5 axises". I only read about half the book, and in pieces for a class, but I can't get it out of mind now.
One highlight: Levi-Strauss puts forth a most disturbing theory....that writing was invented in order to manage large groups of commodities, namely slaves. Meaning all writing as we know it is the bastard child of slavery.
Not an easy read, but an eye opening one.
"Journeys...more
One highlight: Levi-Strauss puts forth a most disturbing theory....that writing was invented in order to manage large groups of commodities, namely slaves. Meaning all writing as we know it is the bastard child of slavery.
Not an easy read, but an eye opening one.
"Journeys...more
Interesting (if a bit long-winded) classic of ethnography written for the general audience. Some of the attitudes are starting to show their age (the book was written in 1955).
The Finnish translation which I read felt a bit clumsy at places -- it might be better to read this one in English. Or, better yet, in the original French if you can. Alas, I could not...
The Finnish translation which I read felt a bit clumsy at places -- it might be better to read this one in English. Or, better yet, in the original French if you can. Alas, I could not...
This book is really good. It shows that you can't be a structuralist 100% of the time, even if you start structuralism. It shows that you can know entirely all too well how slimy the role of the ethnographer is and how tied it is to the colonial enterprise/the ever-maddening march of the logic of capital, but still be friends with the natives.
Why doesn't anybody ever convert to Bororo religion?
It is in this book that we learn the secret of Lévi-Strauss's longevity (both t...more
Why doesn't anybody ever convert to Bororo religion?
It is in this book that we learn the secret of Lévi-Strauss's longevity (both t...more
Ho impiegato quasi tre mesi a leggere questo libro e per me è un record negativo ma l'autore non possiede il dono della sintesi e nemmeno una prosa fluida e accattivante; l'inizio è di una prolissità estenuante e abbastanza noioso, fino alla metà ero convinta che se mai fossi riuscita a finirlo, non avrebbe meritato più di due stelline, però l'ultima parte lo riscatta ampiamente, oltre alla testimonianza di esplorazioni affascinanti e incontri con gruppi tribali pressoché sconosciuti ed in via d...more
Erik Graff
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Levi-Strauss fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
biography
According to the bibliographical card I find on file, this edition omits chapters 14-16 and 39 of this biography cum reflections on culture. I read it during a break from seminary, having been exposed to some of his work in a cultural anthropology of religions course.
This is the book that introduced me to anthropology when I was in high school in Venezuela. It was probably a combination of Levi-Strauss's conversational writing style and the fact that this edition has absolutely the best cover design ever.
From the father of structural anthropology, the account of his field work in the jungles of Brazil. The first section, An End To Journeying, begins "I hate traveling and explorers."
I consider his Savage Mind a prerequisite.
I consider his Savage Mind a prerequisite.
An intimate portrait into the life of Claude Levi-Strauss. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a closer look at this prolific thinker. Also, he's pretty funny at times...And the old pictures are fantastic. Loved it!
What to say? Simply the ethnology bible. A boring travel book until "the game of acquaintance" don't take place. A book as every book must be written, with or without defects, with enthusiam in a night.
Il est toujours délicat de donner son avis personnel sur un texte canonisé par les ans et dont l'importance pour la vie intellectuelle du xxème siècle n'est plus à démontrer.
Après les précautions d'usage, je m'y risquerai néanmoins. Je dois avouer que j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dans le texte et que je trouve que la partie introductive et la partie conclusive ne sont pas bien clairement raccordées au reste. On ne comprend pas pourquoi il est tout à coup question de l'Inde et du Pakistan alors...more
Après les précautions d'usage, je m'y risquerai néanmoins. Je dois avouer que j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dans le texte et que je trouve que la partie introductive et la partie conclusive ne sont pas bien clairement raccordées au reste. On ne comprend pas pourquoi il est tout à coup question de l'Inde et du Pakistan alors...more
est un récit de voyages et une reflexion sur le sens de ceux-ci
Lànthropologue francais, Claude Levi Strauss,ce qui nous faire decouvrir l'ethnologie a traver les ecris de Robert Lowie...
Lànthropologue francais, Claude Levi Strauss,ce qui nous faire decouvrir l'ethnologie a traver les ecris de Robert Lowie...
This man is a contemporary Marco Polo. He gives a really aesthetical account of his travels.
Yet, it was a pretty slow read, I will admit I skipped like two chapters.
Yet, it was a pretty slow read, I will admit I skipped like two chapters.
Graziela
marked it as to-read
For my doctorate, strangely I'm always being drawn back to Levi-Strauss, making it a must read before I die (or finish my thesis, either one comes first).
Frequently offensive and occasionally appalling, but nonetheless fascinating and filled with some really poignant observations. It's a surprisingly quick read, written in a warm, intimate style - quite pleasurable.
Levi-Strauss wrote this anthropology classic in the mid 1950's, and I found it an interesting read in spite of it's age. The main body of the book is an account of the author's time with a few indigenous tribes of the Amazon basin in South America. It includes photos and drawings by the author.
At the end of the book, Levi-Strauss reflects on being an anthropologist, the responsibilities and the mission. There is also an interesting chapter where he discusses the influence of Islam ...more
At the end of the book, Levi-Strauss reflects on being an anthropologist, the responsibilities and the mission. There is also an interesting chapter where he discusses the influence of Islam ...more
This a book telling a vivid story! I love it! =)
Incomparably rich in ethnographic observation and the penetrating reflections of a citizen of the West on the rich culture of aboriginal peoples.
Truly a classic of anthropology, this is a great book to read while struggling with issues of cross-cultural interactions. Levi-Strauss' ruminations on travel, which make up the first quarter or so of the book as he makes the long journey from France to Brazil's interior, are riveting and insightful. His background in philosophy comes through strongly, though near the end he starts talking about Rousseau a bit too much for my liking. A fantastic and immensely satisfying book.
Patricia
added it
Until the 50th page, I thought this book kind of blew. Luckily pages 50 - 60 were fantastic, and I imagine if I skip all the gratuitous descriptions of sunsets and the colors in the ocean during his sea voyages it will go much faster.
This seemed like it might be kind of academic but it's more like an intimately well-written travel diary by your most intelligent and observant friend. Levi-Strauss can be surprisingly poetic here: for example, there is an intricately detailed 7 1/2 page description of an ocean sunset. The descriptions and explanations of the inner workings and societal structures of Amazon tribes is utterly fascinating.
Une oeuvre magistrale, des talents d'écrivain au service de l' acuité d'observation et d'analyse d'un ethnologue exceptionnel. Mélant humour, philosophie et sciences sociales, il nous fait découvrir la vie des populations amérindiennes de l'intérieur du Brésil tout en nous faisant méditer sur nos propres modes de réflexion et de vie.
Contrairement à ce que j'avais entendu dire, Tristes Tropiques n'est pas LE roman de Claude Lévi-Strauss, c'est plutôt un recueil de souvenirs et d'expériences. Moins théorique que ces autres essais, ce livre m'a beaucoup appris sur la vie de l'ethnologue au quotidien et, à ce titre, la partie où il décrit sa vie parmi les tribus du Brésil est de loin la plus intéressante.
this book was a lot of fun to read, but afterward i wondered "what was the point of that?" there is not much ethnography at all - the book is closer to levi-strauss' autobiography. this was a good introduction to levi-strauss, but i feel like i need to read some of his other things, like his structuralist explanations of myths, in order to understand what he was attempting to do.
Despite the four (not five) stars, this book is a favorite for those occasional passages of absolute brilliance. Levi-Strauss was at his best as a writer when he gave the academic/structuralist stuff a rest and concentrated instead on memoir. I recently re-read it while traveling in Mato Grosso, Brazil, which is now an agriculture frontier.
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