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The Origin of Species: a Novel

by Nino Ricci (Goodreads Author)

3.0 of 5 stars 3.00 · rating details · 359 ratings · 62 reviews

The crater held a circle of stars above them as if they were closed up in a snow globe, a private cosmos. He thought of Darwin sleeping out on the pampas during his Beagle trip, a middle-class white kid traveling the world, the first of the backpackers. It was only afterwards, really, that he had made any sense of what he had seen. Alex wondered what, in the fullness of ti...more The crater held a circle of stars above them as if they were closed up in a snow globe, a private cosmos. He thought of Darwin sleeping out on the pampas during his Beagle trip, a middle-class white kid traveling the world, the first of the backpackers. It was only afterwards, really, that he had made any sense of what he had seen. Alex wondered what, in the fullness of time, he himself would make sense of, what small, crucial detail might be lodging itself in his brain that would shake his life to its foundations. (p 286)

Montreal during the turbulent mid-1980’s: Chernobyl has set geiger counters thrumming across the globe, HIV/AIDS is cutting a deadly swath through the gay population worldwide, and locally, tempers are flaring over the language laws of Bill 101. Hiding out in a seedy apartment near the Concordia campus is Alex Fratarcangeli (“Don’t worry… I can’t even pronounce it myself”), a somewhat oafish 30-something grad student. Though tender and generous at heart, Alex leads a life devoid of healthy relationships, ashamed in particular of the damage he has done to the women with whom he has been romantically entangled. Plagued by the sensation that his entire life is a fraud, Alex attends daily sessions with a lackluster psychoanalyst in an attempt to shake off the demon of depression (and the cigarette-tinged voice of Peter Gzowski in his ear). Scarred by a distant father and a dangerous relationship with his ex Liz, and consumed by a floundering dissertation linking Darwin’s theory of evolution with the history of human narrative, Alex has come to view love and other human emotions as “evolutionary surplus, haphazard neural responses that nature had latched onto for its own insidious purposes.”

Then a convergence of brave souls enter Alex’s life, forcing him to recognize the possibility of meaningful connections. There is his neighbour Esther, whose multiple sclerosis is progressing rapidly, yet who gamely attacks every day she has left. There is the elegant Félix, an older gay man whose own health status is in question yet who remains resolutely generous,and María, returning to fight for human rights in her native El Salvador, knowing she will face certain peril. Along the way Alex meets others whose struggles with their own demons are not so successful, and sometimes tragic. When he receives a letter from Ingrid, the beautiful woman he knew years ago in Sweden, notifying him of the existence of his five year old son. Alex is gripped by a paralytic terror.

Whenever Alex’s thoughts grow darkest, he is compelled to recall Desmond, the British professor with dubious credentials whom he met years ago in the Galapagos. Treacherous and despicable, wearing his ignominy like his rumpled jacket, Desmond nonetheless caught Alex in his thrall and led him to some life-altering truths during their weeks exploring Darwin’s islands together. It is only now that Alex can begin to comprehend these unlikely life lessons, and see a glimmer of hope shining through what he had thought was meaninglessness.

Funny, poignant and visceral, Nino Ricci’s most recent masterpiece The Origin of Species will remind you of the wonder of life, the beauty of existence and the great gift that is our connection to the universe and all that is.(less)

Hardcover, 496 pages

Published September 30th 2008 by Doubleday Canada

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60th out of 62 books — 11 voters

Governor General's Award Winners

26th out of 29 books — 20 voters

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Dec 01, 2008 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is not an easy read and at 472 pages, it isn't a quick read either. The author examines Darwin's theory of evolution and considers how it is evidenced in the complex life history of his protagonist, Alex Fratarcangeli, and the various characters that enter and leave his world. The story is set in the mid 80's, and takes us from Montreal to the Galapagos, to Sweden, to small town Leamington - the hometown of the main character, and of the author. The descriptions of setting sometimes became...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Jerry Levy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting premise about a self-absorbed grad student trying to finish his PhD, living in Montreal during the turbulent 1980's. A terrible sense of ennui seems to hang over him and he basically seems to have given up. He reminded me a little of Mersaud in Camus' L'etranger. The novel is mostly set in Montreal but then Alex takes off to the Galapagos Islands, where he has a most harrowing adventure with a despicable man Desmond; you'll cringe at parts of that. Lots of minor characters that sift...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Will rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well I finished it but nearly didn’t. Although well-written, it is much, much too long for a novel about a year in the life of a young man (Alex) with a bad case of neurotic introspection and a life that holds little interest for himself, let alone the reader. Too long, that is, even without the social commentary.

It starts out well enough when he meets Esther, a woman with MS and an attitude who may be the one to jolt Alex out of himself, but by chapter 2 we are sidetracked into the minutiae of...more Well I finished it but nearly didn’t. Although well-written, it is much, much too long for a novel about a year in the life of a young man (Alex) with a bad case of neurotic introspection and a life that holds little interest for himself, let alone the reader. Too long, that is, even without the social commentary.

It starts out well enough when he meets Esther, a woman with MS and an attitude who may be the one to jolt Alex out of himself, but by chapter 2 we are sidetracked into the minutiae of life in Montreal in the eighties. If there was something social or political that was left out, or Alex failed to comment on, then it must never have made the news. And this is a real problem, because if it’s all so central to the story, then only Quebecers could really appreciate the significance. Living on the Other Side Of Canada, I barely understood or remembered half the references - so what would a reader outside Canada make of it all? But if the flood of real events is not so critical – which it is not – Bill 101, the immigrants, ambivalence toward Trudeau, etc, etc., then it all starts to feel out of place. More than that however, it seems like Ricci added this background to give the novel a degree of authenticity - you could practically navigate downtown Montreal with it – but that’s a problem because it just emphasizes the level of unreality and introversion in Alex’s life. Or perhaps the contrast is Ricci’s intention – but at any rate, it doesn’t work and the novel is excessively long.

In addition, too many incidents in Alex’s own life are developed at length but he doesn’t seem to incorporate them into his life, although they are supposed to be life-altering events. For example, the trip to Galapagos is a long, tedious, repetitive and unbelievable account, even for what Alex regards as his “worst journey in the world”. (Cherry-Garrard he is not.) Yet nothing before or after in the novel indicates how this allegedly shattering event actually affected his life. He had a bad trip and the researcher he was with, whom he couldn’t stand, died. So?
Again, a woman he once slept with commits suicide; Alex seems sad (I think, or is he just a bit more angst-ridden?). Then there is the socially-conscious episode with the Salvadoreans – going nowhere; wrangling with his PhD supervisor over the significance of his (Alex’s) obsession with Darwin; unfinished business with his ex-girlfriend leading to sessions with a psychiatrist – (surely those will reveal something? No, the sessions just peter out); even an extended run-in with his building manager and the Regie, the Quebec organization that arbitrates such things. (I didn’t know about the Regie, and nor do I care as I may never rent an apartment in Montreal). Alex relates these scenes from his past, but seems to take nothing from them.

Underlying all this is his on-again-off-again affair with Ingrid in Sweden. It extended over 10 years and he has recently discovered that he has a son, now 5 years old. Again this is told in flashback and is of course contributing to his angst. Alex’s one significant relationship in the present is with Esther, and we hope she will be the one who draws Alex out of himself. But no, after moping around for most of the book, Alex is last seen at Esther’s bedside in hospital where she is close to death, as he prepares to depart forever to make a new life with Ingrid and as a father. We know how badly that’s going to turn out, but Alex clearly does not and is hoping for the best: and perhaps that is the rather dispiriting message of this book - that self-knowledge and searching for the truth is not enough.
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Jul 05, 2009 C rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: governor-general-s-award

Long. Mildly interesting and I'm surprised I finished it.

Could not relate to the characters. I don't enjoy books where I can't relate or understand where the characters are coming from and I definitely could not understand this one.

The main character, Alex, is probably best summed up by one of the other characters in the book, Maria - one of Alex's long-shot love interests - when she tells him that he isn't a real man (or something like that) because he can't decide what he wants and act on it....more

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May 01, 2009 Marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a suspenseful plot, or a story of personal redemption and salvation, you will not find satisfaction with this book. However, if you appreciate maturity and confidence in writing style, with a touch of Canadian history, and a cast of interesting characters, you should enjoy this book. Usually I get turned off by main characters who occupy the book with continuing selfish angst (eg Eat, Love, Pray) but the main character of this book, who is going through a period of anguish...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

I will not finish this book...too long. The August selection for my book club proved to be mildly interesting during the first part; however, there were far too many references to cultural events and people of the Montreal 80's that it would be dificult for someone younger or from elsewhere to understand or appreciate. I have abandoned this book at the halfway point in the Galapagos. I simply don't care anymore about Alex. It's been too hot a summer for such a heavy read and it dosen't go well w...more

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May 09, 2009 Ben Babcock rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian-author, 2009-read, from-library

Far too long for its own good, The Origin of Species seems to have one goal: destroy any last shred of sympathy the reader might have for the protagonist, Alex Fratarcangeli.

Part of my trouble with this book is a defect of self. I'm too young to have lived through the 1980s, and I've never been to Montreal. Thus, it's difficult for me to comprehend Alex's preoccupation with Pierre Trudeau, Bill 101, and tension among immigrant populations. Someone more attuned to the zeitgeist of 1980s Canada or...more Far too long for its own good, The Origin of Species seems to have one goal: destroy any last shred of sympathy the reader might have for the protagonist, Alex Fratarcangeli.

Part of my trouble with this book is a defect of self. I'm too young to have lived through the 1980s, and I've never been to Montreal. Thus, it's difficult for me to comprehend Alex's preoccupation with Pierre Trudeau, Bill 101, and tension among immigrant populations. Someone more attuned to the zeitgeist of 1980s Canada or Quebec will likely find it easier to relate to The Origin of Species than I did. Perhaps Alex's infantile helplessness is a metaphor for that era, as Canada sat by and watched the United States ascend out of the Cold War toward its eventual spot as sole global superpower.

The pacing of the book could be improved. Its length alone is unwieldy. The middle section, which tells of Alex's adventure and mishaps in the Galapagos Islands, is entirely too long. That section also cemented my dislike of Alex. I'll set aside the question of the extent to which Alex's helplessness is intentional, however; it's largely academic.

Despite its length, the major plot takes place over only a year in Alex's life. However, Nino Ricci also includes major events from Alex's past, including the Galapagos trip. Often I found myself struggling to figure out where a flashback begins and the "present" of the narrative picks up again. It took me a while to figure out when Alex knew about his illegitimate Swedish son and when he was still ignorant (or had not yet conceived) said progeny.

Amid the jumbles of flashbacks, I get glimpses of interesting observations about growing up that I'm sure are deliberate on Ricci's part. It's not that the writing or the story are bad. Rather, it feels hopelessly overburdened with subtext, a problem made evident in the scenes between Alex and his Freudian psychiatrist, Dr. Klein.

As much as I enjoyed these occasional observations, they were too few and too far between. In his attempt to cover both a snapshot (a year) in Alex's life and summarize the totality of Alex's existence, Ricci fails to accurately portray the importance of either. Conversely, Fall on Your Knees takes place over several generations, yet it manages to capture the gravity of life and the importance of family.

The Origin of Species does have redeeming qualities. On the subject of Dr. Klein and other minor characters: Alex has a tendency to be quite judgemental, and he doesn't seem to like very many of his acquaintances or even his friends. That is, until he discovers something about them, a secret they fail to tell him but that he learns through a third party. Then he revises his opinion. In this way, Ricci reminds us that even the people we ardently dislike are people too, people who face problems similar to the ones we grapple with each day.

The Origin of Species has vexing glimmers of promise. Overall, it gropes blindly in the dark, trying to grasp at its theme and never quite getting a secure grip.(less)

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May 02, 2009 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, south-america

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but it went on way too long for me. Towards the end I was barely registering what was happening anymore, just wanted to find out what happened to the main characters. There were also a lot of minor characters that I found difficult to keep track of...a name would show up partway through and I've have no idea where I'd heard it before.

The significance of the whole Galapagos incident was somewhat lost on me...it didn't seem like it should have been as...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Zara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian-fiction, own

Nino Ricci's "The Origin of Species" novel is one I suggest you read twice---not because it's a spectacular book, but because it's one you'll want to contemplate and reconsider especially in its details.

The main character, Alex Fratarcangeli, is as long-winded and complicated as his name. Or maybe not so much long-winded, since with others, he seems so willing to say so very little in fear of revealing too much of himself. And yet, his internal discourse runs about 10 miles a minute that is fier...more Nino Ricci's "The Origin of Species" novel is one I suggest you read twice---not because it's a spectacular book, but because it's one you'll want to contemplate and reconsider especially in its details.

The main character, Alex Fratarcangeli, is as long-winded and complicated as his name. Or maybe not so much long-winded, since with others, he seems so willing to say so very little in fear of revealing too much of himself. And yet, his internal discourse runs about 10 miles a minute that is fiercely intelligent, yet gravely critical. The man is surely opinionated, honest, and harshly so.

Yet for all his academia (he obsesses in working toward obtaining his doctorate), which inevitably steers him toward being a cut-throat intelligence snob, he is neither outwardly condescending nor rude. If anything, his restraint is so calculated that he can appear to be an enigma to those he's supposedly closest too. Even with all his outward bravado in the face of self-preservation, he is more self-deprecatory than he should be.

There seems to be an internal dual battle: one that restrains him from becoming outwardly and inwardly emotionally involved to the point of indifference---for him, there seems to be a wariness to it that involves too much work---and yet, for all his complaining, distancing, and criticism, it's apparent that people and circumstances in how they unfold, deeply affect him to the basest level whether or not he cares to admit this to himself (or his psychologist!). The novel is after all, almost 500 pages of his thought process where almost every happening is brutally scrutinized, deciphered, and catalogued. As if the character himself is one of Darwin's own specimens to be studied, to be linked to an offset of other events and anomalies. Perhaps this is the point. Perhaps not. What do I know? I'm no academic.

Nevertheless, the random nature of of the book's narrative and the character's movement through this narrative either in recollection or in passing, is both a testimony to the difference between true human nature and its fictional counterpart as characterized in novels---that no one is static, stationary, or moves in a linear path. Neither is a man nor this character ever truly flat or "one way." People have depth of character and layered histories, which is evident in this novel.

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Nov 19, 2011 Steven Langdon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This sprawling, remarkable novel is on one level a map of the varied moments of the quite confused life of Alex, a not-so-young doctoral student in Montreal. On another level, it is a parable of the interplay of fate, of chance and of adaptation, reflecting the central insights of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. There is no plan, Alex sees Darwin deciding, above all, as he traces the intricate variations that mark out the evolution of plants and animals; there is simply what turns out, f...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Steven Teasdale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, literature-modern, literature-canadian

The Origin of Species captured the 2008 Governor Generals Literary Award for fiction (the second such win for Ricci, the first being his 1993 debut Lives of the Saints). It was a well-deserved honour. This dense, multi-faceted, sprawling, and thought-provoking tome explores the ideas of evolution, love, ruthlessness, human nature, relationships, nature, fatherhood, higher education, and postmodernism, among many others, in a provocative, humorous, and often moving fashion.

The primary story conce...more

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Apr 26, 2010 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

He had me...and..then he didn't...and then he had me again...and then he didn't. Annoying prozaic at times but some really interesting biological diversity and natural selection intertwined with literature narratives. Could have been a lot more but lacked some focus. Broken academic struggling with the imposter syndrome was a great focus for character development but lacked substance in places...Still worth a read. Not as good as the Beagle-man himself...

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Dec 01, 2012 HKd rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned

I was generous to this book; reading chapter after chapter thinking it would pick up. I'm over half way though now and so bored of dreary, self-absorbed and ineffectual Alex. The side characters are more interesting but they drift in and out of Alex's life and thus the story.

I think the real problems is that Alex doesn't care about anyone - not even himself - and so in the end I don't either.

One star because I couldn't finish it.

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Jul 03, 2009 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure initially that I was going to like the main character in the book. I had to read for a while to accept the humour of the main character - he's funny in part because he is a jerk but also sympathetic as a conflicted and unsure human being. I enjoyed the settings in Toronto and in Quebec and the insights into Quebec politics which I will likely never understand.

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Apr 03, 2012 Lisampinto rated it 2 of 5 stars

To be fair, I hope some of this went over my head and that's why I didn't appreciate it nearly as much as the back cover critics. Also, it's a little too close to real life; it feels like this guy could live next door... and maybe he does? It's set in Montreal after all; this book is uber Canadian. Some people might find that's part of the charm, I just find it boring.

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Jun 02, 2009 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great novel with lots of homesicknessinducing Canadian content to boot. About the evolution of Alex, a grad student in English in the 1980s. It's funny, sad, and optimistic without being the least bit saccharine. It won the Governor General's prize for fiction in Canada in 2008, and deserves to be read and appreciated by more than just Canadians. So read it.

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May 03, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars

The fraught story of Alex, whose problem with emotional commitment leaves him dangling just outside any number of relationships. Set (mostly) in Montreal in the 1980s but touches on a variety of political and cultural issues. You will not soon forget the harrowing episode of Alex's journey through the Galapagos Islands.

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Jan 08, 2012 Nick Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars

one of these books that I remembered reading and have generally forgot about reading. definitely swayed by others reviews which I used to jog my memory but it was a tough read. not necessarily engaging but a good read that required some endurance and drive to finish the last 20%

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Mar 22, 2009 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This loooong novle had one of hte more self absorved narrators, I have ever encouterd. There were funny and moving moment sin this tale of a Montreal grad student sturggling to finish his phd, but by and large it was not engaging enough to justify the pges printed.

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Nov 06, 2012 Jay Delorenzis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've reread the beginning a few times. I have a habit of going to another book before I finish the one I am involved in. I am now picking up where I left off. So far, so good. By the time I finished two-thirds of this book, I just wanted to end it and move on. So, I simply jumped to the last chapter and found the end to just end. The first part of this book was good and looked like it could develop into something interesting, but it was like the author ran out of story and decided to drag it out...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Jaime L. rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't make it past page 100 in this book. I can't stand stories about people that have no sense of self or passion in life and do nothing about it. The main character seemed to be that kind of person so I put this one down.

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Sep 08, 2009 Sherry Ramsey marked it as shelved

I read about 40 pages of this book before I moved it to my "shelved" stack. At first the characters seemed like they might be somewhat interesting, but I couldn't sustain any interest in their dreary and self-absorbed lives.

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May 15, 2009 Suzanne De rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one is hard for me; one of the characters is based on my best friend's sister... but this book was awful. The characters were not well developed, the lead was whiny and uninteresting..... i was extremely disappointed.

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Jul 24, 2009 Lisa Poeltl rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've ever read. I thought deeply throughout. It was a great combination of an excellent read which keeps you coming back for more, and a book laden with subtext. I was deeply moved at the end.

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Sep 02, 2012 Stormy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I didn't connect with this character or his situation, but was surprised that I felt compelled to complain about it to my spouse. As I was describing his harrowing trip to the Galapagos I realized this must have been a better book than I took away. Hmmm.

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May 06, 2009 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book that I couldn't put down. The book is an incredible journey through the life of one man as he tries to find a strain of reason or meaning to his existence and experiences.

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May 31, 2010 Rosa rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a tough read. I found it rather high brow. I got through it but only just. A bit esoteric for my liking.
I know that the writing was superb, but a tad too much for me.

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Jan 12, 2010 Kimberly Hildenbrand rated it 3 of 5 stars

The middle section, where the main character is in the Galapagos Islands, is one of the best things I have read all year. The rest of it could have used some editing.

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Sep 28, 2011 Andrea Paterson marked it as abandoned

I've given up on this book. I don't think it's bad. In fact, it may be a wonderful book but it just wasn't speaking to me. It's one of those books that doesn't have anything particularly wrong with it but just can't hold my attention for any length of time. I wasn't drawn to the characters and I found that there were too many of them floating in and out of the narrative for me to attach to any of them. I've noticed that I've completely stalled on my reading because this book has been sitting aro...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would have recommended The Origin of Species by Nino Ricci but I finished it and found it disappointing. The first chapter sets the story up to be interesting as it introduces the protagonist, a McGill PhD candidate, Alex, who meets a women, Esther, with MS. Unfortunately, the first two thirds of the book is a litany of his (failed) relationships followed by an ill fated adventure to the Galapagos Islands where he accompanies a disneyish villain, Desmond, on an odd (and unbelievable) mission....more

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About Nino Ricci

Nino Ricci’s first novel was the internationally acclaimed Lives of the Saints. It spent 75 weeks on the Globe and Mail‘s bestseller list and was the winner of the F.G. Bressani Prize, the Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. In England it won Betty Trask Award and Winnifred Holtby Prize, in the U.S. was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenba...more Nino Ricci’s first novel was the internationally acclaimed Lives of the Saints. It spent 75 weeks on the Globe and Mail‘s bestseller list and was the winner of the F.G. Bressani Prize, the Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. In England it won Betty Trask Award and Winnifred Holtby Prize, in the U.S. was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and in France was an Oiel de la lettre Selection of the National Libraries Association.

Published in seventeen countries, Lives of the Saints was the first volume of a trilogy that continued with In a Glass House, hailed as a “genuine achievement” by The New York Times, and Where She Has Gone, nominated for the Giller Prize. The Lives of the Saints trilogy was adapted for a television miniseries starring Sophia Loren and Kris Kristofferson.

Books in Canada commented that Ricci’s trilogy “so amply demonstrates the author’s tremendous talents that we would be foolish as readers not to follow him down whatever road he next chooses to follow.” That road led him to Testament, a fictional retelling of the life of Jesus. Hailed as a “masterpiece” by Saturday Night, Testament was a Booklist Choice for the Top Ten Historical Novels of the Year and a Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Prize and for the Roger’s Writers’ Trust Award for Fiction and was a winner of the Trillium Award.

Ricci’s most recent novel is the national bestseller The Origin of Species, which earned him the Canadian Authors Association Fiction Award as well as his second Governor General’s Award for Fiction. Set in Montreal in 1980s, the novel casts a Darwinian eye on the life of Alex Fratarcangeli, who is torn between his baser impulses and his pursuit of the Good. “This novel does so well, on so many levels,” wrote the Toronto Star, “that it’s hard to know where to begin tallying up the riches.”

Ricci is also the author of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a short biography that forms part of Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series, edited by John Ralston Saul. Ricci’s biography, according to HistoryWire, “provides the best, and best written, perspective on Trudeau there is.”

Nino Ricci was born in Leamington, Ontario, to parents from the Molise region of Italy, and completed university studies in Toronto, Montreal, and Florence, Italy. He has served as a writer-in-residence for the Toronto and Kitchener public library systems and for the University of Windsor, and has held the Mariano Elia Chair at York University, the Chair in Religion and the Arts at Assumption University, the G. M. Hopkins Chair in Literary Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, and the Killam Visting Professorship in Canadian Studies  at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He is also a past president of the Canadian Centre of International PEN, a writers’ human rights organization that works for freedom of expression. In 2006 he was the inaugural winner of the Alistair MacLeod Award for Literary Achievement, and in 2010 he was the recipient of York University’s Pinnacle Achievement Award.

Nino Ricci lives in Toronto with his wife, writer Erika de Vasconcelos, and their children.
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“He thought of Darwin sleeping out on the pampas during his Beagle trip, a middle-class white kid travelling the world, the first of the backpackers. It was only afterwards, really, that he had made any sense of what he had seen. Alex wondered what, in the fullness of time, he himself would make sense of, what small, crucial detail might be lodging itself in his brain that would shake his life to its foundations.” — 1 person liked it

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