The Tributary

by Jonathan Stubbs

The Tributary is an anthropology adventure set in the Amazon basin that looks to identify and pinpoint more accurately when mankind first arrived in South America. A scientific expedition hopes to achieve this through the discovery of a suspected, genetically-isolated tribe deep in the forest, from which DNA samples will enable them to illuminate a period of man's evolutionary history of which very little is known. It soon becomes clear, however, as they travel further into the depths of the jungle, that an even greater discovery beckons, a discovery that will have profound implications for the future of all mankind. The Tributary is a rendition on man's relationship with his blue pearly charge. It interweaves history, politics, science, religion, globalisation and climate change, and asks us to consider where we are going as a species: is it a glorious future for the human race, or one scourged with war, famine and drought? It links the Old World with the New and alludes, with the warning and prophetic words of an Indian chief: "Remember . . . bloodshed is the bedfellow of fear," to the horrors of its main protagonist's family history during the Spanish Civil War with the plight of indigenous populations during the Brazilian Military Junta of 1964-85.

458 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2013

About the author

Hi, I'm Jonathan Stubbs. I'm 39, married, and live on the Wirral (uk) with my wife and two young daughters. The Tributary is my first novel. It is currently listed as a giveaway and as an excerpt, but I'm keen to provide it to as many readers as possible, whom if interested, would kindly provide an honest critique in return. Being proud of your work is not enough in pursuing any kind of a dream of being a writer. Only the honest views and opinions of likeminded readers (strangers, or people I don't know, as a more kindly way to put it - people whom I've no doubt are very nice and normal and knowledgeable) will cut it. I would also be interested in providing review swaps of other likeminded works of literary fiction. Anyone who has read the excerpt and would like a copy of the book to review, please get in touch and I will gladly forward a copy. Being a recent member of Goodreads, I’m very impressed with the standards and the quality and the dedication of the multitude of readers and writers based within its forum. Many thanks.

Reviews

[Ape · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. From the blurb it sounds like an exciting adventure-science story, like a modern Lost World (South America, but no dinosaurs this time); but it's a long book, and in reality it's like the Amazon river they have to travel up - long, wide and oh so incredibly slow. It's about a group of people, a couple of academics from the UK - the professor and Maria, an academic originally from Spain (although it's very vague about what exactly they're academics in), a couple of American photographers/not sure what, ship's captain and ship's cook and handily expert in native tribes and languages. They're travelling deep, deep into the jungle to find an unexplored tributary, up which there is a tribe that's had no contact with the modern world, and whom they believe is the missing link.

The book is slow to get going and I think it was about over half way before they get to this tribe and the book gets going. The meeting with the tribe doesn't go well, and ultimately they don't achieve much data/research in that respect. There are a number of disasters and accidents that affect the team - some leading to some more interesting sections of the book; and those that get out of there are lucky enough to get out with their lives. But there's also this muddled random bit about a mysterious, possibly alien obelisk in the middle of the jungle that emits a strange mist that freezes all the animals it touches and sucks them up. That's a bit too new-age and alien sci fi for my taste, so personally I didn't enjoy that part.

There are a lot of idea about globalisation, learning to live with nature and the environment in this book, a fair amount I actually agree with. But the way this agenda was pushed by having to trot along with Maria's ponderings, long and detailed at every moment, made it a bit tiring and just ended up encouraging me to skim sections. Also, I found the writing style very overwritten - this may well just be a personal clash, because for example one of the many reasons I didn't like the Scarlett Letter was the overwritten nature of the language, and the long, long sentances that leave you gasping for breath.

It is independantly published, but I'm not going to sit and list spelling mistakes I saw or how I don't agree with the author's use of commas - all of which isn't helpful. Admittedly I have sometimes commented on grammar, layout, spelling etc with some independent books I've read, because the issue has become so bad that it really detracts from the reading experience. With this book, yes, it's not 100% perfect, but that's not a problem, and I would also add to remember that independent writers don't have the luxary of a whole editorial and proofreading team to sort these issues out for them. Having said that there was one typo that I liked because it seemed rather fitting. It's a hot humid environment and they're struggling sleeping. So after a deep conversation, Maria's off to bed, and Pablo says to her "sweat dreams". Which to be fair, is probably what she had =).

So, in short, the concept sounded interested, but it didn't really turn out to be my type of book.

[David Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Tributary, the author compares Western civilization – capitalistic, greedy, materialistic – to that of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon River Basin and, by extension, to those who live in other areas as well. He does this through the voice of Maria, a Spanish anthropologist. Maria works in England and arrives in Brazil as part of an expedition that is attempting to locate a previously undiscovered tribe who they believe lives in the upper reaches of the River. They believe that this tribe has never before interacted with other peoples and that, genetically, the tribe is a direct link with the original settlers of South America.

The story is captivating. Maria narrates the group’s journey up river, describing in great detail the river, the vegetation growing along its banks, the swarms of misquotes, the violent storms which they encounter. The descriptions are vivid and extensive, ad one wonders if the author has made a trip similar to the one he describes. The story is full of suspense, especially after its midpoint, and I constantly revised my expectation concerning how the story would end.

The book is relatively long. The author utilizes extremely long, complicated sentences, perhaps to force the reader to slow down, savor the descriptions, and experience the slow moving river on which the expedition is traveling. The Tributary is not a fast read, and you must be prepared to either devote the necessary time or to skim through some of the passages.

The comparison of Western civilization and the life of the indigenous people of the area is made through the story, but also through extended accounts of what Maria is thinking. I feel that the author’s point could have been made with much less attention to Maria’s thoughts, to the thoughts of other characters, and to their discussions of religion and science.

I think that you will enjoy the book, but you must be prepared for an extended read.

[Seren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like it loads for most of the book and then realised it was definitely fiction and it went all 2001. I like the kick-ass chick though.