By framing his theories in a novel, Chatwin freed himself from the fact-checking responsibilities of the academic, and by employing the novelist’s techniques, he could sell those theories more convincingly to his reader. This sleight-of-hand makes The Songlines one of the most ambitious combinations of fiction and non-fiction since Moby-Dick. But where most reviewers of Melville’s novel had been irritated by this juxtaposition, Chatwin’s readers mostly responded with praise, acknowledging the gaps in his argument but admiring the artistry with which he presented it. Rave reviews led to the
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