The Turk Who Loved Apples: And Other Tales Of Losing My Way Around The World (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
The Travelers DilemmaI was a big fan of the Frugal Traveler column by Matt Gross in the New York Times. Based on observations from a career based on travel, this book combines travelogue, humor column and keen insight into the world of travel. The book is really about the world of the travel writer.The book wanders at times and includes some brilliant observations about people, his family, foreign culture and places. These comments are both witty and, sometimes, sad. In the writing, Matt Gross touches on the traveler’s dilemma that we all face when we travel to strange new places.I have read some of the negative reviews on this site and I believe some of these comments are well noted. However, I believe Matt Gross has written a valuable book for us on the traveler’s lament.The Turk that Loved Apples is both funny and sad in parts, but, Matt Gross writes about some of the truths for the traveler that all dedicated travelers can enjoy. Yes, Matt Gross rambles.Yes, he jumps around from trip to trip and year to year without notice. From the reviews I've seen here, some people couldn't deal with that. Fine. But Gross writes the way many (most?) of us discuss our travel histories. He connects with some of us, He doesn't connect with others. That's fine, because for those he does connect with (I count myself among them), this is a book that gets you thinking about where you've been and what you've done and why. Why do we travel? What do we want from travel? Gross's experiences resonate. For me, this book works.
What do You think about The Turk Who Loved Apples: And Other Tales Of Losing My Way Around The World (2013)?
Amazing and inspiring! Must read and the best lesson....go get lost to find yourself!
—trinity
Most interesting when talking about travel, less so when Matt is navel-gazing.
—ann
Very interesting debut, but a little choppy and self directed.
—Mobi
