West with the Night

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Summary: Beautiful use of words to describe a fantastic journey...
Review: The language of the book is enchanting; I re-read paragraph after paragraph, some even aloud to absorb the sounds. Beryl Markham's story is fascinating -- the East African setting, the unusual childhood, the experiences and challenges -- and she writes it with such incredible description! This is a must-read!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliance.
Review: What a great writer! And it all actually happened, even more remarkable. Markham presents almost a mythological figure of the strong, independent, self-assured woman who strikes her own (unorthodox) course in life. I thought Hemingway's gushing tribute on the back cover was pleasant hyperbole until I actually read the book. It's not.

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Summary: Markham's life and writing open the reader to new horizons.
Review: Find this book shelved under literature, aviation, or African Studies. . . whatever, its universality makes for great reading.

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Summary: I strongly disliked this book.
Review: The book had events of great interest, however, Beryl did not express other aspects of her life that a reader might want to know. She never mentioned anything about her mother, who was she, etc. Also, although her life was interesting, I began to loose interest and the book became quite tedious to read at times. In addition to this, I found several points about her life that were confusing and seemingly contradictory. I have read many autobiographies that are better than this.

Rating:
Summary: Good writing, great story.
Review: When Ernest Hemingway called this a "bloody wonderful book" he was not exaggerating. From training race horses to free lance flying in Africa to crossing the Atlantic, Beryl Markham takes you there with prose that borders on poetry. Don't miss it!

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Summary: This IS one of the 100 best
Review: I had never heard of this book till the Modern Library 100 best non-fiction list came out, and when I saw it thereon the title fascinated me! The book fits the title (tho not till nearly the end does the book get to her great trans-Atlantic flight, told in vivid and entrancing prose). I had only read 26 of the 100 best no-fiction books, but this was a great 27th !

Rating:
Summary: Markham's hypnotic prose will transport you
Review: When this work was first recommended to me, it's advocate mistakenly told me only what it was about and nothing else. The subject matter seemed as if it would be drier than a Serengeti breeze. After repeatedly underselling why I should read it, I gave in and read it to get her off my back. I then realized that if she would have told me it would be one of the most beautifully written books I would ever read, I would not have take so long. I think Modern Library did this one a disservice by placing towards the end of the Top 100 Non-Fiction books of the 20th century. It should have been as close to 1 as they placed it to 100. If you are a aficionado of fine writing, you will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: The essence of one life
Review: Hemingway's review on the back made me buy it, though I do remember my mother owning a copy. I read it five months later. The beauty of Markham's written word is open, but controlled. For example, selected mentions of her father seem to be deliberate. She creates a really perfect record. Though her book covers her growing up and adult years, she is wise when she writes of her past and her voice tells the story of who she has become. She writes so well. Buy this book as you will learn about yourself.

Rating:
Summary: English as it was intended to be written
Review: If you enjoy reading for the exhilaration of exploring native language, as one might walk a familiar neighborhood with a keener eye, this might be a good choice. Should she have been more lyrical in her description of such fantatastic events as occurred within the passages of West With the Night an indictment of attempted poesy could conceivably be passed down. As it stands the book is a wonderful experiential recollection of the first woman freelance flyer in 1930's British Equatorial East Africa. It is at times quaint and irritating in its provincial British colonial tone but this lends credibility even more to the feeling that one is reading "the real thing".

*fnote- Finished reading the book on the fantail of a Norwegian Cruise Liner in the Caribbean in December of '98... This may have influenced the above review.

Rating:
Summary: You won't read it just once !!!
Review: Of all the books I have read, this is one of the few I have re-read several times. A book review can not come close to evoking the feelings of reading each page. It is truly a remarkable bit of writing.... . Enjoy !!!