Shadow Divers
For all you Jon Krakauerheads out there - this book is like Into Thin Air meets The Perfect Storm, and really well written. Who knew scuba divers were so darn studly?
Although has anyone ever noticed that an author's descriptions of a real person/character NEVER match the actual person depicted in the photographs in the book?
For instance, if I were a person worthy of having a book written about me, my description would read, " A tall, willowy redhead with a vivacious smile, Valerie was very into fitness and fine literature."
When in reality:
Yes, I am 5-9, but happen to be built like the Eastern European peasant I am (in other words, like a soccer player). Some might call me "sturdy."
My hair is really brown, with sometimes happily-auburn highlights midsummer after I've been in the sun ALOT. By winter, it's drab mousy brown again.
My smile is the product of two and a half torturous years in braces, as an adult. I had to break the habit of years of smiling without showing my teeth. It still is more of a grin than a smile. I don't much care - my teeth are straight.
I run - very slowly, sporadically until lately, and I really shuffle more than I run. Most racewalkers walk way faster than I "run."
And as far as fine literature goes, well, I'm reading Jon Krakauer-like books, not slogging through the Russians.
So when the author describes a "handsome thin man with olive skin and thick black hair", I am no longer surprised to turn to the photos midbook and see a paunchy guy with little hair at all, and sallow skin probably brought on by years of drinking. All of adventure lit suffers from the problem. Not that whatever said person did is any less impressive just because he also happens to be an unattractive human being. (And in most cases, I am being wildly, horribly petty since nine times out of ten the reason the person made it into the pics at all is because they're dead.)
But it's gotten so predictable that it makes me check as soon as a description pops up now, and it makes me laugh.
posted by BabelBabe @ 2:10 PM
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