Three Weeks with My Brother
by Micah Sparks, Nicholas Sparks
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Book Summary Information
Author: Micah Sparks, Nicholas SparksEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-03
ISBN: 0446694851
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of Three Weeks with My Brother
Book Review: Oh brother!
Summary: 1 Stars
If you have ever wondered why Americans have such a bad reputation as tourists, this book gives an amazingly detailed account of narcissistic and vulgar behaviour while traveling abroad. The picture on the back cover shows two suntanned Americans with teeth whiter than the sclera of their eyes smiling as if on a photo shoot for L.L Bean (hm, I wonder who their target audience might be?) - yes, they are definitely ready to explore the world (having read up on their Jules Verne of course)...
It almost felt as if I were reading a satire - surely this could not be written as a serious account? It comes across as extremely insulting and condescending, and I happen to be one of "these Norwegians" that the author claims to be "among the friendliest on earth"... As with most of his "observations", he bases his said conclusion on his interactions with the locals that happen to entertain them while out touring away from the hotel. His succint insights on traveling can be summed up in his own words: "Over the years, I've visited numerous countries, and I've learned that until you meet the people in a relaxed setting, doing what they normally do, you haven't actually experienced what the country is all about". Wow...
It would mostly be a laughable account suitable for a Christopher Guest mockumentary if it hadn't been for the sheer vulgarity. They shock the natives by pulling selfish pranks on sacred sites, they mock the aborigines and find "this stuff boring", they make fun of the poor guides who are there to "entertain them", they are flabbergasted when a bar in Peru can't find a channel that shows the Super Bowl in English, they make fun of anyone who actually finds interest in architectural details beyond the brochure blurbs and resent their "lecturing", they are bored with ruins if they don't look like a good movie set, they get "museumed out", they call on their cell phones to their spouses back home on top of temples to tell them how incredible it all is...
The irony, of course, is that they see themselves as adventure and culture seekers and acute descriptions such as "awesome", "amazing", "unbelievable" and "breathtaking" are littered throughout the text. For a feel of the complexity of the narrattion, sample these nuggets of travelogue speak:
"I never believed I could get so excited about seeing a pile of dirt".
"There were trillions of flies".
"Entire books have been written on the subject of the carvings alone, and it's far beyond the scope of this volume to even attempt to comment on them".
"As they say, you must see it to believe it".
"Architectually, it's amazing, and I can see why it took decades to build it".
"All we could do was stare out the window (of the bus), wondering how on earth people survived like this".
"This looks...boring. How long are we supposed to be here?"
"Saying that you went dogsledding in Norway with a team that once competed in the Iditarod is more fun than the sledding itself"
In between the travel diary, we get a presentation of the family history. There are musings about their childhood, the trauma of their parent's deaths (which happened after they were grown up), the sad story about their little sister battling a brain tumor, and some rather bland religious ponderings. Some of their childhood memories are quite touching, like all childhood memories are. However, the story about how the brothers took pride in destroying all their cousins' toys (and still seemingly think this is funny) is ironic since it is completely believable.
Also, the author has an almost pathological need to impress his readers with, well, himself...His only seeming fault seems to be that he tries to accomplish too much. After a tirade on how a devoted dad and husband he is, he offers this humble passage: "Somehow, despite all that, I squeezed in time to earn a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, lift weights, and jog daily. I continued to read a hundred books a year. I slept less that five hours a night". Wow - poor superman...By the way, if you go to his website (which is complete with a glossy photo shoot, and where you can read that he has been voted "the sexiest author"), the first thing you get to read is whether you knew if he had a black belt in Tae Kwon Do! I almost feel sorry for the guy...
Finally, the passage that lingers in my mind is the author's claim that when he grew up "they were desperately poor" because they were fed powdered milk, oatmeal and potatoes and only received toys for birthdays and Christmas...
How anyone can actually write that after visiting some of the places they did (albeit in the comfort of guided tours, air-conditioned buses, and endless cocktail parties) is a sad commentary in itself.
Summary of Three Weeks with My Brother
As moving as his bestselling works of fiction, Nicholas Sparks's unique memoir, written with his brother, chronicles the life-affirming journey of two brothers bound by memories, both humorous and tragicIn January 2003, Nicholas Sparks and his brother, Micah, set off on a three-week trip around the globe. It was to mark a milestone in their lives, for at thirty-seven and thirty-eight respectively, they were now the only surviving members of their family. Against the backdrop of the wonders of the world and often overtaken by their feelings, daredevil Micah and the more serious, introspective Nicholas recalled their rambunctious childhood adventures and the tragedies that tested their faith. And in the process, they discovered startling truths about loss, love, and hope.Narrated with irrepressible humor and rare candor, and including personal photos, THREE WEEKS WITH MY BROTHER reminds us to embrace life with all its uncertainties...and most of all, to cherish the joyful times, both small and momentous, and the wonderful people who make them possible.Authors Books
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