Like his other book, Europe Central, a vast wandering book full of reflections, questions, observations, stories.
I find the central premise of the book brilliant. You want to know about poverty, the causes and effects of poverty, go talk to poor people - around the world. Rather than treating the whole issue as an abstract, detached problem or issue. It also brings home the idea of how complicated human social issues are - ideologists simply things, create generic stereotypes, plan simplified solutions, and fail completely. (see other book on the elimination of poverty)
The other thing that Vollmann does is, not only turn his eye and critical mind on poor people, but also on our comfortable middle-class ideas and perceptions of the issue.
He touches on issues of aid, causes of poverty, the failure of top down change, the defining characteristics of poverty which have less to do with actual financial resources, and more to do with how life is experienced or viewed.
He brings humanity to the book and to the issue - which of course makes everything hugely complex, subtle and varied. There is no "the poor", any more than there is "the solution to poverty".
Vollmann definitely has balls - he gets out there and immerses himself up close and intimate. Face to face and personal. At the back of the book, there is a collection of photos he has taken of many of the subjects mentioned in the book.
I wonder how he has so much time and energy to produce these huge, rambling books that he pumps out. The guy must never sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment