Floating Down the Country
by Matthew Mohlke
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Book Summary Information
Author: Matthew MohlkeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-02-01
ISBN: 1883477492
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Lone Oak Pr
Book Reviews of Floating Down the Country
Book Review: A warning to others
Summary: 4 Stars
In David L. Miller's book The Complete Paddler, he speaks of certain people who "somehow managed to stay alive and recover from mishap after mishap as they bungled themselves down the river." Speaking humbly as someone who's had his share of disasters, I do think some of the excitement in this book must be due to Mohlke's ill preparations. A 1-star reviewer here said that this was a story of a "drunken frat boy" with poor equipment and planning who survives by "sheer luck". This is basically true, but the knowing immaturity of the author at the time he wrote this book carries much of its charm. He's not going to preach at you -- not when his confused readings of the Bible and the book of Mormon on the water aren't enough to help him avoid temptation on land. Yet the conclusion of this book clearly allows you to frame the text as a warning to be better prepared physically and spiritually on whatever river you may be traveling.
Mohlke's decision to write this in journal format allows you to go along for the ride, as he tries to find dates, gets intoxicated, and fails to make sense of the world or himself. His writing style is straightforward, and his humor deadpan. He records each of the promises made to himself just before they're broken. Although his lifestyle is very different from mine, his honesty about his weaknesses made me grow to understand him.
I wish this book had been edited. His spelling is idiosyncratic and there are passages that could have been smoother. I got tired of his descriptions of women, which rarely went beyond them being "pretty" and a certain age. It seems typical and perhaps unavoidable for solo travelers to typecast the people they interact with, and while Mohlke does this, his attitude toward them is at least generally positive.
I would recommend any compiler of true short essays on roaming the country to take a look at Day 72: Natchez, Mississippi, easily the most packed, hilarious day of the trip. I would certainly recommend this book (among others) to anyone interested in accounts of major American river journeys. I doubt it would be the first book I'd recommend. Although Jonathan Raban has quite the negative attitude in his book Old Glory, it is more expertly written, and he spends more time visiting different aspects of how the river functions. After that, you can read this book, and Mohlke will show you a powerful way to wrap up this kind of narrative.
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