Friday 9 September 2016

Route Number 11: Argentina, Angels and Alcohol by Harry Whitewolf


Route Number 11: Argentina, Angels and Alcohol by Harry Whitewolf
Self published in June 2013.

Where to buy this book:
Buy from independent booksellers via Abebooks
Buy from independent booksellers via Alibris
Buy the ebook from Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk
Buy the paperback from The Book Depository

How I got this book:
Took advantage of an Amazon free download promotion

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'All alone in Argentina, with only a guardian angel, a broken heart and an abundance of beer for company. With no plans, no time limit, and sometimes no sense, the nameless tourist travels not only around Argentina but also across the borders to Paraguay, Chile and Brazil, through a blur of smoky bars, sexy seƱoritas, backpackers, locals, lucky escapes and magnificent mountains, whilst being guided by signs and the mysterious 11:11 Phenomenon. This true story reads almost like fiction. Told in a tangle of cut up twisted timelines, showing snippets and snapshots with bustling city and small town backdrops, Route Number 11 is a beat driven, beer drinking, Mind Body Spirit book with sex, drugs and reggaeton...'

I wasn't sure what to expect from Route Number 11, but having seen good Goodreads reviews and stumbled across a chance to download Whitewolf's book for free, I did so and enjoyed getting myself caught in his South American escapade. Whitewolf writes in distinctive prose which is frequently actually poetry and I thought this a very effective way to put across his journey. His heavy drinking, chica chasing and bus riding would swiftly have become dull reading in a straight travel memoir, but I found this book to be alive with memories and musings, both travel-related and on a spiritual level. Despite the alcoholic haze, he retained a sharp eye for interesting detail. Reading Route Number 11 over the past couple of days has reawakened my wanderlust in a big way, although whether I would set out alone to South America for as many months as Whitewolf intended to stay I don't know. I was quietly pleased that I understood all his Spanish though! In criticism, perhaps the spiritual aspect of the book was pushed too heavily for my taste. However, too spookily, I had my own 11/11 experience within a few hours of finishing Route Number 11 so maybe this is my cue to become more in tune with the universe.


Search Lit Flits for more:
Books by Harry Whitewolf / Travel books / Books from England

3 comments:

  1. ReejecttIIon - a number two, Harry Whitewolf's collaborative book with Daniel Clausen, is jam packed with short stories, skits, titbits and other nonsense, and to celebrate it being one year old, it's now free on Kindle for five days (23rd - 27th February), so grab a copy now!
    Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2lCoLCU
    Amazon US http://amzn.to/2lgBaLG

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  2. Harry Whitewolf is interviewed on the Losing The Plot podcast. Listen here: https://m.soundcloud.com/losingtheplotpodcast/harry-whitewolf

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  3. Harry Whitewolf is offering All his books for free on Amazon from the 27th June to the 1st July 2018.

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