Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #173173 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

Little Book, Big Following
The main reason I wanted to read 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes' was because I spent some time in that region last year and I wanted the opportunity to revisit some of the places I had been through the eyes of someone else. The thickly-forested Cevennes in France is a breathtaking region, and walking through it as Stevenson did, way before the advent of package tours, must have been an awesome experience.

My own experience with donkeys in that region was limited to being kept awake by one who brayed almost constantly all night - 'Bloody long-eared b*&^%!d!' was my sour comment in the morning - so I could sympathise with Stevenson's plight when he bought Modestine and found her to be greedy, stubborn and awkward. The book was written at a time when the RSPCA was in its infancy, and from a modern perspective his treatment of her - prodding, poking, whipping - seems cruel, although his frustration at her lack of obeisance was amusing at times. He did develop a real affection for her, though, evidenced by his candid grief at finally having to sell her at the end of his trip.

'Travels with a Donkey' is told honestly, and brings to life the varied and interesting rural people of that mountainous region. The book has had such an impact on the Cevennes that a massive tourist industry has sprung up around it - nowadays you can hire a donkey and follow the trail that Stevenson took, staying in traveller- and donkey-friendly inns on the way. The book may be short, but the story has a huge following which has lasted for 150 years, testament both to Stevenson's skill as a spinner of tales, and to the rugged beauty of the Cevennes themselves.