Product Description

About to be married, Robert Twigger decides on his last great adventure as a bachelor. Surfing the net, he discovers the Roosevelt Prize - worth $50,000 - for the capture of a live 30 foot python. Armed only with a tin of High Toast Snuff (deadly if sniffed by a snake), Twigger sets off into the remote jungles of Indonesia in search of his prey. Along the way, he investigates the legendarily beautiful women of Sulawesi, treads in Nabokov's footsteps, looks for giant snakes beneath the sewers of Kuala Lumpur, and spends time with a variety of snake catchers and cults. After being caught up in anti-Chinese riots and surviving on greasy civet cat in the jungle, Twigger finally comes face to face with the big one; but the final capture is not quite what he had in mind.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98280 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
How would you spend the five months between getting engaged and getting married? Arguing over the invites? Worrying about how much it was all going to cost? Robert Twigger decided that the time would be best spent hunting for the world's largest snake in some of the more remote corners of South East Asia. Quite what his fiancée thought of this idea is another story. At this point, it should be made clear that Twigger's previous experience of snakes is precisely nil, and that his motives are purely financial. Trawling the Internet one evening, he discovered that the Roosevelt Prize of $50,000 for the live capture of a snake over 30 feet long was still unclaimed and, with a brilliant synaptic leap, reckoned that he was the man for the job.

As a premise for riches it is a complete non-starter. It soon becomes clear that the reason the prize has remained unclaimed is because snakes very rarely grow to 30 feet. The longest yet taken alive--a reticulated python--measured 28 feet and no one really expects to find one any longer. But as a premise for a book, with Twigger cast in the leading role as some latter-day Redmond O'Hanlon innocent abroad, it's tremendously good fun. Twigger begins his poetic quest in Kuala Lumpur. I suppose a man's got to start somewhere but the sewers of KL aren't the first place that spring to mind. Still, it gives us the opportunity to meet a few unlikely characters --in the shape of the Jabatan boys who are happy to feed Twigger's fantasies so long as he is paying their wages. Before long, Twigger realises that his chances of finding the longest snake in KL are about the same as his chances of dating the self- styled most beautiful girl in the world--who he bumps into in a night club. We then branch out into the forests of Indonesia, where the search begins in earnest.

The various encounters with snakes really serve as a backdrop for a portrait of the little-known archipelagos of Malaya and Indonesia. To describe them as a world apart is only to scratch the surface. Twigger writes with comedic ease but he still brings to light the tensions of two cultures colliding. He may have thought he was going for a jaunt in the jungle but he finds a heart of darkness. Much to our surprise--and one suspects his--Twigger does eventually locate a big snake, but the final capture is not what he expected. It spoils the ending to say what does happen--but I don¹t think I¹m giving too much away when I tell you that the snake was well under 30 feet. --John Crace

About the Author
Robert Twigger won the Newdigate prize for poetry in 1985. He is the author of Angry White Pyjamas, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, Big Snake, The Extinction Club, Being a Man and Voyageur.

Customer Reviews

Twigger boldly sets out where no man has gone before ...
Compelling, intrigueing, and very well written. Twigger's stylish flow of words and great sense of humour keep one spellbound to the end. But I personally found the ending frustrating. I know another reviewer says the snake was less than 30 feet, but I'd like to know how he knows that! All I would say is that the ending is left ripe for the sequel. A must read for those couch potato/would-be Biggles types amongst us.

Enjoyable read
An interesting and enjoyable book. You certainly learn quite a bit about snakes in general and their habitat in the Far East. I very much also enjoyed the numerous quotations and observations from early explorers and the philosophy and exploits of RW's late grandfather, Colonel Twigger. Overall this book is well worth reading but perhaps not quite up to the standard of the truly outstanding Angry White Pyjamas.

Excellent, very enjoyable.
Having really enjoyed 'Angry White Pyjamas' (my vote for best ever book title!) I had to get Twigger's latest offering; I was not disappointed. Twigger is a fascinating travelling companion with a great sense of the absurd and a delightful turn of phrase. I warm to him immediately and look forward very much to his next offering. Twigger gives some very fascinating insights into Kuala Lumpur, East Malaysia and some very remote spots of Indonesia. Anyone with an interest in the 'off-the-beaten-track' parts of Asia will enjoy this book very much.

Highly recommended reading.