LOOKS AT BOOKS

The Obsessive Traveller, or why
{ don’t steal towels from great
hoteis any more

By David Dale

Pub. by Angus & Robertson/

Raincoast
192 pp., $14.95 paperback

- iF. YOU -feel ‘nauseated at
the thought . of organized
tours, and if you seek to in-
duige your: fancies and
perversities when you travel,
The Obsessive’ Traveller is
_ for you.
‘ :sAuthor, David Dale’ advocates
foliowing your ‘obsessions when
you travel, letting them guide you
to riew discoveries. Along the way,
he never minces words about his

; own biases ~ travelling to shop,
“for. instance, is 2a form of mental

ness, ©
t’s not eiactly a guide book, al-

oo though: Dale. -does describe

_ fascinating. places, practices and
- restaurants ‘throughout the world.

‘anything, it's a celebration of the
spontaneity of world travel.

The book covers such topics as
“fake travel”: (no surprises to the
paying « traveller, please), weird
monuments (philosopher Jeremy
Bentham stuffed) “and restaurant
advice (never eat in .a restaurant

:, that revolves or floats). .

‘In the ‘true spirit of adventure,
Dale-tréks around the world,. re-
counting his favorite streets, dining
car’ meals and pseudo- Christmas
‘celebrations, making wise and

itty.assessments..

Eis ‘mischievous behavior. makes. -
for some hilarious experiences. Of
his tour:to a French vineyard he
writes, ‘I’ must. make a’ confes- ”
sion.— on the way,.we peed on
Chateau . Guiraud. Not right onto .

From

intrigue

to ;
obsession

the grapes....You could say we
were simply recycling the local

-wine. The year was 1985. | guess

ive left this warning a bit late if
you're a dessert wine fan.”

tn the chapter on Jerusalem, the
author outlines the souvenir wars
between Arabs, Jews, Moslems
and Christians. He describes the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre as
“a muddy jumble of chapels,
each run by a different Christian
sect with ‘a monopoly of know!l-
edge about what happened to
Jesus.””

Dale is obviously a travel addict
and inspires in the reader the same
audacity that-fuels his own wacky
adventures. He also reminds us

that travel is more than sitting on -

an air-conditioned bus,

your finger over an itinerary. .
Travel, he insists, is not to be

confused with tourism.

—By Barbara Black, a writer and

tracing

copy editor for the North Shore

B.C. Growin Fresh

WHOLE FRYING

CHICKEN

Grade A or Utility
SALE ENDS OCTOBER 5/91

The Secret Pilgrim
By John LeCarre
Pub. by Viking, 1991
335 pages

Capra Press, 1990

BEING A fan of tales of spies
and international intrigue, it
was only natural that I
would be drawn to the
works of John LeCarre.

Uniike the action-packed books
of writers such as Robert Ludlum
and Thomas Clancy,
novels, right from the beginning,
were always masterpieces of
shadowy, Cold War intrigue,
where seemingly ordinary peopie
played small, but overwhelmingly
important roles in the field of es-
pionage.

The Secret Pilgrim is like a series
of short stories set in the present.
Glasnost is with us, the Cold War
is apparently over, and George
Smiley, the main character in most
of LeCarre’s novels, has retired.

Invited te speak to the “passing
out” class of Sarrat, the British spy
school, Smiley’s comments bring
out the memories ef Ned, one of
Smiley's work-mates, and now
head of the spy school.

Through Ned’s eyes, we are
taken on a tour of his three de-
cades in the Circus (British In-
telligence), a brave, but ‘sad
journey of danger, intrigue, lost
love, disappointments and despair
over what it was ail about and
whether it was all worth it.

The reader will have his memory
twigged by many familiar names
— the traitor, Billi Haydon; Toby
Esterhase; the ‘‘watchers,’’
among others, but there are also a
host of new, equally interesting
characters.

The Secret Pilgrim is a wonderful
book by any standards. LeCarre is
a masterful storyteller who cap-
tures the true feeling of people in a

- business where you: aré valued for -

having no feelings at all,
—By Allen tynch,. North Shore
Recycling Coordinator.

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Wednesday, October 2, 1991 — North Shore News - 27

TREVENEN
APPAREL

fs pleased fo announce that

Pino DaDdabbo

MASTER TAILCR

formerly of Suiseppe The
Roman Tailor. has joined
thelr staff. : ,

Pino brings with him
30 years of experience and {
welcomes all his clients. ;

| Couleli Village, West Vancouver 926-4213

HOPE COUNSELLING GROUP]

‘As Registered Psychologists, Marriage and Family
Therapists, we offer therapy to: children, adolescents,

adults, couples and families. °

' The Valley Centre
. #200-1200 Lynn’ Valley Rd.
North Vancouver

“Good People to Talk to”.

- 4199 Lynn Valley Rd.
North Van.
987-4468

BABY DIAPER.

DERBY DAY
SAT. OCT. 5
+1AM-3PM

(Please pre-register your baby
crawler at Shoppers Drug Mart)

Join in the fun
° prizes

° free samples

® free balloons

Our Groups are for:

. Men “Men's Group”

Adolescents: “Looki

~ Behind the’ Mas.

Women ‘All ba
Meant to Be”

. Mixed Adult -

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‘Relationships

- Personal Identity”

Mixed Adule “Family.
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Info or “Appts:

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