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Me, Myself and Prague by Rachael WeissWeiss is marriage-less, childless and of Czech origin, so decides to abandon her life in Sydney and spend a year in Prague. She goes because there is nothing to stop her, but finds it isn’t as easy as she first thought.Published 23 February, 2008 
Me, Myself and Prague: An Unreliable Guide to Bohemia (Rachael Weiss, A&U, $24.95 tpb, ISBN 9781741148206, March) **** Weiss is marriage-less, childless and of Czech origin, so decides to abandon her life in Sydney and spend a year in Prague. She goes because there is nothing to stop her, but finds it isn’t as easy as she first thought. There is the language barrier, the haphazard laws, not to mention the surly Czech citizens to deal with. Reading people’s travel memoirs can be arduous at times, writers can get bogged down by the superfluous, sentimentality or both—but not Weiss. She gives the reader a sense of place and an excellent insight into a city and country that has been through a tremendous amount of unrest. Me, Myself and Prague also manages to relay historical facts about the Czech Republic without sounding overbearing. Weiss’ voice transcends that of your stereotypical middle-aged person and is illustrated perfectly in a scene where she gets outrageously drunk with a young Swedish friend of hers on ‘murderously alcoholic’ wine, which had me guffawing. Hence the relationships with her family and friends come across as funny and believable. This is the classic ‘finding yourself ’ travel tale, which Weiss manages to pull off with aplomb. A great, highly reliable read for those who have been to Prague or anyone with a sense of adventure! Katie Horner is editorial assistant at Bookseller+Publisher This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker
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Weiss is marriage-less, childless and of Czech origin, so decides to abandon her life in Sydney and spend a year in Prague. She goes because there is nothing to stop her, but finds it isn’t as easy as she first thought.23 February, 2008
Daytripper by Simon Webster
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A Venetian Bestiary by Jan Morris
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Spain by the Horns by Tim Elliott
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The Perfect Glass of Wine by Ben Canaider
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Sicilian Summer by Brian Johnston
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A Crazy Occupation by Jamie Tarabay
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Turn left when you see something blue
Travel. It’s different every time because you go somewhere different. But what about going somewhere familiar differently? Lonely Planet’s new book Experimental Travel is a collection of experiments (set up in the traditional ‘method, equipment, results’ fashion we all remember from high school) that turn traditional modes of travel on their heads. It’s tricky to explain and mind-bending to read, but seems perfect for the frustrated traveller who hasn’t the time or the money to get out of town, but still wants the travel experience. In the tradition of scientific open-mindedness, AB&P grabbed a couple of mates and went experimental travelling …21 July, 2005
Two for the Road by Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix
Shirley Hardy-Rix and her husband Brian Rix had a dream to motorcycle around the world. When people close to them unexpectedly passed away, they became even more determined not to reach the end of their lives with ‘if-onlys’. Thus they set out on a 12-month adventure that took them through some of the most beautiful—and most dangerous—parts of the world.20 March, 2005 |
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