That said…

[SPOILERS]

Would this be a bad time to point out the cultural appropriation in this book? It’s not set on the continent of Africa, and there’s some “enlightened” talk about what it means to be savage or civilized, but Bennett’s adventures there are used to explain his wildness and untame-ability, like spending time around Africans has turned him ‘native’/savage, and there’s his casual use (appropriation) of the language and references to the faceless, nameless women he slept with on his travels, and the passages from his journal that highlight how odd he finds the native people. Even if this attitude is true to the times, I’m wondering why this is supposed to be seen as heroic (because it’s certainly not written as a flaw — his temper is, when he loses it (punches the other guy), but the ‘barely tamed’ parts are I think written to be appealing in that pushy, too much in love/lust to hold back way). I guess it helps that he’s written as less clueless or patronizing than Langley, but not by much.

And the thing is, this is not a badly written book – I like Philippa and her sister and John, and I suspect I’d like Bennett more without all his adventuring. But it furthers the issue of white privilege (stories of white people being told) and appropriation (using other cultures for a bit of flavour, to make the hero more dashing or mysterious or dangerous, even if it’s done…”nicely” or with an attempt at a sympathetic portrayal of the native people). I can’t recommend it, but I’m not sure I’d tell people not to read the book — if for no other reason than I hope people notice these issues and are uncomfortable with it. And, I don’t know, discuss it, include it in reviews, etc. Raising awareness and all that.