Two Stops Past Siberia

In Mr. Bissell’s first full-length entry into travel writing, he expands his piece on the retreat of the Aral Sea written for Harper’s Magazine, and republished in the Best American Travel Writing syndication.

Unfortunately, the quality of content present in the original piece is painfully lacking in the book. Early on in his narrative, he tells his local host that, for the magazine, he is paid by the word. This fact is consistently reinforced in the book, and one finishes the book wondering how many thesauruses Mr. Bissell wore out in his attempt to increase word count without adding substance.

Allegedly written on the subject of the Aral Sea, the cover bearing a dramatic photo of a beached, former fishing fleet, Mr. Bissell doesn’t actually reach the sea until the last chapter of the book. And this chapter gives virtually no more on that story than does his original piece.

The vast majority of the book, in fact, involves him cavorting around the most popular, and most accessible tourist sites in Uzbekistan. His personal translator is a young Uzbek man. Of all of the traits this gentleman surely would have exhibited, Mr. Bissell finds it most relevant to describe his sexual attraction to “mommies.” In fact, another consistent theme of the book seems to be Mr. Bissell’s own sexual interests.

Just before the last chapter, as Mr. Bissell is admitting how he has yet to reach his expressed destination (not to mention title of the piece), he laments, “I’d been here two weeks, and hadn’t even seen the water.” It is at this point the reader realizes that the reason this alleged travelogue comes across as shallow and vapid is because it has not encompassed an appreciable amount of time. In fact, the duration has been little more than an American college student’s Spring Break, and he has done little more than you would expect from one.

There are some redeeming qualities to this book. Mr. Bissell was a Peace Corps volunteer in Uzbekistan, and he chronicles some of the reasons why a volunteer leaves service early. He also has a keen understanding of Uzbek history, and presents copious amounts of it while at relevant historical sites. The caveat here being that he tries to present it with the same comical, grouchy insight that Paul Theroux excels at, but comes off more like teen angst.

Avoid at all costs. Instead, purchase , finding not only Mr. Bissell’s excellent periodical publication, but also other quality writing.