In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, 4/5

Short, vignette-like chapters relating Chatwin’s Patagonian travel experiences are loosely, but satisfyingly, tied together by his interest in the extinct mylodon (Giant Ground Sloth), the fate of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch gang, and the life of his sailor uncle, Charley Milward.  Chatwin’s keen eye for observation, appreciation of what makes a good story, and concise writing style result in an entertaining work that has literary merit beyond that which armchair travellers generally require.

[Why I read it: the title caught my eye as I browsed books in the thrift store (Patagonia has good connotations for me because of Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle).]