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The Truth
“An ingeniously plotted, beautifully written and hugely enjoyable book that raises tricky questions about... our need for heroes [and] the price of personal compromise.’”
—The Daily Telegraph
For the first time since his much-beloved tale Hemingway's Chair was published in 1998, Michael Palin pens a new novel featuring the warm and witty story of an everyman, a tantalizing offer, a journey to India, and the search for the truth.
Keith Mabbut is at a crossroads in his life. A professional writer of some repute, he has reached the age of fifty-six with nothing resembling the success of his two great literary heroes, George Orwell and Albert Camus. When he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime—to write the biography of the elusive Hamish Melville, a widely respected and highly influential activist and humanitarian—he seizes the chance to write something meaningful. His search to find out the real story behind the legend takes Mabbut to the lush landscapes and environmental hotspots of India.
The more he discovers about Melville, the more he admires him—and the more he connects with an idealist who wanted to make a difference. But is his quarry really who he claims to be? As Keith discovers, the truth can be whatever we make it.
In this wonderful, heartwarming novel, Michael Palin turns his considerable skills to fiction in the story of an ordinary man on an extraordinary adventure.
"[Palin's] book is well paced, his prose, carefully hewn, his characters fully developed and convincingly human. And his comic timing is impeccable." —The Washington Post on Hemingway's Chair
"This book's strengths are . . . its dry, deftly, understated wit, its careful plot and character construction; it's clever, on-the-money dialogue . . . Those pleasures carry you a long way." —The New York Times Book Review on Hemingway's Chair
—The Daily Telegraph
For the first time since his much-beloved tale Hemingway's Chair was published in 1998, Michael Palin pens a new novel featuring the warm and witty story of an everyman, a tantalizing offer, a journey to India, and the search for the truth.
Keith Mabbut is at a crossroads in his life. A professional writer of some repute, he has reached the age of fifty-six with nothing resembling the success of his two great literary heroes, George Orwell and Albert Camus. When he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime—to write the biography of the elusive Hamish Melville, a widely respected and highly influential activist and humanitarian—he seizes the chance to write something meaningful. His search to find out the real story behind the legend takes Mabbut to the lush landscapes and environmental hotspots of India.
The more he discovers about Melville, the more he admires him—and the more he connects with an idealist who wanted to make a difference. But is his quarry really who he claims to be? As Keith discovers, the truth can be whatever we make it.
In this wonderful, heartwarming novel, Michael Palin turns his considerable skills to fiction in the story of an ordinary man on an extraordinary adventure.
"[Palin's] book is well paced, his prose, carefully hewn, his characters fully developed and convincingly human. And his comic timing is impeccable." —The Washington Post on Hemingway's Chair
"This book's strengths are . . . its dry, deftly, understated wit, its careful plot and character construction; it's clever, on-the-money dialogue . . . Those pleasures carry you a long way." —The New York Times Book Review on Hemingway's Chair
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
56 people are currently reading
1576 people want to read
About the author
Michael Palin
137 books1,196 followersSir Michael Edward Palin, KCMG, CBE, FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries.
Palin wrote most of his material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "The Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", "The Spanish Inquisition" and "Spam". Palin continued to work with Jones, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer. His journeys have taken him across the world, the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.
Palin wrote most of his material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "The Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", "The Spanish Inquisition" and "Spam". Palin continued to work with Jones, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer. His journeys have taken him across the world, the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
December 29, 2018
Not at all what I was expecting when I started reading - or in a book from Michael Palin. I'm not sure what I was expecting; something closer to his travel books, something more overtly comic, or earnest, I suppose (it is a book, in part, about a renowned environmentalist). What I found was a beautifully understated mystery about a well-meaning, investigative journo who has sold out, mainly, it seems, to finance the demands of a failing marriage. Failing marriage aside, it feels like there's a lot of Michael Palin in the painfully introspective, inherently decent and well-meaning Keith Mabbut: a man so very familiar, so very full of middle-class angst, so apparently predictable, that his actions never failed to surprise me - but always quietly; there's no drama here, just a series of wonderfully unexpected twists that I never guessed were coming. In short, The Truth is a delight that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a rollicking good yarn that is always believable, but yet constantly surprises.
January 31, 2016
Omy! Thank goodness that's over. A very dull book with dull characters who were mislead from the start by many people but I could see it immediately. Sorry Mr Palin apart from the bits in India and the descriptions of the places this just wasn't for me.
October 20, 2012
This is not Palin's best writing endeavor. It isn't even his best novel, as this is far less colorful and engaging than his 1990s's novel, Hemingway's Chair. This is an oddly unemotional, almost drab, novel about very important subjects, and that may be the problem. In an effort to craft a book about multinational destruction of ecosystems, while also casting a critical eye on the publishing world, the problems of middle age, the nature of the British family, the true meaning of integrity ...just about anything of importance, Palin may have spread himself just a little thin.
March 6, 2014
BABTblurb - Written by Michael Palin.
Keith Mabbut has completed his book on the Sullom Voe oil terminal but feels decidedly unfulfilled. Returning home to London he is determined to embark on a novel.
Keith is at a crossroads in his life. When he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - to write the biography of the elusive Hamish Melville, a highly influential activist and humanitarian - he seizes the chance to write something meaningful.
His search to find out the real story behind the legend takes him to the lush landscapes and environmental hotspots of India. The more he discovers about Melville, the more he admires him - and the more he connects with an idealist who wanted to make a difference.
But is his quarry genuinely who he claims to be? Is he really a Gandhi-like leader of the people, a political mover and shaker, an enigma? These are the question Keith must ask himself. But as he soon discovers, the truth can be whatever we make it.
Read by Alex Jennings
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Producer: Joanna Green A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
I bailed. NEXT!Read
October 11, 2016Poor writing.
Terrible plot.
This is about an 'investigative reporter' who couldn't investigate his way out of a paper bag.
Don't waste your time reading it.
I want to go to a book club meeting - cos havent seen the people for ages. Tried to start this Pile of Palin several times: my whole being balked at reading it - when I got a reminder saying the book was short and could be read fast, I took them at their word and gulped it down very quickly - like nasty medicine. Sadly, unlike the nastiest of medicine, there's no chance of it doing me any good at all.
Until p86 it's irrelevant and uninteresting. Then there's a section that's got more stereotypes than there were trees in the (1950s) Amazon forests.
After that, it goes back to being uninteresting, with some plot 'twists' that can only be a joke. Against the readers and publisher!
I repeat: Don't waste your time reading it!
Terrible plot.
This is about an 'investigative reporter' who couldn't investigate his way out of a paper bag.
Don't waste your time reading it.
I want to go to a book club meeting - cos havent seen the people for ages. Tried to start this Pile of Palin several times: my whole being balked at reading it - when I got a reminder saying the book was short and could be read fast, I took them at their word and gulped it down very quickly - like nasty medicine. Sadly, unlike the nastiest of medicine, there's no chance of it doing me any good at all.
Until p86 it's irrelevant and uninteresting. Then there's a section that's got more stereotypes than there were trees in the (1950s) Amazon forests.
After that, it goes back to being uninteresting, with some plot 'twists' that can only be a joke. Against the readers and publisher!
I repeat: Don't waste your time reading it!
September 8, 2019
Excellent story. I'm a big fan of Michael Palin and over the years we've enjoyed his documentaries. It was pleasing to find his fiction was excellent too. I look forward to more. Well done Mr Palin!
January 18, 2015
Expecting a clever comedy from renowned ex-Python Michael Palin, what I got instead was a thought-provoking treatise on progress, family, and passion, all encompassed in the adventures of an everyman called Keith Mabbut. It might be easy enough to sum him up simply as a middle-aged man, what with the implied unfulfilled goals, sense of life passing by with a whimper instead of a shout, frayed relationships between ex-wives and adult children, compromises made, integrity cheated, and fleeting sense of purpose so prevalent in our younger selves. Indeed, he is such a character. Yet, this is right in my sweet spot. I buy in to a guy like Mabbut because there's plenty enough of him in me to make we empathize with him and, more importantly, cheer him on.
It's clear from the writing that Palin's been a keen observer in his world travels, and that knowledge is put to good use in descriptive passages of the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the UK, India, and the Czech Republic. While his penchant for expose at times gets the best of him, particularly in the first of the three parts, he eventually finds a rhythm that allowed me to be transported, but not put to sleep. This is a powerful story told with a deft touch for wit, pathos, and, surprisingly, adventure.
The Truth left me feeling inspired, surprised, and even a bit melancholic for some reason. In dealing with the balance required between hope and naïveté or between conviction and pragmatism, Palin covers some heady material. That he serves it up in a smart if lightweight and wry fashion isn't a huge fault. It's a book that was a breeze to read, but which still left me with things to ponder. That's good enough for me to give it a firm recommendation.
It's clear from the writing that Palin's been a keen observer in his world travels, and that knowledge is put to good use in descriptive passages of the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the UK, India, and the Czech Republic. While his penchant for expose at times gets the best of him, particularly in the first of the three parts, he eventually finds a rhythm that allowed me to be transported, but not put to sleep. This is a powerful story told with a deft touch for wit, pathos, and, surprisingly, adventure.
The Truth left me feeling inspired, surprised, and even a bit melancholic for some reason. In dealing with the balance required between hope and naïveté or between conviction and pragmatism, Palin covers some heady material. That he serves it up in a smart if lightweight and wry fashion isn't a huge fault. It's a book that was a breeze to read, but which still left me with things to ponder. That's good enough for me to give it a firm recommendation.
November 26, 2012
Begin with a confession first. I'm a huge Palin fan. He can do no wrong in my eyes. I feel like I should be wearing a blue shirt and beige chinos to write this review!
This is the first Michael Palin fiction I've read. It's about a writer, who used to write to defend his beliefs as an angry young man but who has slowly been sucked into writing books for The Man and covering up shady events by rewriting or omitting facts from history.
When he receives an offer to write about his hero, the elusive and publicity shy Melville, famous for his eco warrior, humanitarian endeavours he sees it as a chance to regain his former ethics and grasps it with both hands.
This is a very human book, with family at the heart as well as nods to Palin's travel-largesse* with acts set in India, the Czech Republic and the Shetlands as well as leafy North London. Palin is eternally boyish and good-humoured and though our protagonist Keith seems much more tortured and restless, the writer's sunny disposition and humour sneaks through. Some chapters have particularly punchy one liner endings.
There are twists and turns and a hundred different ideas of exactly what "The Truth" means. The layers of this book are interwoven gracefully and loop around plot surprises and leaps in geography.
The friend who loaned me her treasured copy's informed me that her favourite line of text was, "..her Balkan eyes deep, dark and as unfathomable as the Danube itself.."
Ah Mr Palin can write.
<3
This is the first Michael Palin fiction I've read. It's about a writer, who used to write to defend his beliefs as an angry young man but who has slowly been sucked into writing books for The Man and covering up shady events by rewriting or omitting facts from history.
When he receives an offer to write about his hero, the elusive and publicity shy Melville, famous for his eco warrior, humanitarian endeavours he sees it as a chance to regain his former ethics and grasps it with both hands.
This is a very human book, with family at the heart as well as nods to Palin's travel-largesse* with acts set in India, the Czech Republic and the Shetlands as well as leafy North London. Palin is eternally boyish and good-humoured and though our protagonist Keith seems much more tortured and restless, the writer's sunny disposition and humour sneaks through. Some chapters have particularly punchy one liner endings.
There are twists and turns and a hundred different ideas of exactly what "The Truth" means. The layers of this book are interwoven gracefully and loop around plot surprises and leaps in geography.
The friend who loaned me her treasured copy's informed me that her favourite line of text was, "..her Balkan eyes deep, dark and as unfathomable as the Danube itself.."
Ah Mr Palin can write.
<3
October 26, 2013
Hey, I am a Python fan and I participate on Mr. Palin's site Palin's Travels. Some may find this review slightly biased, but there you have it. No question, I wouldn't have read the book were it not for Mr. Palin being the author.
The protagonist, Keith Mabbut reminded me a little of John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey when Rumpole calls himself a Bailey hack. Keith Mabbut in his writing career might also be described the same way.
Keith Mabbut's agent gets him a deal to write a book about elusive environmentalist Hamish Melville, who is fighting a project in India.
Keith finds him quickly in India and an adventure is born. It is a quick read where like Mr. Palin's travel books, you learn something about other cultures. You also realize, though the book is fiction, the cause is real and something Mr. Palin is involved in.
Enjoyed the quick easy read and the characters coming off the page at you, along with learning about a tribal area of India, with its real life tribulations.
The protagonist, Keith Mabbut reminded me a little of John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey when Rumpole calls himself a Bailey hack. Keith Mabbut in his writing career might also be described the same way.
Keith Mabbut's agent gets him a deal to write a book about elusive environmentalist Hamish Melville, who is fighting a project in India.
Keith finds him quickly in India and an adventure is born. It is a quick read where like Mr. Palin's travel books, you learn something about other cultures. You also realize, though the book is fiction, the cause is real and something Mr. Palin is involved in.
Enjoyed the quick easy read and the characters coming off the page at you, along with learning about a tribal area of India, with its real life tribulations.
June 21, 2018
Really enjoyed this book about a man struggling between fame/money and truth, something that's kind of important nowadays, don't you think?
Yes, it's written by Michael Palin, and to call me a Monty Python fan would be putting it mildly. But above all the things Palin has been over his successful career, he is first and foremost a writer. He does, though, use his extensive travel knowledge to good use as he describes eastern India as the place where his main character meets his reclusive bio subject. But it has some twists and turns along the way, both inflating and deflating idealism at the same time.
It's an interesting and enjoyable read, no matter how Pythonesque the author.
Yes, it's written by Michael Palin, and to call me a Monty Python fan would be putting it mildly. But above all the things Palin has been over his successful career, he is first and foremost a writer. He does, though, use his extensive travel knowledge to good use as he describes eastern India as the place where his main character meets his reclusive bio subject. But it has some twists and turns along the way, both inflating and deflating idealism at the same time.
It's an interesting and enjoyable read, no matter how Pythonesque the author.
October 17, 2016
Kniha odráží Palinovu zkušenost s cestováním (trefné popisy cizích míst, například Indie nebo Karlových Varů), médii (hlavní hrdina musí mediálně překrucovat pravdu), imigrací (manželka hrdiny je Polka, jeho dcera se zamiluje do Íránce) a osobním životem. Pakliže hledáte pythonovskou komedii, nenajdete jí. Najdete zkušeně sepsaný příběh o tom, že neexistuje objektivní pravda, vše se dá vykládat různými způsoby, ale i tak se zlé v dobré obrátí a i přes velice nepravděpodobný konec ve vás zůstane pocit, že tahle miloučká jízda stála za to.
December 18, 2016
For most part the book reads like it was written for tree huggers / green peace / environmentalists. The twist at the end wasn't unexpected, but rather contrived. The bigger question I had was how could someone with a legacy like Michael Palin write a book do devoid of humour and charm?
May 30, 2014
Keith Mabbut wants to be a good bloke. He supports the right causes. He donates to the right charities. He gives his daughter's Iranian boyfriend a huge sum of money to help him get some family members out of trouble. He wants to be friends with his estranged wife, if that's possible. And mostly, he wants to write a novel, but ends up working on books about other good people, altruistic, brave champions of the little guy, like infamous raconteur Hamish Melville, a man he's long admired.
When we first meet Keith, he's going through a divorce and has just sold his soul to an oil company, writing a glossy history that expunges horrible accidents and corruption from the narrative. Based on the success of this, his robotic City of London publisher decides he should write a book about Hamish Melville, currently living in India, working with the natives to stop an aluminum mine from destroying yet another heavily populated village rich in history, dotted with some of the oldest Hindu temples in the subcontinent. Keith lies his way along this adventure, feigning ignorance when he encounters Melville, claiming he's not a journalist, he's not there to write a biography of the legend himself; but of course, he's soon found out. Despite himself, Melville doesn't mind this intrusion into the camp. He's actually quite taken with Keith, who explains the influence Melville has had on him and so many people of his generation, and how he just wants to tell his story--he wants people to know the truth about the press-shy Melville and all the good work he's done for all the little guys of the world.
And that's where it gets complicated. Lionel Hutz in "The Simpsons" put it best, when explaining honesty to Marge. "There's the TRUTH. [Shakes head and frowns], and the truuuth!![nodding crazily, with a big smile]." Keith has a bit of a bromance (or really, it's just the first male friend his age we meet) with Melville over an adventurous week, and then proceeds to conduct interviews with anyone he can find who knew the man at any point in his life. He hears what he wants to hear: Melville is a savior, a social justice warrior, an anti-establishment hippie who plays by his own rules, and rejected knighthood! He's awesome, the real deal, in Keith's finished proposal. His publisher and agent hate the book. They tell him there has to be more to the story. His publisher complains: "there is no light and shade. No dark side... And a dark side is what we need to shift this thing into the numbers we planned." Keith counters: "I'm a journalist...I look for information that will lead me to the truth. That's what journalists do. If there were bad things, they would be in the book." The people with the money are only too happy to send Keith off to interview more people, those who know bad things, dark things, about Melville, and who are only too happy to talk for a little cash. I won't give away the ending, but questions are raised about how much would you do to when you need money, and what happens to us when we realize our heroes aren't as glorious as they seem?
I've always loved Michael Palin, from his "Monty Python" days, where it was clear he was in the more liberal, pacifist, environmentalist camp with dear friend Terry Jones; to his current career of traveling the world, seeing those who grew up in a very different environment from his own gray Yorkshire upbringing. His BBC travel specials are fantastic, and all worth watching (and "New Europe" was useful for understanding one of the plot threads). This is a man who continually seeks the Truth, whose childlike curiosity is always there, and wants everyone to just do the right thing. The truth is, that's not always easy, financially rewarding, or cool. It was just a wonderful, funny novel.
When we first meet Keith, he's going through a divorce and has just sold his soul to an oil company, writing a glossy history that expunges horrible accidents and corruption from the narrative. Based on the success of this, his robotic City of London publisher decides he should write a book about Hamish Melville, currently living in India, working with the natives to stop an aluminum mine from destroying yet another heavily populated village rich in history, dotted with some of the oldest Hindu temples in the subcontinent. Keith lies his way along this adventure, feigning ignorance when he encounters Melville, claiming he's not a journalist, he's not there to write a biography of the legend himself; but of course, he's soon found out. Despite himself, Melville doesn't mind this intrusion into the camp. He's actually quite taken with Keith, who explains the influence Melville has had on him and so many people of his generation, and how he just wants to tell his story--he wants people to know the truth about the press-shy Melville and all the good work he's done for all the little guys of the world.
And that's where it gets complicated. Lionel Hutz in "The Simpsons" put it best, when explaining honesty to Marge. "There's the TRUTH. [Shakes head and frowns], and the truuuth!![nodding crazily, with a big smile]." Keith has a bit of a bromance (or really, it's just the first male friend his age we meet) with Melville over an adventurous week, and then proceeds to conduct interviews with anyone he can find who knew the man at any point in his life. He hears what he wants to hear: Melville is a savior, a social justice warrior, an anti-establishment hippie who plays by his own rules, and rejected knighthood! He's awesome, the real deal, in Keith's finished proposal. His publisher and agent hate the book. They tell him there has to be more to the story. His publisher complains: "there is no light and shade. No dark side... And a dark side is what we need to shift this thing into the numbers we planned." Keith counters: "I'm a journalist...I look for information that will lead me to the truth. That's what journalists do. If there were bad things, they would be in the book." The people with the money are only too happy to send Keith off to interview more people, those who know bad things, dark things, about Melville, and who are only too happy to talk for a little cash. I won't give away the ending, but questions are raised about how much would you do to when you need money, and what happens to us when we realize our heroes aren't as glorious as they seem?
I've always loved Michael Palin, from his "Monty Python" days, where it was clear he was in the more liberal, pacifist, environmentalist camp with dear friend Terry Jones; to his current career of traveling the world, seeing those who grew up in a very different environment from his own gray Yorkshire upbringing. His BBC travel specials are fantastic, and all worth watching (and "New Europe" was useful for understanding one of the plot threads). This is a man who continually seeks the Truth, whose childlike curiosity is always there, and wants everyone to just do the right thing. The truth is, that's not always easy, financially rewarding, or cool. It was just a wonderful, funny novel.
October 3, 2012
Keith Mabbut is a middle-aged, London-based, environmental journalist who is going through a separation from his Polish wife. He’s been offered a book deal to write the biography of an influential and reclusive environmental activist but is wary about putting aside his dream of writing his own first novel. His daughter has fallen in love with an Iranian political asylum seeker and Mabbut is estranged from his son, an aspiring actor. At age fifty-six, Mabbut had imagined his life as something else than it is.
At a literary event to promote his book Palin said of his protagonist Mabbut, “I didn’t want him to be an attractive character – I named him Keith, for a start. I gave him a bloke’s name because that’s who he is – just a bloke.” In contrast, Herman Melville is the adventurous maverick, an influential humanitarian and all-round do-gooder who travels the globe looking to screw the corporate world over wherever it infringes on native land rights.
This story takes us to an area in the foothills of Orissa where bauxite mining is outstripping native lands of their resources and native people of their livelihoods. I found this novel strangely bland, devoid of interesting characters and dynamic language. It was as grey as British weather. There was a distinct lack of chemistry between Shiraj and Jay, Keith and Mae or even Krystyna. Keith came across as a lonely, boring man but I couldn’t even drum up an ounce of sympathy for him. There was no sense of drama until the very last page, when something actually happens. By then it’s too late to salvage real interest in the story. Halfway through the book I thought to myself – something had better happen soon to pull me through the next few pages, but I persisted mostly because I had committed to write a review about it.
I should say that Palin has crafted some beautifully written observations of people and the book is technically well-written but largely predictable and un-engaging. There are a couple of Monty-esque bits in, like the mention of ‘Urgent books’ and it’s opposite later. Any digs at the publishing industry, the corporate world and at humanitarian activists fall flat, which is a shame, because I really wanted to like ‘The Truth’ as much as I love Michael Palin. Luckily, his non-fiction is much more engaging.
At a literary event to promote his book Palin said of his protagonist Mabbut, “I didn’t want him to be an attractive character – I named him Keith, for a start. I gave him a bloke’s name because that’s who he is – just a bloke.” In contrast, Herman Melville is the adventurous maverick, an influential humanitarian and all-round do-gooder who travels the globe looking to screw the corporate world over wherever it infringes on native land rights.
This story takes us to an area in the foothills of Orissa where bauxite mining is outstripping native lands of their resources and native people of their livelihoods. I found this novel strangely bland, devoid of interesting characters and dynamic language. It was as grey as British weather. There was a distinct lack of chemistry between Shiraj and Jay, Keith and Mae or even Krystyna. Keith came across as a lonely, boring man but I couldn’t even drum up an ounce of sympathy for him. There was no sense of drama until the very last page, when something actually happens. By then it’s too late to salvage real interest in the story. Halfway through the book I thought to myself – something had better happen soon to pull me through the next few pages, but I persisted mostly because I had committed to write a review about it.
I should say that Palin has crafted some beautifully written observations of people and the book is technically well-written but largely predictable and un-engaging. There are a couple of Monty-esque bits in, like the mention of ‘Urgent books’ and it’s opposite later. Any digs at the publishing industry, the corporate world and at humanitarian activists fall flat, which is a shame, because I really wanted to like ‘The Truth’ as much as I love Michael Palin. Luckily, his non-fiction is much more engaging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2013
The book started out very slow and flat, I didn't enjoy part one very much at all. However it really picked up with parts two and three, once Mabbut travels to India.
Although very well written, the first part of the story is about feeling stuck, disillusioned and discouraged, which I have experienced enough in my own life that I didn't need eighty pages to describe it for me. It wasn't really the kind of story that pulls you along in the beginning, but something you have to push through reading to get to the good parts.
The book really comes to life after that though. The descriptions of India and the people Mabbut meets are exceptional. This quote from Melville, the famed environmentalist that Mabbut is attempting to write a book about, really resonated with me. "Look, Kumar is a Masira. His family came from the hills. They used to chop wood and walk ten Ks to sell it for charcoal. They'd never seen a white man till the missionaries arrived. He was brought up at the bottom of the food chain. Well, tell me, you've spent time with him, is there anything you can do that he can't? Given the right opportunities, those who want can achieve anything." I was very much enamored with the story at this point.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It explored several themes including hero worship, environmentalism, corporate power, greed, progress versus tradition, integrity, and of course 'the truth' in an entertaining way. I appreciate that I obtained an advance reading copy from a goodreads giveaway.
Although very well written, the first part of the story is about feeling stuck, disillusioned and discouraged, which I have experienced enough in my own life that I didn't need eighty pages to describe it for me. It wasn't really the kind of story that pulls you along in the beginning, but something you have to push through reading to get to the good parts.
The book really comes to life after that though. The descriptions of India and the people Mabbut meets are exceptional. This quote from Melville, the famed environmentalist that Mabbut is attempting to write a book about, really resonated with me. "Look, Kumar is a Masira. His family came from the hills. They used to chop wood and walk ten Ks to sell it for charcoal. They'd never seen a white man till the missionaries arrived. He was brought up at the bottom of the food chain. Well, tell me, you've spent time with him, is there anything you can do that he can't? Given the right opportunities, those who want can achieve anything." I was very much enamored with the story at this point.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. It explored several themes including hero worship, environmentalism, corporate power, greed, progress versus tradition, integrity, and of course 'the truth' in an entertaining way. I appreciate that I obtained an advance reading copy from a goodreads giveaway.
September 8, 2013
I bought this book at Stafford's book store while on vacation in London. On the heals of reading Rachel Joyce's "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," I found myself again in the neighborhoods and Underground stations I'd just visited, in the company of yet another older Baby Boomer working his way through the last tangles of a messy mid-life. Don't get me wrong--I love their company. And I love that both these books took time to smell the roses along the way. In "The Truth" the roses are instead temples, villages and indigenous tribes in India and the bumpy roads and jungles one travels to reach them. The Environment is a significant, if not main character, being protected, abused and fought over by real-world forces managed by real-world people, each pursuing his own version of The Truth. I enjoyed the plotting, liked the characters, and appreciated the twists at the end. And I especially enjoyed the intimate one-on-one between the reader (me) and so familiar an author. It's clear Michael Palin has successfully extricated himself from the Holy Python. He's written one other novel ("Hemingway's Chair") and several non-fiction titles. So I'm off to the bookstore...
January 16, 2014
As a Monty Python fan, it was Michael Palin, the entertainer, that drew me to this book.
A middle aged, award winning journalist, Keith Mabbut, somehow lost his way from the young, investigative, pro-environment writer he was to become a corporate hack whose latest work extols the virtues of an oil refinery. When a slick publishing firm offers him a plum assignment to write a biography on one of the world's most notorious and successful crusaders against corporate injustices, Mabbut sees an opportunity to redeem himself and also rediscovers his own passion as well. Suspicious of the publishers motives, he delivers only to be blindsided.
Palin is a very good writer. There are moments of Palin the entertainer which emerge in laugh out loud narrative and wonderfully descriptive passages about faraway lands. But he does not rely on this. This story has well thought out characters and a solid plot that Palin pushes forward deftly. Not an earth-shattering piece of literature, but a very entertaining and enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more work by Michael Palin...the writer.
A middle aged, award winning journalist, Keith Mabbut, somehow lost his way from the young, investigative, pro-environment writer he was to become a corporate hack whose latest work extols the virtues of an oil refinery. When a slick publishing firm offers him a plum assignment to write a biography on one of the world's most notorious and successful crusaders against corporate injustices, Mabbut sees an opportunity to redeem himself and also rediscovers his own passion as well. Suspicious of the publishers motives, he delivers only to be blindsided.
Palin is a very good writer. There are moments of Palin the entertainer which emerge in laugh out loud narrative and wonderfully descriptive passages about faraway lands. But he does not rely on this. This story has well thought out characters and a solid plot that Palin pushes forward deftly. Not an earth-shattering piece of literature, but a very entertaining and enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more work by Michael Palin...the writer.
August 24, 2013
This novel deals with an intriguing theme of great contemporary relevance: a publisher hires a once well-regarded journalist to investigate the life of a highly successful environmental activist whose means and methods are a closely-garded secret. The journalist, who is at a crossroads in his personal and professional life, is initially most reluctant to take up this suspiciously lucrative offer, but finally embraces the challenge and finds out a lot more than he bargained for. Although the pace is a bit too deliberate for my taste, I was drawn by the real sense of suspense generated by the successive discoveries and plot twists. The journalist emerges as a very likable character, often obtuse or at least misguided in his assumptions about what people are up to, but with his heart in the right place. The book works beautifully as a morality tale about good intentions and human frailty. It reminded me a bit of "A Dead Hand" by Paul Theroux which is also about a Westerner fighting for various causes in the emerging countries, but this book is much better plotted and satisfying.
May 5, 2016
I loved Palin's first novel, Hemingway's Chair, & he has finally gotten around to a second. Can't imagine what he's been up to in between. Lazy bastard. Palin is a born story teller with a lovely feel for character. Keith Mabbat's roller coaster ride as he attempts to complete a biography of famous environmentalist, Hamish Melville, is chronicled adeptly & provides the author with opportunities to shine a light on the nefarious activities of multi-national corporations as they spread like cancers across the world, through pristine forest & jungle, destroying the lifestyles of native inhabitants who have previously managed to evade any intrusion from the modern world. But the book is no polemic. It's very much a character study of a man being tested by a moral dilemma. I also loved the way Palin uses his vast knowledge of the world, garnered through his various travel documentaries, without ever seeming to show off. Recommended.
September 15, 2013
I can usually read a Michael Palin book in less than a week. He is a terrifically lyrical writer. Because of life's circumstances, finishing this book took a lot longer than usual. However, I stayed with it and am glad I did. This is a contemporary plot with intersecting storylines - each a great story on its own. For the first time in a long time, I found myself casting the characters for what would eventually be a thrilling movie.
February 2, 2018
42 WORD REVIEW:
Michael Palin, having made a career observing all parts of the world, crafts fiction that feels very real. The Truth flows like a river, slow but deep, its protagonist (captured perfectly by Alex Jennings) gradually breaking free from passivity and cosmic irony.
Michael Palin, having made a career observing all parts of the world, crafts fiction that feels very real. The Truth flows like a river, slow but deep, its protagonist (captured perfectly by Alex Jennings) gradually breaking free from passivity and cosmic irony.
October 18, 2012
I wanted to love this book so badly, but in the end i found it underwhelming. It's neatly written but i just found the plot and the characters lacklustre. I'm sorry Mr Palin, I'm so sorry.
October 3, 2014
I would have rated this a 4 until the final revelation at the end, which was both contrived and a letdown. But still an enjoyable read.
April 22, 2022
Dobře napsalo, čtivě, hlavně indická část. Závěr trochu násilný zvrat jednak objevem dcery a proměnou Hamishe Melvilla (nemá nic se skutečným fotografem). Nevstřebal jsem epizodní příběh íránského podvodníka.
Potěšila zmínka o Česku, překvapila neznalost existence českého názvu města před 2.světovou válkou.
Potěšila zmínka o Česku, překvapila neznalost existence českého názvu města před 2.světovou válkou.
March 13, 2020
A charity shop purchase. I have never read any fiction by Michael Palin, it was good. Not conventionally a jolly happy book but ultimately it did become that.
July 10, 2020
Well written and intriguing but very hard to get into to. Very flawed and human characters.
May 5, 2024
An unexpectedly intriguing environmentalist page turner that touches on idealism and the conflicts inherent in all humans, even heroes.
March 9, 2016
É um livro extremamente agradável de se ler. Um livro que nos transporta para outros países, para outras culturas e que, portanto, nos faz viajar.
O livro fala-nos de Keith Mabbut, um jornalista de meia-idade, dedicado nos últimos anos a escrever livros "ambientalistas", onde, no fundo, lhe pagavam para que as empresas (nada ambientalistas) ficassem sempre bem na figura. O que o desmotivava, já que o grande impulso da sua carreira foi precisamente uma peça jornalística que escreveu onde denunciava as ilegalidades ambientais levadas a cabo por uma empresa. Separado da mulher Krystina e com dois filhos já adultos, com os quais tem uma relação distante, consequência das longas viagens e ausências a que o seu trabalho o obriga, sente-se meio perdido e pensa que está na altura de se dedicar à escrita de um livro de ficção.
Contudo, é atirado pela sua editora para um livro encomendado sobre Hamish Melville, um herói de causas humanitárias.
Sem perceber a pressão a que é sujeito para conseguir escrever este livro, especialmente por Hamish ser completamente fugidio a qualquer tentativa de contacto da imprensa ou de escritores, acaba por se ver na Índia, à procura de conseguir conhecer o homem sobre o qual precisa de escrever um livro.
E não vos posso contar muito mais sobre a história, porque creio que tudo vira facilmente um spoiler.
Gostei da personagem Keith Mabbut, ainda que nos apareça como uma pessoa algo ingénua, que confia tanto nas pessoas que não se apercebe dos perigos que corre, nem de como as pessoas não são aquilo que parecem. Talvez fruto de ser um homem genuinamente bom que, apesar de ter aceite dinheiro para escrever algo em que não acreditava, acredita verdadeiramente que a vida de Melville era admirável, o que até fez renascer em si o idealista que foi em tempos. E também se vê essa ingenuidade na situação com o namorado da filha (uma questão que fica um pouco pendurada na história).
Este livro fala-nos sobre questões ambientais, um tema muito importante, e sobre a ganância das empresas. Mas, em suma, fala-nos de como o mundo é movido a dinheiro, quem tem dinheiro tem o poder, e quem tem dinheiro tem todas as influências e tudo corrompe.
Fala-nos também um pouco do mundo editorial e de como, também aqui, podem existir situações em que os livros não são exactamente verdade, porque a verdade é manipulada para ir ao encontro de interesses, quem sabe, até pessoais.
Fala-nos de como parece difícil existir realmente um herói de causas humanitárias, porque a verdade pode bem ser outra. Ainda que um dia as pessoas se queiram redimir e contar toda a verdade.
É um livro com muita energia, que nos agarra, não com o um thriller, mas como uma história bem contada sobre o mundo dos negócios. E bastante bem escrito, mantendo-nos em suspense até ao final.
Gostei bastante e recomendo a sua leitura.
Algumas citações:
"não há culturas superiores ou inferiores, há apenas culturas que satisfazem as necessidades dos seus membros de diferentes formas."
"- O negócio dos livros mudou, Keith. Um livro bom sobre gente boa não vende porque as pessoas não querem saber de gente boa. Ou, se querem, querem saber que lutaram para serem bons. Tiveram de se sacrificar pelos filhos ou de mandar matar alguém. Roubaram à mãe enquanto se transformavam em gente boa. A redenção justica imensa coisa"
"Qualquer pessoa, por mais admirável que pareça, é simplesmente humana. Atreita a todas as imperfeições, tentações e mentiras inerentes ao género humano."
"Os ambientalistas são particularmente atreitos a acharem-se donos da verdade, não lhe parece?"
O livro fala-nos de Keith Mabbut, um jornalista de meia-idade, dedicado nos últimos anos a escrever livros "ambientalistas", onde, no fundo, lhe pagavam para que as empresas (nada ambientalistas) ficassem sempre bem na figura. O que o desmotivava, já que o grande impulso da sua carreira foi precisamente uma peça jornalística que escreveu onde denunciava as ilegalidades ambientais levadas a cabo por uma empresa. Separado da mulher Krystina e com dois filhos já adultos, com os quais tem uma relação distante, consequência das longas viagens e ausências a que o seu trabalho o obriga, sente-se meio perdido e pensa que está na altura de se dedicar à escrita de um livro de ficção.
Contudo, é atirado pela sua editora para um livro encomendado sobre Hamish Melville, um herói de causas humanitárias.
Sem perceber a pressão a que é sujeito para conseguir escrever este livro, especialmente por Hamish ser completamente fugidio a qualquer tentativa de contacto da imprensa ou de escritores, acaba por se ver na Índia, à procura de conseguir conhecer o homem sobre o qual precisa de escrever um livro.
E não vos posso contar muito mais sobre a história, porque creio que tudo vira facilmente um spoiler.
Gostei da personagem Keith Mabbut, ainda que nos apareça como uma pessoa algo ingénua, que confia tanto nas pessoas que não se apercebe dos perigos que corre, nem de como as pessoas não são aquilo que parecem. Talvez fruto de ser um homem genuinamente bom que, apesar de ter aceite dinheiro para escrever algo em que não acreditava, acredita verdadeiramente que a vida de Melville era admirável, o que até fez renascer em si o idealista que foi em tempos. E também se vê essa ingenuidade na situação com o namorado da filha (uma questão que fica um pouco pendurada na história).
Este livro fala-nos sobre questões ambientais, um tema muito importante, e sobre a ganância das empresas. Mas, em suma, fala-nos de como o mundo é movido a dinheiro, quem tem dinheiro tem o poder, e quem tem dinheiro tem todas as influências e tudo corrompe.
Fala-nos também um pouco do mundo editorial e de como, também aqui, podem existir situações em que os livros não são exactamente verdade, porque a verdade é manipulada para ir ao encontro de interesses, quem sabe, até pessoais.
Fala-nos de como parece difícil existir realmente um herói de causas humanitárias, porque a verdade pode bem ser outra. Ainda que um dia as pessoas se queiram redimir e contar toda a verdade.
É um livro com muita energia, que nos agarra, não com o um thriller, mas como uma história bem contada sobre o mundo dos negócios. E bastante bem escrito, mantendo-nos em suspense até ao final.
Gostei bastante e recomendo a sua leitura.
Algumas citações:
"não há culturas superiores ou inferiores, há apenas culturas que satisfazem as necessidades dos seus membros de diferentes formas."
"- O negócio dos livros mudou, Keith. Um livro bom sobre gente boa não vende porque as pessoas não querem saber de gente boa. Ou, se querem, querem saber que lutaram para serem bons. Tiveram de se sacrificar pelos filhos ou de mandar matar alguém. Roubaram à mãe enquanto se transformavam em gente boa. A redenção justica imensa coisa"
"Qualquer pessoa, por mais admirável que pareça, é simplesmente humana. Atreita a todas as imperfeições, tentações e mentiras inerentes ao género humano."
"Os ambientalistas são particularmente atreitos a acharem-se donos da verdade, não lhe parece?"
April 2, 2022
Poslední dobou mám nějaký štěstí na dobrý knihy. Pravda je skvěle čtivý příběh s hodně překvapivým koncem, který člověka donutí k zamyšlení se nad současnou společností. A to jsem si tenhle román odnesla z antikvariátu jen díky jménu autora a lákavé obálce 🙂
June 30, 2013
A sad gentle tale about a man passing middle age and realizing that he's not fulfilled the promise that he thought he had when he was younger. Kieth Mabbut who once had been an award winning investigative journalist finally wakes up while writing a book paid for by an oil corporation about said oil corporation and realizes that he's really going nowhere fast. A rather late midlife crises occurs as he loses his wife and is losing his kids and ends his contract and he decides to do something about it, he decides that he needs to delve back into the ideals he had as a youth and write a book based upon these ideals that he basically has forgotten all about for what looks to be at least 25 years. He's like a kid again, all fired up and then he's offered the contract of a lifetime to write about one of his Greenpeace style heroes, a certain Hamish Melville. Initially he refuses because he has that idealogical novel that he wants to write, but then he's convinced to take the job and suddenly his life changes wildly.
It was difficult for me to find Mabbut sympathetic, a rather sluggish and vanilla character, but as his life becomes exciting he becomes more of an interesting person, like a fire has been lit under him. He decides to dive right in and this I find admirable and the rest I can't tell without giving away the important bits.
It does seem like he's set up for failure all along his life, maybe as the motivations behind what he does are well meant, but not really coming from HIM. Like it's something he does because he knows it's 'right', not because that's his personality.
The book is simply written, which gives it an easy-read kind of aspect, I did speed through it after an initial slow part. I think that if the author was more experienced he could have fleshed out more of the book for a longer more complicated book, but he didn't and I guess that because he didn't, the book seems very English. A nice read, left me a little depressed in a sweet way, though it's sort of preachy.
It was difficult for me to find Mabbut sympathetic, a rather sluggish and vanilla character, but as his life becomes exciting he becomes more of an interesting person, like a fire has been lit under him. He decides to dive right in and this I find admirable and the rest I can't tell without giving away the important bits.
It does seem like he's set up for failure all along his life, maybe as the motivations behind what he does are well meant, but not really coming from HIM. Like it's something he does because he knows it's 'right', not because that's his personality.
The book is simply written, which gives it an easy-read kind of aspect, I did speed through it after an initial slow part. I think that if the author was more experienced he could have fleshed out more of the book for a longer more complicated book, but he didn't and I guess that because he didn't, the book seems very English. A nice read, left me a little depressed in a sweet way, though it's sort of preachy.
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