Review of El Oficio De Narrar Sin Miedo

[Alice Heritage]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "El Oficio De Narrar Sin Miedo" by Harris Whitbeck.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

"La pluma con la que Gorbachov firmaría los documentos que desmembrarían la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas no tenía tinta." ["The pen with which Gorbachev would sign the documents that would break up the Soviet Union had no ink." Note: In translating, I have used the preferred English spelling of "Gorbachev" and will below.] (El Oficio De Narrar Sin Miedo by Harris Whitbeck, p.45.) So begins the chapter set in Moscow of the non-fiction book El Oficio De Narrar Sin Miedo ["The business of narrating without fear"] by Harris Whitbeck. Written in Spanish, the work describes Whitbeck's experiences as a reporter, mainly working for the CNN Spanish channel.

Whitbeck's account of the demise of the Soviet Union struck a resounding personal chord with me because I, too, was in Russia on 1 January 1992. It was the end of an era, and Whitbeck highlighted an angle I had never considered. As his native Guatemala and other Central American countries had been a major Cold War battleground, the implications were vast. All the new information I learned from this book represents just one of the aspects I loved. With supreme skill, the author selects details, often the stories of individuals affected by the events he covered as a reporter, including natural disasters and the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. While homing in on these details, he considers them both in their context and in the light of broader political, historical or sociocultural trends.

Accordingly, Gorbachev's inkless pen acquires a political significance of its own, and I'd thoroughly recommend reading this book to learn a fascinating titbit that only someone with such a privileged witness position could have shared. As is probably already clear, this book is no bland memoir. It also functions as an essay exploring the profession Whitbeck felt called to from a young age and the need to report fearlessly. On the most basic level, covering events like natural disasters and war on the ground is dangerous, but Whitbeck goes much deeper in his exploration of fear as a theme. He considers it from a multitude of angles, ultimately probing the deepest existential questions. In that connection, there is a surprise at the end of the book, and I'd also recommend reading this for that alone! In a book where the subtitle of all the main chapters starts with the words "Viaje a ..." ["Journey to ..."], the concept of journeys is also thoroughly explored. Personal and professional journeys intertwine.

The themes dictate the ordering of the events in the book, which is not chronological. Although this struck me at first, it is in no way a shortcoming. This book has been thoughtfully and carefully prepared with clarity and precision, using a rich vocabulary. It's most suitable for those with an excellent knowledge of Spanish; familiarity with Latin American usage would be an asset. This book is for you if you are interested in both current affairs and life's burning questions.

There was nothing artificial or forced about the examination of these; everything flowed and fit together well. Perhaps as a result of Whitbeck's gift for picking out a detail like Gorbachev's pen and presenting it against the backdrop of the bigger picture, I found his insightful accounts as compelling as any dramatic novel. Given that fear is a key theme, it would have been interesting to see more about threats to reporters' safety and media freedom, and in that connection, more about social versus traditional media. However, Whitbeck's focus on personal experience is entirely valid. As this is a fascinating book without any notable flaws, I rate it four out of four stars.

******
El Oficio De Narrar Sin Miedo
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kingsley Emodi]

Readers that can understand the Spanish language will enjoy this book the most. Great review.