Lead Review (The Man Who Loved Siberia)
- Book: The Man Who Loved Siberia
- Location: Siberia
- Author: Anneliese Pitz, Roy Jacobsen, Sean Kinsella (Translator)
SIBERIA (later 1800s)
Fritz Dörries spent 22 years in Siberia in the later 1800s. Roy Jacobsen and Anneliese Pitz have worked on the account of his adventures and readied them for publication. He set down his memories in his 90th year.
He was from a family of entomologists and his records throw an incredible in-depth light on this part of the world. At age 25 he had already crossed Japan on foot, so his credentials as an intrepid explorer were already set.
“When a collector arrives in a new area, he turns his attention first and foremost to the vegetation, as most caterpillars live on, and have adapted to, particular trees, bushes and herbaceous plants.”
This is a revelatory record of an incredible experience. In Vladivostok he happens upon his younger, 16 year old brother, underlining the extraordinary dynamics within his family, who was just allowed to venture forth.
He looks at his environment, detailing aspects that capture his imagination. He experiences the utter bone freezing cold and describes how he came across a woman, who had ‘sinned’ and was now extraordinarily forced to give birth to her child outdoors. He was pleased to report she survived. He describes the different peoples he encounters, the flora and fauna which ultimately proved very useful to scientific institutions.
Very much a narrative of its era, full of interesting observations and experiences.
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