The Lost City of Z by David Grann

8.5/10 dropps

In 1925, Percy Fawcett remained determined to find the fabled ancient civilization buried deep within the Amazon. Its existence was far from confirmed, but Fawcett had been convinced that their existed such a city, which he dubbed “Z.” Together with his first-born son Jack and Jack’s best-childhood friend Raleigh, the trio ventured furthered into the hostile environment of the Amazon than any before them. The Englishmen were never seen again. The Lost City of Z reconstructs the lifelong journey that ultimately led Fawcett to his doom. It chronicles the fascination so many had with Fawcett’s story so effectively that one contemplates undertaking their own adventure to discover his remains, until Grann unveils the horrific fates that awaited many expeditions, regardless of survival. Parallel to the story of Fawcett is David Grann’s own excursion into the rainforest, in a potentially misguided attempt to discover Fawcett’s fate for himself. The Lost City of Z is a tale of obsession. Virtually all persons involved in Grann’s non-fictional adventure story were consumed by Z in their own way, as were the Spanish explorers who once sought the legendary El Dorado.

The novel’s strengths are also in part the source of its flaws. The research Grann undertakes is admirable. He manages to uncover documents previously unseen by many outside of Fawcett’s own family. Grann somehow manages to penetrate the Amazon forest more deeply than many outsiders have since Fawcett himself. The weaknesses of the novel stem from the lack of conclusive information, and much is left to speculation. It is hard to fault Grann for this after he had already successfully uncovered so much information that was previously hidden, and especially when he laments this very fact toward the end of the book. But the missing pieces inherent in Fawcett’s story are indeed frustrating.

During his travels (which always seem like a side plot told in the context of Fawcett’s journey) Grann witnesses firsthand the gradual disappearance of the South American rainforest. One reason an inexperienced reporter like Grann is able to penetrate the Amazon so effectively is due to the large forest area that has long since disappeared in the year’s since Fawcett and his party were lost.

Grann’s story is an enlightening page-turner. It unflinchingly portrays the often harrowing ordeals that real-life adventurers undertook. Despite all the information conveyed to the reader, the sense that there is so much more to the story missing fastens an undercurrent of mystery to the whole experience. Yet, Grann proves his merit as a master modern storyteller, saving the most startling and revealing mysteries about both Fawcett and Z for the novel’s very end.

-John Jamieson