Reviews

Primer Viaje En Torno del Globo by Antonio Pigafetta

librosprestados's review against another edition

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4.0

Mi videoreseña: https://youtu.be/ImLbeBsbswg

Esta no es una novela (por mucha influencia que según Gabriel García Márquez tuviera en la novela y la literatura europeas), es una guía de viajes extrema. Lo más curioso es que parece totalmente de ficción, cuando todo de lo que Pigafetta fue testigo fue verídico. Las únicas historias ficticias son las que otros marineros o personas con las que se encontraban le contaban sobre lugares que él no vería con sus propios ojos (a este respecto, Pigafetta parece un poco demasiado crédulo, el chaval se cree toda clase de leyendas).

Pigafetta es el turista más entusiasta y feliz del mundo. Sí, puede que varios marinos se amotinaran, a su capitán lo asesinaran, pasaran un hambre atroz (durante 3 meses y 20 días navegaron por el Océano Pacífico sin encontrar tierra firme) y durante la última parte de su periplo tuvieran que moverse a toda leche porque los portugueses los perseguían, pero estaban conociendo tierras y gentes incógnitas hasta entonces y Pigafetta está ahí, para documentarlo todo. Es asombroso lo abierto de mente que es para tratarse de un hombre europeo del siglo XVI. Al muchacho se le informa de que el rey de la isla donde están gusta de ser sodomizado un par de veces antes de un combate o un acto importante y él lo considera "una curiosa costumbre". Nada más. Tiene una falta de prejuicios fabulosa.

Graciosísimo es también ver cómo describe animales y frutas que no había visto nunca, comparándolos con otros que sí conocía, y así tenemos descripciones como "era como una piña, pero blanca por dentro, y de sabor dulce". Juegas un poco a las charadas con este libro (no preocuparse, hay notas que aclaran a qué se está refiriendo).

Es un recuento fascinante de un viaje impresionante (hablamos de gente que se tiró al mar sin mapa ni nada a ver si encontraban el camino a Asia yendo hacia el oeste) y me ha sorprendido de principio a fin. Una lectura recomendable.

bluereen's review against another edition

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3.0

This is really not my cup of tea haha

checkers09's review against another edition

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adventurous informative fast-paced

2.25

joeyfoad's review against another edition

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adventurous informative fast-paced

4.0

uhambe_nami's review against another edition

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3.0

We may now think of Magellan’s expedition as a glorious achievement, but the hardships these sailors went through are unimaginable and it is a nothing short of a miracle that those eighteen men on the Victoria made it back to Spain at all. This account of Antionio Pigafetta is the main first-hand account that we have today of that historic voyage. The pages are filled with Pigafetta's anthropological and botanical observations of the places that were visited. Some of the observations are interesting, others less so, and some (such as the remark about an island called Arucheto, the men and women of which are not taller than one cubit, but who have ears as long as themselves; with one of them they make their bed and with the other they cover themselves) are quite fantastic.
Did Jules Verne read Pigafetta? At any rate, this is where the Europeans discovered that if one travels westwards around the globe, against the rotation of the earth around its axis, one day goes missing - a puzzling fact that had to be explained to the Pope on their return:

We charged our men when they went ashore in the boat to ask what day it was, and they told us that it was Thursday with the Portuguese. We were greatly surprised for it was Wednesday with us, and we could not see how we had made a mistake; for as I had always kept well, I had set down every day without any interruption. However, as was told us later, it was no error, but as the voyage had been made continually toward the west and we had returned to the same place as does the sun, we had made that gain of twenty-four hours, as is clearly seen.

The version I read has the Italian text juxtaposed with the English translation and contains some charming illustrations and maps by Pigafetta.

afonso_bernardes's review against another edition

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3.0

Bom livro para dar a ideia muito vaga de como as coisas se passavam naqueles tempos.
Penso que uma viagem de um mês seria mais do que suficiente para escrever um livro como este. Muito repetitivo e penso que pouco ênfase em algumas coisas que podiam ser mais bem desenvolvidas.
Contudo, 3 estrelas devido ao facto de ter sido sequer possível ter acesso a um diário tão precioso como este.

miren's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced

3.5

tatib22's review against another edition

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informative mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.5