The Cruel Way
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Cruel Way (1947, original German title Auf abenteuerlicher Fahrt durch Iran und Afghanistan) is a book by Ella Maillart. It was dedicated to "Christina" (the name Maillart used for the late Annemarie Schwarzenbach in the book, maybe at the demand of her mother, Renée). It was made into a movie, The Journey to Kafiristan, in 2001.
Background
In June 1939, in an effort to combat her drug addiction and escape from the hovering clouds of violence in Europe, Annemarie Schwarzenbach embarked on an overland trip to Afghanistan with the ethnologist Ella Maillart. Maillart had "lorry-hopped" from Istanbul to India two years previously and had fond memories of the places encountered on that trip. They set off from Geneva in a small Ford car and travelled via Istanbul, Trabzon and Teheran and in Afghanistan took the Northern route from Herat to Kabul.
They were in Kabul when World War II broke out. In Afghanistan, Annemarie became ill with bronchitis and other ailments, but she still insisted on travelling to Turkmenistan. In Kabul, they split up, Maillart despairing of ever weaning her friend away from her drug addiction. They met once more in 1940 as Annemarie was boarding the ship to return her to Europe. The trip is described by Maillart in her book The Cruel Way (1947), which was dedicated to "Christina" (the name Maillart used for the late Annemarie in the book, maybe at the demand of her mother, Renée). It was made into a movie, The Journey to Kafiristan, in 2001.
See also
