Honeymoon with My Brother: A Memoir

This book is a very easy and quick read, but ultimately not very fulfilling. The author skims over some key moments in the book, and fills much of the rest with clichés.

The brother, Kurt, isn’t very well developed, which is a shame because he seems like an interesting character. The relationship between Franz and Kurt is talked about quite a bit, particularly in the beginning. Ultimately we learn their relationship has improved, Franz has learned more about his brother in 2 years than he has in the past 20, and they’ve become best friends. The problem is, we’re not shown this development. Nothing in the book really suggests the relationship is any different, and we have to take it on faith because we’re told it’s better. I have no doubt the brothers bonded and learned much about each other during their travels, but we’re not able to see the growth in the passages.
Rating: 3 / 5

Honeymoon With My Brother is a story of emotion and self discovery, wrapped up in a travel book. The problem is that as each kind of story, the book is good, but it never really finds it’s voice. As shown by the difference of views from reviewers, it’s a book that either connects with you, or does not. The story of Franz’s fall, from the sudden pull-out of his bride just before the wedding, to the sudden downgrading of his career, sets the stage for his eventual rediscovery of his brother and ultimately himself. In that, his story was saddening, and really gives you an insight into his emotions and mindset. He and his brother team up to go exploring the world and begin rambling the continents at ages in the late thirties/early forties which is a fresh change from so many first person world exploration books by younger ramblers.

Through the journeys, Franz comes to rediscover his relationship with his brother, and come to grip with the changes in his life. Much of this rediscovery, while probably true to life, is not always interesting. How many ways can one really find interesting questioning yourself asking if your brother can be your best friend? The discoveries come slowly, with no real catharcic moment, and the self discovery part of the story verges at places on the self-pitying whine. But still, in the end it is interesting to see how one man copes with what is generally considered two of the most stressful events that someone can experience, in this case almost back-to-back.

As a travel book, the story falls very short. Each continent is mapped out for us with the route taken. But it’s like reading the cliff notes version of a travel book. Some stories come up here and there, but overall you know that there is a lot of material that is not there. Travel as therapy helps move the self-healing story, but we are given tantalizing and too short glimpses into the world seen by the brothers. The stories there are about travel adventures are obviously significant to Wisner and some are generally heartfelt and heartwarming, such as the adventures traveling by bus in Africa. But months of experience and whole continents are condensed into 40 to 50 pages. And at the end, it’s they have ultimately moved from discovery travel to traveling as reviewers – moving from staying in hostels and traveling cheap, to staying in high class resorts to write about them. This change is somewhat disappointing.

As a book, Wisner is a fine writer. But it is in his “dispatches” – his letters to his grandmother and his writing for some California newspapers where his prose truly shines. I would love to see a collection of these pieces of writing, for they show the traveler and writer with a keen eye to the world, and the experiences that lie therein. While the book does not live up to its potential, there are gems to be found that make it worth reading.
Rating: 3 / 5

The other reviews and the plot synopsis above explain what happens in this book. What they don’t tell you is that this purported tale of brothers traveling the world is really an account of the author’s current immature life. The warning is given when he provides an extended account of his wedding, canceled at the last minute – but the failings of the relationship, as he tells it, are all her fault. Same goes for the scenario when he loses his cushy job.

Among the many countries and cities the brothers visit are Prague, a vibrant, beautiful, ancient city spared the ravages of war, and the newly-born Russia, but all we learn about is how girlfriends are picked up and carelessly discarded. The author falls back on his career as a Republican operative to finagle favors from foreigners. He is often smug about his fellow American travelers, criticizing their “hippie” outlook but not really separating himself from them.

The only thing I liked were the author’s letters to his step-grandmother. They are warm and finally perceptive observations about his travels are shared.
Rating: 2 / 5

Kudos to Wisner for the first of what I suspect will be many travelogs to come. The story of the jilted groom left at the altar, and the subsequent exploration of his marriage – to annie, to work, to material possessions, to expectations and to the whole concept of order – follows. Wisner shows us that it is possible to move beyond the superflous and find our true selves again in another world, in another space. Challenging conventional wisdom and order, Wisner breaks free of his own self-inflicted yuppie stereotype to allow a real, raw intelligence to show beyond the world of government grants and political (and other) assignations. Storytelling, however, lent towards the diaphanous; I found myself wanting Wisner to share more depth, introspection/less anecdote when exploring different lands to support such growth. No earthshattering movement, just the tale of a journey that results in a new internal world, whilst freeing oneself from responsibility, lonely planet guidebooks, women, society and stereotypes in general. Liberating, not inspirational.
Rating: 3 / 5

While Wisner’s writing skills do not come any where near the depth, scope and complexity of a Bill Bryson he does manage, with this entertaining debut, to capture and communicate a personal travelouge/memoir that vibrates with equal parts sadness, humour,history and a healthy (and suprising!) bit of eroticism.

In an attempt to convalesce a broken heart after being literally stood up at the alter, Wisner invites his recently divorced brother to join him in a world hopping tour of off-the-beaten track exotic locations. Along the way he learns volumes about himself, his brother and the world in the process.

Granted, on many levels Wisner treads little new ground here. And admittedly too his style and technical skill is a work very much in progress (hence the relatively low rating).

But that quibble aside, HONEYMOON WITH MY BROTHER contains many fine vinettes (love the portrait of his adopted grandmother-LaRue!)and misadventures (a particularly colorful bus ride in Africa). Wisner is always sincere and forthcoming in his revelations and discoveries.

All in all a fine light hearted addition to any summer reading list.
Rating: 3 / 5