Tristan (Arthur) Jones

[GordMay]

Tristan Jones?
Story-teller & raconteur
or
Liar & fraud
or
Both?
Does it matter to you?

[44'cruisingcat]

My understanding was that the stories were loosely based on the truth, nothing more. That would make him a story teller IMHO.

[GordMay]

Jones never admitted that his tales were fictionalized accounts, loosely based upon his life. He claimed they were autobiographical factual accounts of his life.

Absolute Truth: Jones was born.
His real name was Arthur Jones. He was born in Liverpool in 1929, the illegitimate son of a working-class Lancashire girl, and he grew up in orphanages with little education.

The author’s “Loose” version:
Tristan claimed to been a breach birth, in a full storm, aboard his father’s tramp steamer, 150 miles north-east of Tristan da Cunha (hence the name “Tristan”) in May 1924. He claimed that his mother was the ship's cook, and that both she and his father came from a long line of Welsh master mariners.

Summary
He was born: True.
Date of birth: Untrue.
Name: Untrue.
Place of birth: Untrue.
Circumstances of birth: Untrue.
Background (mother/father): Untrue.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Tristan Jones?
Story-teller & raconteur
.....
Does it matter to you?

Story-teller, IMO they are a good yarn but part of me wishes they were true.
Doesn't matter to me as AFAIK his stories never hurt anyone.

[Southern Star]

Gord, Tristan was a remarkable story teller whose 'autobiographical' books were likely no less accurate than most Hollywood 'true stories'. Despite his humble beginnings and his lack of formal education he wrote imminently readable prose and brought joy to many. I, for one, suspect that his stories were akin to those of the protaganist in 'Big Fish' - extraordinary, but not completely devoid of the truth. And that was (and is) good enough for me.

Brad

[gonesail]

story teller and philosopher ... but the one about him taking his boat up the amazon to lake titicaca at 12000 ft. in the andes ?? takes a lot of imagination on the reader's part to believe it

[imagine2frolic]

No matter what he was. He always puts a smile on my face when reading him

[irwinsailor]

I have just read some of his books and I was having a hard time believing what he was going through. So there is a question if his stories are factual ?

[Pelagic]

Read a number of his books.

Laughed at his amoral approach to an honest account of himself, yet he tried hard to live that lie and was not surprised that when he eventually fell apart in Thailand (literally) he died having finally found himself.

No it doesn’t matter because he is not me.

[Maddog]

Originally Posted by gonesail

story teller and philosopher ... but the one about him taking his boat up the amazon to lake titicaca at 12000 ft. in the andes ?? takes a lot of imagination on the reader's part to believe it

I read that book, "The Incredible Voyage", I belive its named. He had pictures of Dart on the lake. I choose to believe. Now the part about sailing up the Amazon. Let call it willing suspension of disbelief.

[AnchorageGuy]

I have enjoyed all of Tristan's "almost true stories" and it does not matter to what degree the accuracies were. Reading to me is a form of relaxation, stress relief and education so The truths or realities of his work fulfill the first two no matter.

[imagine2frolic]

Chuck....AMEN

[scotte]

I'm in the "I love his stories and don't really care to what degree (if any) they are the truth" category. I always get great enjoyment out of reading his stories - that's what I read them for, not for any true or apparant Truth, if you will.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Story-teller, IMO they are a good yarn but part of me wishes they were true.
Doesn't matter to me as AFAIK his stories never hurt anyone.

I think he was just continuing a ancient tradition of sailors when he was spinning a yarn.

Jack

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by irwinsailor

I have just read some of his books and I was having a hard time believing what he was going through. So there is a question if his stories are factual ?

No; there's not much doubt. His tales are largely fiction.