
The enormous life of Anthony Bourdain, according to those who knew him best - cyanbane
https://www.gq.com/story/anthony-bourdain-men-of-the-year-tribute
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hirundo
I've been to the edge, and there I stood and looked down. And then I turned
around and walked away. I've been back for a few visits but have kept turning
around. I lost a lot of friends there. Anthony and Ernest and Robin and so
many others didn't turn back. It's easy for me to sympathize.

But maybe it's better to give them contempt. Moral opprobrium, disgrace,
dishonor, could help the marginally committed to turn back.

Contempt for such great human beings, who did far more with their lives than I
ever will? No. Just for one choice.

The ability to not sympathize with that choice is a blessing, an apple you may
be better off not eating.

~~~
ArrayList
Just wanted to say that was quite a poignant piece of writing. I wish you
well.

~~~
maxcrunch
Yea, but ... Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love?

~~~
ArrayList
hahaha. I don't listen to them much, clearly.

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leroy_masochist
According to the article, prior to Bourdain's publication of _Kitchen
Confidential_ when he was in his early 40's, his outside-the-US travel
experience consisted solely of a few trips to France as a child and one trip
as an adult to Japan:

> He just talked about what traveling the world would be like for him. He had
> gone to France as a kid, he had gone to Japan once, and that was it.

The fact that Bourdain not only achieved massive professional success after
toiling in obscurity well into his 40s, but more specifically became the most
famous traveler in the world _after barely having traveled in 2+ decades of
adult life_ is pretty damn impressive. Definitely gives weight to the argument
that "it's never too late"!

~~~
mthoms
There's another quote of his somewhere where he claims to have not even had a
bank account until into his 40s.

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ransom1538
I refuse to watch the last episode. This way his series will never end.

~~~
dawhizkid
I found it...macabre. It was very dark.

~~~
jvagner
just curious if you could expand on that a little, as i'd have trouble
watching it too.

macabre because of what you know now, or was there a shift evident in the
tone/subject of the shows themselves?

~~~
detritus
I'm not too sure which the last series is, as I was only introduced fairly
shortly before his death to Bourdain's work, but as someone new to him — all
his appearances have that faint background noise of world weary despair. It's
not overwrought and doesn't in any way taint his shows, but it's a distinct
undercurrent. Perhaps I'm sensitive to his language and vaguely grim manner
because I've in a very small way seen into various worlds of despair, but I
was in no way surprised by his last choice.

It's sad, but he seemed to have lived a good life and at least was in control
of his final journey — most of us aren't.

~~~
Sileni
I don't think anyone was surprised by his choice. It was part of his person.
He knew the other side well, and didn't try to hide it.

That's what made him stand out to me. He wasn't singing the praises of every
place he went to. He was a real human being, exploring and talking about what
he saw and felt while he was bouncing from place to place. Always a little
dismissive, but not because he didn't care about the people or places he was
visiting. More because he was an observer to the world, not a participant.

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ArrayList
He taught us so much about the world, and still had so much more to show us.

I'm rarely saddened by celebrity deaths; Anthony Bourdain hit me right in the
gut and it continues to hurt. Such a special person. Such a huge loss.

RIP Tony.

~~~
scott_s
The global reaction to his death felt like the entire world realizing at once
how much they loved him.

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amatecha
The news of his death kind of shocked me in that I had just stayed a few
months earlier in the hotel[0] he died in... News article was a photo of the
hotel and I was all recalling the great memories of the trip, until read the
headline! :( Brutal!

Apparently it was his favorite hotel, which didn't surprise me to hear. If you
ever get the chance, trust his (and my) judgement and at least visit the town
of Kayserberg, France!

[0] [https://www.lechambard.fr/en/](https://www.lechambard.fr/en/)

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taurath
His death was tragic, shocking, sad and... helpful for me, in a way. This is a
person who does almost all my worldly fantasies, in the way that I would hope
to do them, and the cup goes dry still.

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SubiculumCode
If there was one guy I'd like to have beer with..

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chrisdhoover
Bourdain once described San Francisco as a two-fisted drinking town. Ain’t
that the god damn truth.

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bwb
One of my fav people :(

