Customer Reviews

A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being of German and Chinese parentage and having lived and travelled throughout Asia all my life, I have finally found my thoughts about this vast continent and its spirituality on paper.

As Terzani himself states in this book "It sometimes takes a Westerner to make sense of Asia" and I too have found this to be true. Unlike some misguided reviews that I have read about this book, Terzani is absolutely spot on in his anlysis and interpretations of Asia and its status quo.

"A fortune teller told me" is great travel literature, great socio-political commentary and food for the soul all at once. Here is a man in search of truth, travelling through the continent with the richest and oldest history, needlesly reinventing and destroying itself, its identity and its spirituality in order to catch up with the youngest and most money-orientated civilizations.
The West looks to the East for Answers and the East looks to the West for answers in this amazing book.
Two thumbs up!

I have lived in several of the countries covered by Mr. Terzani and I enjoyed reading about his travels. However, while I did find this an interesting look at these countries and I think his research on history and customs was excellent (his conversations with local individuals especially fascinating), I found myself increasingly irritated with some of his views.

I agree with the reader from Singapore that he has seemingly ignored the benefits of modernization (even obvious ones such as improved healthcare, more education, etc.). Also, the comments throughout the book about the mercenary nature of the Chinese. While this is a book about his travels and not a text book, I felt the constant repetition of this viewpoint was not necessary.

The extreme poverty of a large number of people in Asia mean that they are primarily concerned with survival, but they are aware of their cultural heritage. While fortunate enough to be in the position to make his own choices (he later chose to stay in cheaper hotels, but he started off with the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok) many people in these countries do not have that luxury.

As this is my first post living in Asia, I found this book to be a delightful introduction to some of what this region is "really" like. Tiziano Terzani is an Italian-born journalist for the German Der Spiegel and in 1976 while in Hong Kong, is taken to a fortune-teller (almost as a joke) who told him that if he flew in 1993 it could prove fatal. Not being one for superstitions, he nonetheless decided to spend the whole of 1993 traveling Asia in every way save air (train, bus, car, on foot, and elephant!). He not only does this, but he dedicates his writing and research during that year (1993) to finding the "truest" fortuneteller in any country who will accurately tell his fortune (and divine his past correctly). His work puts him conveniently in a number of countries where he is able to visit seers, clairvoyants, astrologists, soothsayers, and psychics. He covers the elections in Burma, a road opening in Thailand and China, and even manages to take a trans-Siberian trip from Cambodia and Vietnam through China and Mongolia and off through Russia.

Most people, in most countries, are somewhat fascinated by the accuracy of a fortune-teller - and this is the hook that Terzani uses to draw us in. Will the prophesy prove true (a plane of journalists does go down in Asia at one point early in the given year (a plane he would have been on) but no one dies.)? How accurate are fortune-tellers? The details of his many visits to these many people, and his descriptions of the peoples and places he is seeing as a result of not flying are all fascinating. One of the themes he continually returns to is the modernization of Asia and to some extent how that pains him (AIDS in Burma, cold-hearted money mongers in China, completely non-spiritual Mongolians). He is not only humored by the superstitions of the region, but in some places he is somewhat grateful that these beliefs are still taken seriously. He is unhappiest in places where the modern world has pushed the relevance of some of these old shamans out of existence. It was absolutely wonderful writing and was so very Asian that I found I had a renewed interest in traveling to many of these places.

I fell on this book by pure chance, as I was offered a previous book by Terzani: "In Asia". This book arose my interest on travel writings, but I have difficulty finding a book at the same level, as the author is a master in explaining the cultural, political and economical keys making Asia one of the most interesting places in the world. His travelling by train, car and ship adds a charm that makes you want to jump on the first train and enjoy the timeless travel through this wonderful continent. The fortune-tellers' consultancy is only a curious detail in this in-deep essay on colourful places and people.

This is a part travelogue, part social political commentary, and also sort of an assortment of methods of fortune telling in Asia. I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a good travelogue. Terzani paints vivid accounts of his encounters, what he sees, smells, feels and thinks. I enjoy the historic background he included about the places he visits. Terzani also provides some thought provoking insights about his view on history, humanity, economic and political development. He has interesting and rare interviews with a few people, including the drug lord Khun Sa. However, the credibility of this book suffers from his apparent condescension, selective belief and prejudice. For example, Terzani is openly critical of the desire and diligence of the Chinese to improve their life. He scorns globalisation and everything modern. He romantises living in a hot, humid, dirty and basic condition and criticises aspirations for more comfort. Granted that some ignorance of the Asian rulers have made the process of modernisation somewhat intrusive and destructive to their heritage and environment. A civilisation takes time to evolve and learn from mistakes. But Terzani fails to see the need or consequences if nothing is done instead. In his view, backwardness and poverty appear more deserving of celebration than success stories. He lacks objectivity and he chooses to believe more in the romantic versions and the underdogs. Some of his ideas are simply ridiculous and extreme. He proposes to isolate Cambodia from any external help and influences so as to let the country 'heals' on her own. Granted that globalisation is an enormous homogenising factor, but perhaps one should look closer at how to harness the good and minimise the bad instead of writing it off. Because of Terzani's long working and living experience in Asia that his words are believed to be credible and accurate, the more important it is to expose his selective information and prejudiced judgement.

"A Fortune Teller Told Me" sat on my bookshelf for nearly a year. I had started it once when I had run out of reading material but did not find it terribly compelling until I picked it up again recently.
Written by an Italian journalist who has lived in Asia for thirty or more years, it is the story of his travels in Asia during the year when he did not fly because a Hong Kong fortune teller told him that it would be dangerous for him to do so. His travels take him to Singapore, and through Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other countries I haven't read about yet, because I haven't finished the book. Tarzani,the author, is clearly someone at home on the road. He has the advantage of speaking Chinese, which clearly makes it easier for him to make connections with local people. During his travels he seeks out fortune tellers, but what is most interesting are his observations of the changes taking place in Asia at the time. He makes several references to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism as a reaction to globalization and growing materialism.

He also observes the effects of the Chinese diaspora in Asia: how in many of the southeast asian countries the first and second and third generation Chinese control the economy. He seems to indirectly blame this element of the populace for the increased materialism and the loss of local values and customs.

One of the drawbacks of his point of view is that he embodies the stereotype of the macho Italian and seems unenlighted about the possibility that women could actually read his book. This comes to light as he despairs about the increased modernization of the world. After computers, what next? Will we dispense with women? Once we no longer need to think for ourselves, will we no longer need to procreate? he seems to say.

The book is food for thought and a wonderful travelogue, except when comments like that slip out.

Tiziano Terzani, a top journalist from Europe who covered Asia for years, had a hobby of visiting fortune tellers. One year, one of the fortune tellers told him to avoid all air travel in 1992. Imagine, no air travel for an international journalist! But Terzani decided to do just this, to travel only by surface during 93. His wonderfully understanding boss approved, he spent that year only doing surface travel, sometimes illegally across borders that are closed except to air travel. We get some interesting views of quite a few Asian countries, like Thailand, Hong Kong and more, while Terzani records his visits to fortune-tellers to get confirming readings and gives us his impressions of life in exotic places.

Did the fortune-teller give him an accurate reading? Would Terzani have been in an air crash? There was of course, an air crash somewhere, sometime. Would Terzani have been on that plane? We second-guess this question all through the book, while Terzani takes us on a fascinating tour of Asia through the back streets and cubbyholes of famous and not-so-famous fortune-tellers and psychics.

If you love the books of Paul Theroux, you may very much enjoy this book as well.

The novel is well written, easy to read, funny, interesting. But unfortunately Terzani's impartiality with his love for anything in the past, and his sour hate for modernity and progress distort a good picture on the countries and cultures visited. He does not (almost never) indicates or analyze the progess and modernity's benefits, only focusing on their social and cultural costs and destruction. Still I recommend it for anybody living in the countries depicted, but the reader (worst for a visitor or tourist) should not be biased.

I am an avid fan of travel narratives and thought this would show me a side of Asia seldom written about. While he did show me some of its traditions and ways, it was hard to filter that through his self journey to find someone to confirm what the astrologer said. I also tired of his opinions, his assumptions, and his inability to see things in other than black and white. But the book was interesting once you get passed all that, and hd is a good writer, so I'll call this average. But its one I'd recommend with reservations.

How interesting would it be if we ALL spent one year of our lives traveling soley by land or sea?

Far East journalist Tiziano Terzani was told by a fortune teller NOT to fly for an entire year. Being somewhat of a believer in these things, Terzani took the seer at his word and spent 1993 traveling by land, train, cab, bus, steamer, elephant, or cruise ship.

As I read this wonderfully lush travel guide, I was struck by what we 'frequent flyers' miss. We miss the rhythm of the country, the smells, common people, and the flip side of local life the airports don't feature.

While some of Terzani's experiences were a bit graphic for my tastes, and I probably could have done without yet another political commentary on how the West has corrupted the East, I thoroughly enjoyed his many visits with local fortune tellers. I especially liked the vestal virgin. I laughed out loud at Terzani's recanting of that meeting. Some of the fortune tellers he found during his travels were accurate, or close to it. Some were charlatans. They were all, however, interesting.

What a rich life Terzani has lived. All the best to him and I look forward to more stories from his pen.

Enjoy!