Customer Reviews

From Heaven Lake Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Surely the best test of a good travel book is that it makes you want to go the same places, while still describing them in a way that makes you feel like you have already been there. Even though it is now 20 years since Seth made the journey that he records here (and much would have changed) reading this book still made me want to make the same journey, even with all the hardship that it entailed. Another aspect that makes this book exceptional is that the commentary doesn't just focus on descriptions of the trip but wanders off into discussions of political and social issues prompted by the surroundings. One telling comment (especially for westerners) occurs on the last page when he writes of India and China, "the fact that they are both part of the same landmass means next to nothing. There is no such thing as an Asian ethos or mode of thinking". My only disappointment with this book (and the reason that it only gets 4 stars) is that, while Seth regularly describes taking photographs of various sights, none of them are included in the book. Seth's descriptions are amazing, but some of the visuals would have been even better. If you are interested at all in travel in China and Tibet read this book (and then Paul Theroux's `Riding the Iron Rooster' for a very different viewpoint).

I am not a reader of travel books, but could not put this one down. Seth not only was, by hitchhiking through forbidden areas, able to see and experience things way off the usual tourist agenda but was then able to turn his remarkable observations and astonishing prose into an unforgettable read. His journey begins when as a student in China he decides to break away from his keepers and exit the country through forbidden Tibet to Nepal. From the start of his hitchhiking adventure through his visit to Lhasa, and ultimately his walking past armed guards into Nepal never sure if he would be shot or not, his audacity excites, and his insights amaze. This ranks high with me in his short list of published works. Winner of the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for best travel book of the year 1983.

From the author of two best selling novels "A Suitable Boy" and "An Equal Music" this travel book is something very different. It is a delightfully written story created from the journals kept by Vikram Seth during his hitch-hiking traverse of China from Nanjing to Tibet. For most people, certainly for most westerners, this is about as far off the beaten track as it is possible to get.

We sympathise with Seth as he endeavours to obtain the myriad of visas necessary to cross communist China. These include, entry visas, travel visas, permits to stay in a certain village/area/precinct/canton and of course, exit visas. The bureaucracy is simply immense and yet nobody has any real authority, always having to revert up the seemingly endless chain of superiors. Overcoming the man made hurdles is only part of the story as rain, floods, swamps, swollen rivers, altitude sickness, extreme cold, washed away bridges and difficult terrain pose further obstacles along the journey.

During the narrative, Seth breaks off occasionally to discuss the Chinese political system and interestingly compares it with the Indian political system. The Chinese dictatorship virtually removes free will from the people whilst the wheels of Indian democracy slowly turn in a very different form of bureaucratic inefficiency. "One overwhelming fact" says Seth "is that the Chinese have a better system of social care and distribution than we in India do. Their aged do not starve. Their children are basically healthy. By and large the people are well clothed, very occasionally in rags." He goes on "The fact that we have elections every five years means that the government is afraid to undertake projects that are unpopular but beneficious in the long term. The Chinese government is not thus fettered".

Throughout his travels, but particularly in Tibet, the smashed temples, buildings and works of art, to say nothing of the ruined families, present evidence of the destruction which was wrought during the cultural revolution. How ironic that I was reading this in April 2001 whilst the Taliban were destroying fifth century carvings of standing Buddhas in Afghanistan.

This review would not be complete without a mention of the yaks which form part of the scenery along Seth's route. Whilst alive, the yak is an efficient machine converting grass into milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt. It provides a convenient means of transportation and delivers dung for fuel and fertiliser. Finally, the meat, bone, pelt, fur, hooves and tail provide sustenance, clothing, leather and material for tents and awnings.

So, please read and enjoy this unique travelogue by an educated, eloquent and observant man, multilingual Vikram Seth, also known as Xie Binlang in China. You won't be disappointed.

Much has been said about travel broadening vision, and the journal of a traveller who has a universal view of life makes a rich reading experience. From Heaven Lake is more than a travel book that traverses the length and breadth of a place with smatterings of history, geography and local culture - It is a verbal album of direct images that personify the soul of the areas.

The book contains relatively little on the culture, civilisation or customs of China or Tibet. Rather it is the personal account of an economics student's experiences while returning home to Delhi from Beijing, via Tibet and Nepal, the novelty of the journey being that it is almost entirely hitchhiked, relying on luck and optimism alone against all odds.

The idea of hitchhiking to Lhasa comes as a sudden inspiration to Mr.Seth while touring Turfan with fellow non-Chinese students. In serendipitous circumstances, he gets a travel-permit to Lhasa -The indirect repercussion of his singing 'Awara Hoon' (I'm a wanderer) at the students hostel. The song is symbolic of Mr.Seth's wanderlust impulses that make him embark on this fantastic journey. The rest of the book narrates his experiences that has many such co-incidences and fortuitous events that indicate life imitating art, as in an action-packed adventure story.

The journey also has a more than fair share of obstacles, from dealing with a suspicious mosque doorkeeper or a slightly eccentric truck driver, to major ones like trying to get a lift on a truck to Lhasa, going on an impromptu chase of lost luggage or being stuck indefinitely on deserted, muddy roads. But these not-so-enticing situations are handled comfortably by Mr.Seth who simply refuses to give up. With remarkable candour and a liberal dash of his characteristic humour, he talks about his frustration, anger and minor irritations during the journey and how he got over them eventually.

Mr.Seth also focuses a great deal on the unexpected gestures of kindness that he encountered in course of the journey - Friendly policemen, amiable officials, store managers, tailors and citizens who helped him.

Mr.Seth seems to be at home in any part of the world - Climbing into lost caverns in Chinese temples or wading in underground canals, playing basketball with officials or frisbee with waiters, assimilating the quietude of a Chinese shrine and a mosque alike, enjoying a picnic with a Tibetan family he had just met and above all, conversing on all kinds of topics with an assortment of strangers. Not so surprisingly, the people he describes also begin to come alive, like many of the characters in his fiction.

Reflections and musings on various aspects of China, India and life in general are diffused throughout the book, along with an occasional verse. There is a great attention to detail like the descriptions of Heaven Lake, the Lhasa mosque with its amalgam of Chinese and Arabic styles, the interior of a common truck and even the unpalatable soup served on the way, that suggest Mr.Seth's potential as a superior writer, this being one of his early works.

To quote Tolkien, not all those that wander are lost, and "From Heaven Lake" conveys that there is indeed much to be found for potential wanderers, besides ideas and ways of thought, experiences, insights and interactions with peoples and cultures - a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them.

Very well done travelogue around China. A perfect counterpoint to Salzman's Iron & Silk. Salzman stayed in one spot for his sojourn in China; Seth, although he spent two years at Nanjing University, here is concerned with an impromptu hitchhiking trip through western China and Tibet. Seth isn't afraid to put some dangerous questions to his hosts and fellow travelers--questions about the cultural revolution and Red Guard, how life is now under the communists compared with before, could Tibet be a separate country once more? But the best thing about this book is Seth's viewpoint: an Indian writing about China and Tibet for an English/American audience. He takes the time to ruminate on the relations between the countries and the conditions in each country. In particular, his comparison of the living conditions of the poor and aged in China (cared for, if not greatly) and India (left destitute) was eye-opening.

Do you remember a picnic or a party in your past that was so delightful that it has always stayed with you? It might not have been profound or life changing or anything like that, but it must been something you look back with a 'wow, what fun that was!' and cherish the thought?.

This book is exactly like that.

Travelling through some of the remotest terrain in the world and facing some red-tape, Seth simply wrote down his experiences and the result is a short and engaging travelogue. He is the perfect companion for a trip like this; his humanity shines through and he tolerates discomforts with a smile on his face and his personality is what makes this book so endearing.

If you are a seasoned travel book reader, this will be another one of your favorites. If you are not into this genre, I promise you will be after reading this.

P.S.: Whoever designed the cover deserves a pat on his/her back. It perfectly captures the essence of what lies inside.

An unforgettable journey that leads you through the most unknown and misterious region of Asia. Vikram Seth's style is incredibly fresh. You can't miss it.

Fascinating, superbly written account of travels around China. Should be of great interest to those who intend to venture to any of the destination Seth treks to.

Amazing contrast of life in China - now & then. Stark differences of difficulties Seth encountered in his travels back in the early 1980s to the ease with which one can travel around China these days is telling of how far China has come in the past 1 to 2 decades.

It was not the book I wanted to pack for my vacation reading but it was in my luggage when I got there... so there, and thanks god. It was the first book that I read by him so I could not compare to his other works. That being say, I really enjoyed this unique travelogue. In it, Seth took us on his journey, revealing the landscape, the people, the political systems, and make-ups of the ever-evolving-but-ancient china that up until now has not exposed to the outside world. I learned a great deal, and it was a story because of Seth's unique background I don't think anyone could tell it but him.

As usual Vikram's books have the complexities wrapped in simplicity. Unlike Gandhi's desire of simple life, Vikram's simplicity is a work of art. The details have been put really nicely but at the same time lacked a bit of maturity. But truly a treat of a travelogue. Especially "the pig's hair in the soup". However, the title is a bit of a misnomer as the heaven's lake hardly makes a worthwhile presence in the book. In the end however, there is a feeling of haste especially as soon as he crossed into Nepal. I guess, he was too exhausted to take notice of things around him. But, in a nutshell a well written travelogue with an Indian flavour.

The shame is there should have been more travelogues from him.