Customer Reviews

In His Majesty's Civil Service: And Other Contemporary Tales of the Kingdom of Bhutan

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4 star:		(1)
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These stories illustrated some aspects of Bhutanese culture and government which are more difficult to pick up from guide-book type sources. They were readable and definitely worthwhile for those who plan to visit Bhutan.

I really enjoyed the tales in this book about Bhutan, which although starting to have dealings with the outside world is still a very different society.
The most interesting aspect was how corrupt some of the small time burocrats in the main city of Thimpu were. I will never complain about the DMV again. In some stories you read about civil servants who are fairly high up in the society and how they are dealing with office polotics such as being followed and spied on to ensure that they aren't saying anything against the King. In another story you will read about a nomadic family living high up in the mountains that will come dowon once in a season to buy necessities by trading butter made of Yaks milk, stored in a Yak Bladder. The conflict between the two societis can be seen in that when one of the nomads goes into the city everybody opens windows when they enter a room or tries to sit far away. a FACINATING and entertaining read.

These six short stories by Thomas Slocum provide a thoughtful window into the lives of ordinary Bhutanese people, their tolerance of each other and their acceptance of life's trials. I found the stories moving and revealing of a culture very different from my own. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who would like to be introduced to a different world view.