Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East : Journeys in India [Hardcover]

Edward Cameron Dimock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Who is Mr. Dimock? An enchanting storyteller, an eccentric scholar, a wise man, a self-professed "Indophile." Exactly what does he explore? Everything: monkeys, karma, snake charmers, monsoons, curry, ancient sages, the Dharma-Shastras, cricket, even UFO's.

In an amusing and intriguing book, Edward Dimock takes us along on a spirited tour of India, starting in 1955, when he and his family first sailed to Bombay. From the bustling streets of Calcutta, where monkeys roam among thousands of people, to the tiny island of Diu, Dimock's brings him to the house of an elusive maharaja. A run-in with a water buffalo teaches him that things aren't always what they seem. The tale of an ascetic sage reveals the power of mediation. An ancient mythical figure by the name of Manu gives advice on how to live wisely.

Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East traces Dimock's numerous trips across India and his explorations of its culture and customs. Whether he's haggling with gypsies or riding through town on an exotic land. Charming, playful, and full of insight, Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East illuminates the wonders of India as well as the vibrant personality of its author.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dimock, an academic, has been visiting India regularly since 1955 and has plenty of interesting stories to tell about that country. However, his self-consciously cute tone gets in the way of his material. He opens the first essay, "Hey, Hey We're the Monkeys," with a discussion of travel from Liverpool to India by ship in the 1950s, but it soon disintegrates into an imagined conversation between Indian ship hands along the lines of "Shrivel your gizzard like a raisin." In successive essays, Dimock displays a wide knowledge of the details of Indian history, culture, religion and language, but he skips from one tangent to another so quickly that his examinations fail to cut too deeply. "Rational Chaos" covers the temple at Konorak with its sexually explicit statues, the writer Sudhn Datta and a military reenactment known as "Beating the Retreat." In "They Also Serve," Dimock considers the position of servants in India and the discomfort of many Westerners at being waited on, "even with the realization that if these men were not pulling rickshaws they might not be working at all." This essay also includes the tale of a driver who once fed the unknowing Dimock a large amount of hashish. In the end, this is an amusing collection of observations, but it is disappointing in that the author could have offered a less superficial account of the country he obviously knows so well.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Manu's Dharma Shastras, the ancient Indian text that deals with the correct thing to do in every dilemma, kickstarts Dimock's (In Praise of Krishna: Songs from Bengali, 1967; The Place of the Hidden Moon, 1966) own random memories of India. The author, a former chair of the department of South Asian languages and civilizations at the University of Chicago, is no stranger to the country. His essays meander through various times and places, picking out the often unintentional humor behind the apparent chaos and cultural anomalies of life in India. The anecdotes and mythology that abound are told with consummate skill and are uproariously funny. Dimock reflects on vegetarianism, karma, domestics, and other sundry issues, deferring to many when he is confused. This affectionate account will probably only appeal to Indophiles, but then again the drollery may be universally appreciated. Buy according to need.ARavi Shenoy, Hinsdale P.L., IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books; 1st edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565121538
• ISBN-13: 978-1565121539
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Charming, Extremely Talented Writer...A Must Read, November 2, 2000

By 

wlmcmullen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East : Journeys in India (Hardcover)

I am passionate for non-fiction books about India so this book was on my personal reading list. I will mention this: Something about Mr. Dimock's writing reminds me of that "lost" writing style of the 19th century. This is an absolutely fabulous book that unfortunately will probably be overlooked time and time again by readers. This is a book I will buy and always keep because it is so perfect in every way!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East, April 10, 2000

By 

Bill Barnet (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East : Journeys in India (Hardcover)

The great strength of this book lies in its brevity. Two-hundred pages divided by twenty chapters makes for fast reading, covering a wide variety of subjects. Edward Dimock is a man of the world; his depth of experience allows him to write with both fondness and irreverence. Early on he confesses himself to be an old fuddy-duddy, guided by the ancient Manu (like Dante and Vergil), yet is not above numerous and much-appreciated pop references to anything from Mel Brooks to Star Trek. For those of us who know choice little of India (let alone been there) Mysteries of the East is both didactic and hilarious. Dimock's a wonderful writer, quickly establishing a humorous tone while discussing otherwise weighty matters. The rhythm he works himself into had me anticipating his editorializing, even in the midst of the more luxurious description. He's always "on", always has a little something to say about his travels and discoveries, be they an American movie star in Agra or the island of Diu where Dimock "communes with the spirits" (my realization of what he meant by this caused me to laugh out loud; I was finally hooked). Dimock is a witty observer of detail, with a well-educated sense of comparison and contrast. The similarity between Santa Claus and Ganesha is nicely drawn, while the author is careful to distinguish between Sir Richard Burton and just plain Richard Burton. The Indians and Sahibs are allowed to speak for themselves either charmingly or boisterously, quick character sketches that add flavor to the cultural mix. Dimock also knows his Vishvamitra and Herodotus and lets these old-timers have their say. But as he himself writes, "It is no news to anybody that language is more than words", and some very fine study is put into his silent characters as well, everyone from Yusuf the waiter to Nikki the German shepherd. Dimock takes an obvious delight in the menagerie that is India, from thieving monkeys to a charging water buffalo, and a most striking non-speaking role is played by Gopal the elephant, whose astuteness and venerability Dimock compares favorably to his own father. He's correct in describing the glance of the polite pachyderm as sagacious: some animals--say, cows,--look right through you, but elephants look right at you . . . appraisingly. The change of scene in Part III of the book caught me somewhat off-guard as Dimock leaves India and travels to Aden and then back to New England. I thought the whole book was supposed to be about India, but I got to thinking about the title; the East. After all, Aden is in the Middle East, and Massachusetts is on the east coast, and both are plenty mysterious to me as well. The most memorable advice Dimock provides if one is to truly see India is that one must: 1. Meet a maharaja, whether he be sober or inebriated, 2. Ride an elephant to see an outdoor drama without trampling any of the locals, 3. See a ruby-eyed idol deep in a rain-forest straight out of The Jungle Book, 4.Take in a live performance by a cobra and its handler in the street, or at least stumble upon one of the great snakes out in the bush, or (Shiva willing) in one's own bathtub.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, July 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East : Journeys in India (Hardcover)

Mr. Dimock possesses a perspective on India that, few if any, Westerners will ever have. He is probably the only Western author who has been able to notice and accept the chaos of India. Mr. Dimock aslo has the unique insight of perceiving the order that arises from this choas. In his book he presents India to us as a place of constant comedy the humor of which is best understood by someone who is fimilar with the region and it's people. India comes across as a place of extremes where even the animals have a personality and express it in their own right. The book was funny and nostalgic at the same time. The ideas would have been best expressed in an Indian language but the limiations of English as a language used to recount India is also very amusing. The book is very highly recommended especially to those who live in mortal fear and awe of the place. Thanks! B