Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: train number, ping mei, shansh marnie, Cultural Revolution, Hong Kong, Dalai Lama (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Theroux's] books have enriched the travel literature of this century...China, with its guard down, its buttons undone, and its fingers greasy, looks even more magical with a little of its mystery revealed." USA Today

"[A] very funny, beautifully written, wonderfully observant, and deeply insightful description of the vagaries of life and politics in China." -- Conde Nast Traveler

"Fascinating...the portrait that emerges is a luminous, almost uncanny, and situationally accurate one. Theroux is particularly good at catching the surreal quality of China." The Miami Herald

"Theroux's genius is in his clear-eyed rendition of a fresh world and the deeper observations he attaches to it." The Chicago Tribune

Product Description

Paul Theroux, the author of the train travel classics The Great Railway Bazaar and The Old Patagonian Express, takes to the rails once again in this account of his epic journey through China. He hops aboard as part of a tour group in London and sets out for China's border. He then spends a year traversing the country, where he pieces together a fascinating snapshot of a unique moment in history. From the barren deserts of Xinjiang to the ice forests of Manchuria, from the dense metropolises of Shanghai, Beijing, and Canton to the dry hills of Tibet, Theroux offers an unforgettable portrait of a magnificent land and an extraordinary people.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1 edition (December 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618658971
• ISBN-13: 978-0618658978
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,621 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #6 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( T ) > Theroux, Paul
  #7 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Chinese
  #22 in	Books > Travel > Asia > China

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China, January 11, 2009

By	Sharon R. Linendoll - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I actually read this book nearly twenty years ago and have never forgotten it. I was so pleased to find it available at Amazon.com. One of the things that especially stuck with me was the eating habits of the Chinese at that time---fascinating! Never forgotten was the pail of eels in the "bathroom" ready for the evening meal.
This reading I was able to take more time with the book and get more out of it because I wasn't working and raising three children. I even looked up Paul Theroux on Encarta to get a feel for his personality.
This is a fabulous armchair travel of China, a detailed description of the beautiful, the ugly and the strange parts of that vast country. I highly recommend it!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Along for the ride, February 19, 2007

By	Carolyn Barrette (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book, like a long train trip, gets tiring after a while, but Theroux loves traveling this way. His observations of the people, land and culture are well worth reading.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars read and laugh at the stereotypes, August 1, 2009

By	historybuff (Virginia ,USA) - See all my reviews

Theroux comes across as an old curmudgeon with an acid view of humanity. Perhaps this is the result of having observed human nature all over the world and finding it wanting. Although some portions may seem like blown up cynicism you have to admit that many of his observations are spot on. The comments on the arrogant and simple-minded Hong Kong tourists to China is hilarious as is his recounting of his experiences with a couple of young babushkas out to make a buck in Russia. Forget being PC and hop on the train for a down-to-earth trip through Europe and on to the Middle Kingdom.