Running a Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet [Paperback]

Alec Le Sueur (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

An entertaining and politically enlightening account of one man's experiences to the captivating land of Tibet. An ancient city that holds many mysteries, Alec describes for the reader the intricities and uniqueness that makes Tibet so intriguing. A varied, unusual array of experiences occur throughout this trip, such as the deliveries of live snakes and a Miss Tibet competition, that make this travelogue an entertaining read on this religious and historical land.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Author Alec Le Sueur gathered five years of anecdotes--many of them laugh-out-loud funny--during his service as marketing manager of the Lhasa Holiday Inn in Tibet. Most deal with the inconveniences of everyday life and business due to cultural factors, the remote location, or the bureaucracy of the Chinese government. Christopher Scott handles Le Sueur's narrative ably, drawing laughs from his droll descriptions, but he is less successful with character voices, often sounding like ethnic stereotypes. This flaw emerges early, with a reading of an actual passage from a Chinese in-flight magazine in broken English. The book is generally entertaining but lacks coherence. Some stories, such as celebrity visits to his hotel, are only hinted at. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Peerage Books; illustrated edition edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873475934
• ISBN-13: 978-1873475935
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,529,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Bill Bryson and Basil Fawlty fans, July 10, 2000

By 

H. J. Wakenshaw "pootler" (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Running a Hotel on the Roof of the World (Isis Large Print Nonfiction) (Hardcover)

If you were to cross National Geographic, Bill Bryson and Fawlty Towers, then I'm sure that this book is what would pop out at the other end.

Covering the author's 7 years working in the most unlikely Holiday Inn in the world - in Lhasa Tibet - this is a real treat. From the rains of dead flies at a banquet to the bizarre Miss Tibet contest in the hotel swimming pool, back to the dead guest who nobody seems to be able to get rid of, and encountering various smells, accidents and infestations on the way, Le Sueur emerges as a Basil Fawlty for the 1990's, tackling each catastrophe with crossed fingers and invention in equal measures. It's genuinely hilarious, and more so because it isn't the product of a comedy writer's brain, but an account of real, if at times surreal, events.

Le Sueur is a very likeable protagonist who not only brings us the humour found in trying to run a top class hotel in a communist coutry cut off from the rest of the world, but also explores the effects of China's rule on Tibet and its people. What prevents the politics of the book becoming staid and stuffy is Le Sueur's naive angle - he sees the Tibetan situation in the same way that any other ordinary person might, with a mixture of fascination and outrage. It's clear he has a great deal of love and respect for Tibetans, and writes in a highly acerbic tone about their relationship with the Chinese. But at the same time, he is not afraid to show his downright frustration with both the Tibetan and Chinese staff in the hotel who it seems, will never understand the basic principles of customer service, or even hygiene.

It's a nice balance, and the book works on both the levels Le Sueur is obviously trying to explore. The humour is so abundant it's ticklish, the anecdotes are so interesting, you won't want to put the book down; in short, "Running A Hotel" is a very entertaining read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great stories about the Tibetian way to do things, July 16, 1999

By 

Inge Quets "Inge" (Antwerp, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running a Hotel on the Roof of the World: Five Years in Tibet (Paperback)

Le Sueur told about his stay in Tibet - with great sense of humour & ability to put things in perspective - what must have been nevertheless quite a strain on a person's moral. Even so that it seemed appealing, though one knows better as one gets further into the story. A relaxing way to get to know the country; and this way only the strong-minded ones still want to go; & not the weenies who can't miss out on luxury items!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing & Informative Book, September 19, 2000

By 

Ping Lim (Christchurch) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Running a Hotel on the Roof of the World (Isis Large Print Nonfiction) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book thoroughly for the author's sense of humour. What a sigh of relief reading a book about Tibet discussing issues which aren't related with the human rights issues. This is a travelling book, a book of observation which continues on the tradition of Bill Bryson & Jan Wong (of China Blues' fame). Still, we learnt a lot about the country by reading between the lines. I have read countless of books about Tibet & China & most of them were about how the authors survived their ordeal. Cliche`. Here, we also read about the author's ordeal but of a different kind. We were brought behind the scene of an international hotel & I'm adamant that most hotel operators haven't removed 200+ dead rats from their hotels before, rode in their hotel vehicle which were devoid of suspensions & driven in break neck speed by their driver who hardly spoke any English, etc. There's so much to be written but it's better to let the prospective readers discover for themselves what a wee gem this book is. I finished this book in 2 days as I couldn't afford to put it down. Damn hilarious, compatible with the Fawlty Tower as claimed, & truly a memesrising experience. Keep up the good work!