The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal [Paperback]

Barbara J. Scot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993

Cultural Writing. Travel. Memoir. Revised Edition 2005. Ranging across mountains and memories, Scot's classic journal of her experiences in Nepal in 1990 is now published in a revised edition that includes reflections on a return trip in 2004. "Scot's year in Nepal was extraordinary. What she discovered about herself, about Nepal and the Nepalis is beautifully told"--Seattle Times. "THE VIOLET SHYNESS OF THEIR EYES will enter your heart, and stay"--Margaret Randall.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A travelogue of Nepal is by its very nature an intriguing piece because Nepal is such an exotic locale with such a wealth of material to write about--its scenery, wildlife, people, and customs. But Barbara Scot's account of her Nepalese adventure shines above the ordinary travel yarn. She has a flair for description, understands the language, and shows a genuine respect for Nepalese culture that infuses every scene and anecdote. More than just a travel-jaunt memoir, The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes is a feminist's view of the women of Nepal. Whether trekking in the Himalayas or exploring Katmandu, Scot watches and contemplates the Nepalese treatment of little girls, mothers, and old women, and her observations offer both a perceptive work of cultural anthropology and a riveting travel tale. Her prose features lurching buses jam-packed with humanity; morning fog lifting from terraced fields; the stale-sweet smell of too many bodies; naked, shivering children gathered at the village tap, lathered and scrubbed by industrious elders; and women bent to the task of scouring black soot from pots with handfuls of sandy mud. Scot's eye is attuned to the smallest details. She thoughtfully ponders the large questions, and she wields her pen with finesse, creating a travel book that transcends the genre with a rare sensitivity and skill. --Stephanie Gold

From Publishers Weekly

A sudden mid-life crisis in 1990 prompted high school social studies teacher Scot to leave Portland, Ore., for a stint teaching English in Nepal. The brief entries in this diary interweave her experience of Nepalese society, including the inferior status of Nepali women, with memories of what she describes as "a male-dominated childhood with no men," her father having left home when she was an infant. Although occasionally the analogies Scot draws are forced or disjointed, a sincere and generous tone strengthens the writing, and sometimes her observations are uncommonly just, as when she notes how her difficulties with the Nepali language have brought greater understanding of her son's struggle with dyslexia. Stories of culture shock are less revealing, such as the stilted dinner party at which Scot's roommate served spaghetti for their native neighbors. The most amusing anecdotes come out of Scot's attempts to assist a Nepali man in studying for the standardized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which involves listening comprehension of passages on topics like ordering the house dressing in a restaurant and the uses of Muzak. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Calyx Books; 1st edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934971358
• ISBN-13: 978-0934971355
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,117,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a truly lovely and insightful read!, February 3, 2000

By 

francesca coley (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal (Paperback)

Unlike many travel narratives that deal with conquering the Himalayas or giving a traveler's view of the Nepalese people, Barbara J. Scot's THE VIOLET SHYNESS OF THEIR EYES, shows an insight into the region that few experience. She is a teacher living and working in a small village in Nepal. As a teacher, she works at a small, overcrowded school and sees how western education is hurting, not helping the Nepalese. Frankly, when Scot comes to the realization that people like herself are making things worse for the Nepalese, I was overwhelmed with her honesty and her plight. However, she says it far better than I can: "I think the main trouble with motivation for teachers in Nepal is that they have no self-esteem. They are told they must learn from westerners how to do things the right way . . . You ought to get rid of all westerners. You are an ingenious people. Let the Nepalis figure out what works for education for Nepal."

As a professor, I was stunned to read this statement. After all, I had bought the text because it was marketed as a travel narrative of Nepal, and I am a climber and hiker who has wanted to go this area for ages. So, when I started reading this book, I was surprised to see that, yes, it is a travel account of living in another land that happens to be smack up against the most beautiful scenery in the world, but I was more intrigued by Scot's voice in the book. It has an earnest and sincere quality. It made me think. And, it made me agree with her view on the situation. Scott is not against western education, but western eduators who ardently believe that their viewpoint on universal education is the only one of worth. These educators go to other countries and inform the local educators that their view on educating is wrong or, at least, misguided. Scott wants us to realize that what western education has to offer is valuable to non-western people, but these people must be able to pick and choose what they need from western education methodology and mix it with their own cultural values and beliefs.

An insightful and well written book. I hated to see the narrative end.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poignant images and no rose-colored glasses, January 15, 2004

By 

Heather Lowe "hslowe" (Corning NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal (Paperback)

I was really surprised by the quality of this book. Many people who have lived or worked abroad try to write about their experiences, but few actually have the talent to create something worthwhile and lasting. Barbara Scot, however, has managed to capture some moments of incredible poignancy and beauty. A few passages even approach the level of poetry.

The book is a bit uneven in places, but nevertheless I consider it an excellent effort for a first-time author. You come away with a deep respect for both Nepal and her people, and for Barbara, who as an adventurous woman in her late 40s, will be a an inspiration for many. She's the kind of woman you'd like to know.

On another note--When I saw this book came from a feminist publishing house I was afraid I might be subjected to preachy diatribes about the evils patriarchy, but mercifully that was not the case. Scot does have a special concern for the women of Nepal, but she doesn't preach about it. In fact a sense of evenhandedness is one of the many virtues of the book. She poses many good questions without claiming to have the answers.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Narrow-minded, July 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal (Paperback)

Like too many Americans, Scot approaches Nepal as a mysterious secret land. Her book is full of wonderful theories and ideas to help this backward nation, but her notions are little more than jabs at the West and progress. In a country where only 45% of the population is literate I don't think any nation with resources should sit by and let them "figure it out for themselves." I have spent a few years living in differing regions of Nepal and did not come away with this mystical notion of a people that Scot so dearly clings to her heart. Perhaps she should have scrutinized a little more and wore the rose coloured glasses a little less. I don't recommend this book.