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Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East (Paperback)

by Pico Iyer (Author) "RAMBO HAD conquered Asia..." (more)
Key Phrases: tourist tent, trishaw driver, real paradise, Hong Kong, New York, Freak Street (more...)

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Only in India would the American film Rambo be remade with the title role played by a woman--in a sari, no less! Only in Hong Kong would a man at a cocktail party pick up a woman with the line "What do you think of the dollar?" And only in Video Night in Kathmandu will you find detailed, unsettling portraits of a Far East in flux as experienced by Pico Iyer, a travel writer beyond compare. Tibet, China, India, and Thailand--these are among the objects of Iyer's wanderlust, the subjects of 11 essays chronicling his travels. In India, he explores the lucrative Bombay film business: "The process of turning an American movie into an Indian one was not very difficult ... but it did require a few changes.... the Indian hero had to be domesticated, supplied with a father, a mother, and a clutch of family complications." As one film director told him, " ... for example, Rambo must be given a sister who was raped." In Bangkok he finds the sex trade is well nigh impossible to avoid: " ... by the time a third official government tout approached me with the novel invitation: 'My friend. You no like birdwatching?' I was inclined to suspect that ornithology was not among his interests."

Pico Iyer is more than just a travel writer. For four years, he wrote about world affairs for Time, and he brings to these brilliant, comical, and poignant essays his extensive knowledge of politics and culture as well as a journalist's eye for the telling details. Video Night in Kathmandu provides both a stark, unsettling view of modern Asia and an exploration of the ambivalent attitudes Asians hold toward the West.

Review
"Quick-witted and perceptive...something more than a deft and entertaining traveler's tale." -- The New Yorker

"The book is filled with Iyer's enthusiasms and opinions, both engaging and provocative, and is...a sensual feast of rich impressions." -- Los Angeles Times

"A fresh approach, embellished by the author's humorous and perceptive style." -- San Francisco Chronicle

Mohawk haircuts in Bali. Yuppies in Hong Kong. In Bombay, not one but five Rambo rip-offs, complete with music and dancing. And in the new People's Republic of China, a restaurant that serves dishes called "Yes, Sir, Cheese My Baby," "A Legitimate Beef," and "Ike and Tuna Turner." These are some of the images -- comical, poignant, and unsettling -- that Pico Iyer brings back from the Far East in this brilliant book of travel reportage. A writer for Time, Iyer approaches his subject with a camera-sharp eye, a style that suggests a cross between Paul Theroux and Hunter Thompson, and a willingness to go beyond the obvious conclusions about the hybrid cultures of East and West. -- Review

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Product Details

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Vintage (June 18, 1989)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0679722165
ISBN-13: 978-0679722168
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,581 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#3 in Books > History > Asia > Far East

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
RAMBO HAD conquered Asia. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tourist tent, trishaw driver, real paradise

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Hong Kong, New York, Freak Street, United States, Tourist Burma, Banak Shol, Dalai Lama, New Wave, Great Wall, Third World, Tokyo Disneyland, American Express, Bruce Springsteen, China Travel Service, Michael Jackson, Number One, Calle Cinquo, Holiday Inn, Kai Tak, New Year, Norman Lewis, Prime Minister, Royal Astrologer, San Francisco, Airpot Hotel

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 31 books:

Lady and the Tramp (Little Golden Book) by RH Disney on page 254
Saint Jack by Paul Theroux on page 297
Supreme Court (Books About the U.S.A.) by Harold Coy on page 175
Burmese Days: A Novel by George Orwell on page 215
Baseball Is a Funny Game by Joe Garagiola on page 326

See all 31 books this book cites

5 books cite this book:

Crossing Boundaries: Postmodern Travel Literature by Alison Russell in Back Matter
The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient by Sheridan Prasso in Back Matter
Where Asia Smiles: An Ethnography of Philippine Tourism (Contemporary Ethnography) by Sally Ann Ness in Back Matter
The Cultural Studies Reader by Simon During in Back Matter
Steps to Water: The Ancient Stepwells of India by Morna Livingston in Back Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	79% buy the item featured on this page: Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East 3.9 out of 5 stars (15) $10.17
	6% buy The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (Vintage Departures) 4.1 out of 5 stars (19) $10.17
	6% buy The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto 3.7 out of 5 stars (41) $10.17
	5% buy Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of The World 3.6 out of 5 stars (16) $10.36

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Late 80s Asia, March 2, 2003

By	therosen "therosen" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Pico Iyer has written an interesting set of annecdotes on Asia during the late 80s boom years. It covers the isolation of Burma, the sex trade in Thailand, the night life in Nepal, and everything inbetween. The book takes a deeper view beyond the stereotypes to understand the complexities of the cultural merging.

The book really has two main values. First, it gives an annecdotal view of a lifestyle that, while only 15-20 years ago, is already gone. Hong Kong 1986 is a place in transition that is different than Hong Kong today. While many books today provide political and economic viewpoints on the times, and the changes, they don't accurately cover an expats view of life and cultural exchange.

The second value is in understanding aspects of the culture that still apply. India's polyclot of ethnic groups and interaction with the West applies today. Pico Iyer is adept at capturing cultural traits that last, and perhaps even grow, despite the pressures of a globalizing world.

I'm not a universal fan of all of Iyer's material, but this is certainly one of his better works. It's more readable, and the concepts more universal and lasting than some of his other books.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless reporting from ground zero of "west" meeting "east", March 11, 1999

By	Amit Gilboa (amitmail@rocketmail.com) (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This book is excellent. Iyer is not trying to - nor does he in any way claim to - "interpret" or "explain" the countries or people or cultures he is visiting. His goal is to report from the fault line where the colossal mass of Western money and consumer culture bumps up against the even more colossal mass of Asian societies and cultures. This collision produces many fascinating, humorous, and poignant situations which Iyer captures perfectly in his excellent writing. In each country he visits, Iyer is able to identify and bring to the page exactly those details that perfectly symbolize the situations he is writing about.

What especially impressed me was that Iyer does not romanticize or glorify or exoticize what is beautiful about the lands he travels to. Nor does he denigrate their shortcomings. He is a fair and honest observer of what he has chosen to observe: the ground zero of "west" meeting "east".

As someone who has studied in both China and Thailand (as well as two other Asian countries which were not in the book), I can vouch for the accuracy of what Iyer is reporting. Sure, a scholarly author might have added more details about Chinese philosophy or Thai history. But for his chosen topic, Iyer's accounts are complete and flawless.

The book is certainly entertaining, but it is also informative and thought-provoking as well. Well done, Mr. Iyer.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, but if you like Pico Iyer, give it a try., July 13, 2001

By	P. K. Stone (Avon Lake, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a long standing fan of Pico Iyer's writing, I had high expectations of this book. It is entertaining and fun, but Mr. Iyer comes off as rather self-centered. You hear a lot about the girls who meet him (...). Some of the sardonic observations go beyond Mr. Iyers usual clear-eyed notice to the point of churlishness.

That said, it is much better than the usual pabulum offerred by travel essay writers. If you are new to Iyer, start with "Falling off the Map" for a smoother taste of his style.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It!
While I agree that Video Night is abit dated, I still loved the book. And I was delighted to see Murni's restaurant mentioned in the book. Read more

Published 9 months ago by et

4.0 out of 5 stars Cynical Romantic
The currency and accuracy of the information aside (China abolished FECs and foreigner prices more than a decade ago), this book presents many truths that may go against a lot of... Read more

Published 17 months ago by Chan Joon Yee

4.0 out of 5 stars Asia Travelin'
Brings back times of travel before the world learned of the Internet. True description of the oddities of Katmandu for anyone who has spent some time there. Read more

Published on December 27, 2005 by Kevin Smidge

3.0 out of 5 stars Up On The Mountain in Himalayans.
This book is interesting in that Kanmandu used to be closed to the western world. Their culture is so special, being at the foot of Tibet, that we could not appreciate it. Read more

Published on July 30, 2005 by Betty Burks

1.0 out of 5 stars patronizing fluff
I tried reading this book while in Kathmandu, and forced myself to finish the chapter on said city before throwing the book across my hotel room in frustration. Read more

Published on October 17, 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Not interested in history?
Iyer's book captures a particular moment in the 1980s in each of the places he visits. He acknowledges that he provides little historical context for his experiences, such as how... Read more

Published on February 16, 2001 by Adrian

5.0 out of 5 stars Iyer is Wonderful to Read
Pico Iyer is one of the best Asia writers out there. His Lady and the Monk: 4 Seasons in Kyoto is by far the most beautiful book I have ever read. It was magical. Read more

Published on April 27, 2000 by Shogun Len

1.0 out of 5 stars pleasant writing, dreadful reporting
It's all very pretty, but there's plenty just beneath the surface. That, unfortunately is a synopsis of Asia and *not* of Pico Iyer's VIDEO NIGHT IN KATHMANDU, a purported... Read more

Published on February 5, 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars mixed feelings
as a genre, i find travel books lacking. exceptions, perhaps, are the british expat writers like graham greene, lawrence durell, and (sometimes) paul thureau. Read more

Published on January 20, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars a most unusual type of travel essay book on Asia
I am slowly working my way through Iyer's collection of travel essay books,passing them on to friends when I am through. Read more

Published on December 27, 1998 by lkaren reads

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