Theroux shares with us many of the experiences he had as he traveled all through the different parts and different trains of China and also gives colorful, often laugh-out-loud commentary to accompany these experiences. Of course he retells his experiences with normal people he meets along the way, but he has a knack for landing interviews with some interesting high-society socialites and politicians and sharing these as well. These interviews - if recounted correctly - give a very interesting view of the state of China right before it really begins its dramatic rise to power in the 1990s. Especially of interest was Theroux's seeming obsession with the Cultural Revolution and gathering people's accounts and feelings about it. Some of these accounts are very fascinating.
However, as the title indicates, these oases of fascinating accounts are often littered with somewhat dull accounts that made the book feel too long (in fact at nearly 500 pages for the paperback version, I might argue it WAS too long). Some parts dragged and at that point I would check what percentage I was finished (read it on Kindle) and couldn't believe how long it took to progress even 1%. I found myself doing a skimming/skipping combo at these parts. Particularly from about halfway through the book until the concluding Tibet part it seemed to take a long time. On that, the concluding part on getting to Tibet and Tibet itself was one of the more interesting parts, and probably saved this from being a two-star review.
Also, maps should have been added to the book. It became very confusing to understand where he was journeying which may have defused the ability to imagine yourself riding and experiencing 1980s China with him. Perhaps there is a map in the paper copy, but in the Kindle version, no such map is readily accessible. This could be one of the reasons that it seemed to drag at parts; you start to get the "why should I care?" feeling about the writing.
People particularly interested in China - particularly a close-up, qualitative, at times very humorous look at Chinese society during the transition period of agricultural collective to the economic powerhouse - will perhaps enjoy this more relaxed account of a foreigner traveling in China as it is. But there are other books you should probably read first if you want something a little more serious (for example "My First Trip to China: Scholars, Diplomats and Journalists Reflect on their First Encounters with China").
For people with just a mere passing interest in China, it is too bad there is not an edited-down 200-300 page version. That would be more enjoyable. In its current state, I would say skip it or be prepared to skip parts.
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It is always difficult for a writer to make virtuous people interesting.Highlighted by 81 Kindle readers- in China, as a general rule, you could regard nothing as true until it had been denied. Anything officially denied was probably a fact.Highlighted by 69 Kindle readers
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 7, 2014
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 20, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
Teens_again
Wonderful journey through China
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 4, 2014ReaderCris
Another great book by Paul Theroux
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 11, 2013Dr. Jane M. Mckenzie
Fascinating in true Theroux style
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 30, 2011
Sal Paradise
Humourous and educational
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 1, 2020
