Emma Larkin

This is a fascinating tour of Burma under the military regime which has dominated this nation for decades, circa 2001. Framed by the author's search for traces of Orwell's years in British colonial Burma, Larkin explores the present day affinities between the world of Orwell's 1984 and Burma today. She powerfully conveys the atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion which often hangs in the air of despotic regimes, the stagnation of the economy and the erasure of Burma's history. In some ways, this is a depressing book to read but I spent some time in Burma a few years before the period of which Larkin writes and it is an accurate, compassionate portrayal of a people betrayed by their leaders. Larkin even sounds an early warning abut treatment of the Rohingya and other minorities.… (more)

Rare Chance to Read About Burma

At times, this book was frustrating because Larkin (a pseudonym) wrote too much about her difficulty in reporting rather than what was happening to the population. She gives great detail into how non-governmental organizations in Burma dealt with Cyclone Nargis. Unfortunately, she was unable (because of restrictions on her movement) to give us much insight into what was really happening outside of Rangoon in the aftermath of the cyclone. This is one of the few books written about present-day Burma.… (more)