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Loading... Riding the Iron Rooster (1989)by Paul Theroux
Loved this book, really like the way Theroux writes. So want to do this trip across Europe and China now. Unmemorable. Tough read, but rewarding! This best-selling. snarky-tourist-spends-an-eternity-traveling-China in the mid-1980s, has held up well. Although long and sometimes redundant (HOW many trains are taken?), it is a wonderful account of mid 20th century China history and modern Chinese government/culture/behavior. 3 1/2 stars as a solid, entertaining book; 4 1/2 stars as an exceptional travelogue.
''Riding the Iron Rooster'' is Mr. Theroux's account of a journey that would drive most people insane. Traveling in China (which is different from living in China) for even a week can be exhausting; how he managed to do it for a year is beyond my comprehension. As one has come to expect of him, Mr. Theroux never wastes a word when re-creating his adventures. He is in top form as he describes the barren deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang, the ice forests of Manchuria and the dry hills of Tibet. He captures their otherworldly, haunting appearances perfectly. He is also right on target when he talks about the ugliness of China's poorly planned, hastily built cities. But his book is mainly about Chinese people, and it appears that Mr. Theroux didn't like them much
References to this work on external resources.
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Read in 2009. (