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blearywitch's review against another edition
5.0
I found Monisha's account of her journey to be a lighthearted read, producing explosions of mirth, and an acute longing for travel in me, preferably with a best girl friend and tested travel companion (I keep thinking of you, SuSu, and you, Cameelia). I was not discouraged by negative reviews for this book of which there were a bit although I was wary of it as I read. I'm happy to report that the negative reviews were unfounded for me - she was not spoilt, or shedding negative light on India, or awkward, or complaining. I thought she was brave, open-minded, determined, and honest. I kept in mind that this is Monisha's perspective of India, its services, and its people, and myself hailing from Asia with family from India & Pakistan absolutely understood this perspective. India is beautiful and unique, and is capable of making one fall in love with her even just through books. My qualms with the book is only that it felt a little rushed towards the end as she had to fit in her account of the last 20 or so trains and unknown towns in the remaining pages; and that some descriptions run into each other in a halting manner which made me think that there is a difference between an author and a journalist writing a book. I was pleased to find mention of several good books that became her traveling companion to add to my want list:
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found by Suketu Mehta
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Who could have thought there could be so much to learn just by riding trains all over a country?! I hope I get to experience a few of the trains mentioned but most importantly the Maharaja Deccan Odyssey.
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found by Suketu Mehta
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
Who could have thought there could be so much to learn just by riding trains all over a country?! I hope I get to experience a few of the trains mentioned but most importantly the Maharaja Deccan Odyssey.
soniek's review against another edition
2.0
I sincerely wish this journey & the resulting book project were undertaken by someone else who isn't narrow - minded, prejudiced & a much better writer & narrator.
The author is a UK born NRI who decides to cover the length & breadth of India in 80 trains. The challenge is that she hasn't been in India much, it's practically a foreign land for her. Heck, such a trip would be quite a new experience for even resident Indians because the country is big & diverse enough to offer lots of novelty. And trains are the lifeline of India, connecting its remotest, poorest, most undeveloped populaces. And any trip which brings together people from diverse regions, cultures & background; for hours & even days, is bound to give rise to memorable interactions & experiences. Add to that, the geographical diversity itself, because no other mode of transportation can cover such terrestrial variations in a single trip.
And yet, instead of writing a beautiful narrative out of these, the writer gives an unsatisfactory description of the journey, further spoiling it with her own prejudices, stereotypes, consistent complaints about India & Indians, and her weird intermittent spats with her co-traveler.
Nevertheless, if Rajesh is the anti - heroine of this book, the main protagonists are the 80 trains featured. Notable among them are: the 1)Mandovi Express of the scenic Konkan Railways, 2) the luxurious Indian Maharaja - Deccan Odyssey 3,4) the Himalayan Queen & Darjeeling Himalayan toy trains 5) another luxurios Golden Chariot train 6) Lifeline Express (a hospital train), besides the well known & popular Rajdhani & Shatabdi expresses.
Train journeys are so romantic, that despite being annoyed by the writer, this book made me nostalgic & left me yearning for train journeys.
PS: Pick up a better book on Indian train journeys
The author is a UK born NRI who decides to cover the length & breadth of India in 80 trains. The challenge is that she hasn't been in India much, it's practically a foreign land for her. Heck, such a trip would be quite a new experience for even resident Indians because the country is big & diverse enough to offer lots of novelty. And trains are the lifeline of India, connecting its remotest, poorest, most undeveloped populaces. And any trip which brings together people from diverse regions, cultures & background; for hours & even days, is bound to give rise to memorable interactions & experiences. Add to that, the geographical diversity itself, because no other mode of transportation can cover such terrestrial variations in a single trip.
And yet, instead of writing a beautiful narrative out of these, the writer gives an unsatisfactory description of the journey, further spoiling it with her own prejudices, stereotypes, consistent complaints about India & Indians, and her weird intermittent spats with her co-traveler.
Nevertheless, if Rajesh is the anti - heroine of this book, the main protagonists are the 80 trains featured. Notable among them are: the 1)Mandovi Express of the scenic Konkan Railways, 2) the luxurious Indian Maharaja - Deccan Odyssey 3,4) the Himalayan Queen & Darjeeling Himalayan toy trains 5) another luxurios Golden Chariot train 6) Lifeline Express (a hospital train), besides the well known & popular Rajdhani & Shatabdi expresses.
Train journeys are so romantic, that despite being annoyed by the writer, this book made me nostalgic & left me yearning for train journeys.
PS: Pick up a better book on Indian train journeys
razeenrafi's review against another edition
2.0
First of all I would have to tell that this is not a best Travelogue. Author along with her travel buddy named here as passportout travels through 80trains through out India. I started with excitement thinking that this book may provide better insight on travel throughout India ( I personally likes to travel in train ) but book become disappointed to me.
Book don’t give not much detail on places she visits especially on culture,life, history. Also another main fault is that as an NRI she makes sarcastic view of people and culture in some places.
Theme was good but book was a disappointment at last. But we can get idea on some of trains which runs across India from Maharaja used for tourism,Deccan queen,Shatabdhi ( which started on centenary birth of Jawaharlal Nehru),durondo express (non stop train started when Mamatha Banerjee was Railway minister which means’ great’ in Bengali )
Book don’t give not much detail on places she visits especially on culture,life, history. Also another main fault is that as an NRI she makes sarcastic view of people and culture in some places.
Theme was good but book was a disappointment at last. But we can get idea on some of trains which runs across India from Maharaja used for tourism,Deccan queen,Shatabdhi ( which started on centenary birth of Jawaharlal Nehru),durondo express (non stop train started when Mamatha Banerjee was Railway minister which means’ great’ in Bengali )
tbr_the_unconquered's review against another edition
3.0
Travel could perhaps be labelled 'the most addictive activity' for me. But not the tried and worn down places and views for me, it always is a whiff of fresh air for me to be seeing life lived out at places that I haven't been to before. There have always been day dreams of travelling across Europe or the middle east but the most alluring place has always been India for me. On one particularly long wait at an airport, this book with such a curious title chanced upon me and I became friends with it.
The concept of the book is pretty fun to explore : An Indian born Brit - Monisha embarks on a trip across the country on 80 trains that covers the span from Kashmir to Kanyakumari (the northern and southernmost tips of India). Along with her is a 'militant-atheist' photographer who is called passepartout (I remember his real name being mentioned in the beginning but now that part is all foggy !). Their endurance and passion for life is what gives color to this whole travelogue. India's trains are notorious for their punctuality. A friend of mine once wondrously told me while on a visit to Germany that passengers of a train were exasperated when it was late by three minutes ! Trust me, I have known trains that have run three days late in India was what my friend remarked then. This would give you a real picture of how things would have been for our passengers. They however take things in the stride and have a load of fun across these trains. There aren't too many new things in the book for a travelogue. What it does bring forth is the element of fun that these folks get to have. The tone alternates between that of a dispassionate observer and an involved enthusiast and that gives the travelogue a human touch. In all, it is a fun filled package.
Coincidentally by the time I finished the last page of this book, I touched down on American soil ! :)
The concept of the book is pretty fun to explore : An Indian born Brit - Monisha embarks on a trip across the country on 80 trains that covers the span from Kashmir to Kanyakumari (the northern and southernmost tips of India). Along with her is a 'militant-atheist' photographer who is called passepartout (I remember his real name being mentioned in the beginning but now that part is all foggy !). Their endurance and passion for life is what gives color to this whole travelogue. India's trains are notorious for their punctuality. A friend of mine once wondrously told me while on a visit to Germany that passengers of a train were exasperated when it was late by three minutes ! Trust me, I have known trains that have run three days late in India was what my friend remarked then. This would give you a real picture of how things would have been for our passengers. They however take things in the stride and have a load of fun across these trains. There aren't too many new things in the book for a travelogue. What it does bring forth is the element of fun that these folks get to have. The tone alternates between that of a dispassionate observer and an involved enthusiast and that gives the travelogue a human touch. In all, it is a fun filled package.
Coincidentally by the time I finished the last page of this book, I touched down on American soil ! :)
anna_bookish's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book after reading Rajesh's newest book Around the World in 80 trains. I enjoyed her other book mostly because she wrote about many experiences, journeys and places on my bucket list. This book was different, Rajesh introduced to places I've never heard of and took me on journeys I could never brave in real life.
Through the lens of a British-Indian woman this book does everything from detailing incredible landscapes to discuss issues such as race and religion. Her unique travel style and perspective are the perfect way to experience India's railways vicariously. It's the perfect cure for lockdown wanderlust!
Though her second book is definitely more riveting, this little gem definitely deserves 4/5!
Through the lens of a British-Indian woman this book does everything from detailing incredible landscapes to discuss issues such as race and religion. Her unique travel style and perspective are the perfect way to experience India's railways vicariously. It's the perfect cure for lockdown wanderlust!
Though her second book is definitely more riveting, this little gem definitely deserves 4/5!