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peebee's review against another edition
5.0
Not even halfway through it, but the story of a dude teaching in a backwater of Japan, called gIRI, surrounded by laggards, dullards, halfwits, dimwits, dipshits, et. al. gives the story the fifth star already.
Finished it. Pretty good stories, never really addresses why travel writing is shitty or offers any advice how to fix it, but at least he backs up my basic premise that people should be able to shit on someone's culture if it's a shitty culture, and not tautologically become a racist. Korea's culture, for instance.
Finished it. Pretty good stories, never really addresses why travel writing is shitty or offers any advice how to fix it, but at least he backs up my basic premise that people should be able to shit on someone's culture if it's a shitty culture, and not tautologically become a racist. Korea's culture, for instance.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
A great travel guide/memoir from Thompson. He’s actually written another great book that’s relevant for the times called, Better Off Without ‘Em, about allowing the South to peacefully secede. But this one is almost as good and centers around how Thompson became a travel writer, secrets of the industry, and some of his personal travel stories. Great stuff.
rampaginglibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I almost put down Chuck Thompson's smile when you're lying: confessions of a rogue travel writer before i was 50 pages into it with the intention of never finishing it (which is something i rarely do~sometimes i will put down a book with every intention of finishing it and not ever doing so but for some reason i often plow through many as i ended up doing with this one~and there were a few interesting parts~more than a few in actuality...) It was Thompson's caustic personality that put me off more than anything (not that i know him or anything, but since this a non-fiction piece that he narrates i did get some sense of the guy and i don't think i liked him much~and he doesn't seem to like much of anything~tho maybe i'm getting him all wrong~he admits that many of the people he now counts as friends"apparently had to overcome some initial repugnance toward my supposedly radioactive personality." And i have come to really like a few people i absolutely hated upon first, second and third impression...)
But, shall we get back to the book? I can't remember why i picked it up (are you getting sick of hearing that from me?) I think perhaps because i like reading travel narratives (and no, Chuck, not the rhapsodizing, sunny type that the travel editors demand~as you argue in this book~and i do believe you, there~but the book type that describe the good and the bad) and this one purported to describe the "real story" from someone who had been to many, many places. Alas 'twas not to be.
This included less description of travel and more bitching about life and politics than much of what i've read of late. He describes experiences teaching English in Japan, traveling in Southeast Asia, some in former Soviet bloc countries and that seems to be about it (well there is a bit more but mostly it is just opinion spouting~he hates the Caribbean and really likes Latin America.) I must give Thompson credit for a sense of humour and there are a few bits worth reading as well as a few bits that were a little enlightening (and i suppose it's good every now and then to read things that just plain piss you off~more than just occasionally in fact.) There are a few travel tips most of which are common sense, some of which are silly and stupid, some of which are very helpful (rubbing batteries on your leg for a few extra hours of static electric charge~never knew...). The book takes a truly ugly and surprising turn at the end talking about the possible end of oil-dependent energy, which while true, seemed out of place.
Thompson does describe some of his youth in Juneau, Alaska (been there, done that~NOT to be confused with Anchorage as some reviewers have done~Thompson would be appalled) Alaska he describes as the whitest state in the nation (Utah being the second) having lived in both i would have to agree somewhat (that is IF you are excluding Native Americans and Hispanics which i suppose he is...) this is a very personal account about much more than travel (and very little travel at that. Mostly rant, rant, rant about anything and everything. I didn't absolutely hate it though. From what i can gather Thompson is about the same age (and i didn't disagree with everything he said~and i haven't been to many of the places he describes so i can't have an opinion on much of that...) as me so you would think we would have more in common (and perhaps we do~i often wonder exactly how unlikeable i am, and for that matter~exactly how parenthetical i can become...)
But, shall we get back to the book? I can't remember why i picked it up (are you getting sick of hearing that from me?) I think perhaps because i like reading travel narratives (and no, Chuck, not the rhapsodizing, sunny type that the travel editors demand~as you argue in this book~and i do believe you, there~but the book type that describe the good and the bad) and this one purported to describe the "real story" from someone who had been to many, many places. Alas 'twas not to be.
This included less description of travel and more bitching about life and politics than much of what i've read of late. He describes experiences teaching English in Japan, traveling in Southeast Asia, some in former Soviet bloc countries and that seems to be about it (well there is a bit more but mostly it is just opinion spouting~he hates the Caribbean and really likes Latin America.) I must give Thompson credit for a sense of humour and there are a few bits worth reading as well as a few bits that were a little enlightening (and i suppose it's good every now and then to read things that just plain piss you off~more than just occasionally in fact.) There are a few travel tips most of which are common sense, some of which are silly and stupid, some of which are very helpful (rubbing batteries on your leg for a few extra hours of static electric charge~never knew...). The book takes a truly ugly and surprising turn at the end talking about the possible end of oil-dependent energy, which while true, seemed out of place.
Thompson does describe some of his youth in Juneau, Alaska (been there, done that~NOT to be confused with Anchorage as some reviewers have done~Thompson would be appalled) Alaska he describes as the whitest state in the nation (Utah being the second) having lived in both i would have to agree somewhat (that is IF you are excluding Native Americans and Hispanics which i suppose he is...) this is a very personal account about much more than travel (and very little travel at that. Mostly rant, rant, rant about anything and everything. I didn't absolutely hate it though. From what i can gather Thompson is about the same age (and i didn't disagree with everything he said~and i haven't been to many of the places he describes so i can't have an opinion on much of that...) as me so you would think we would have more in common (and perhaps we do~i often wonder exactly how unlikeable i am, and for that matter~exactly how parenthetical i can become...)
alilbitofreading's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me a lot longer to read than I initially thought. I love travel stories and I was curious to read, for once, stories that didn't describe food as "delicious" and the scenery as "beautiful". Thompson is pretty funny, especially when he recalls his experiences in a Japanese classroom. He is really interesting; doing drugs in Alaska, working for campaigns, road tripped around Canada with an old car, stranded and robbed in Thailand, etc. It makes me more excited for my future plans of traveling. I'm also so jealous of all writing jobs!
However, I wanted more humor and more detailed experiences. I wanted to read more about the taboo subjects of the conservative worlds that he experience first hand. While I did like the book, all in all, it was just all right.
2.5/5
However, I wanted more humor and more detailed experiences. I wanted to read more about the taboo subjects of the conservative worlds that he experience first hand. While I did like the book, all in all, it was just all right.
2.5/5
rocketiza's review against another edition
4.0
Jaded, opinionated and conceited, yet thoroughly entertaining. The narrative jumps throughout his life and travel experience offering his perspective on travel and writing about travel. highly recommended
beths0103's review against another edition
2.0
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I like that he's attempting to expose the phoniness of the travel writing industry, but on the other hand, on many other occasions, he sounds way too embittered to really be taken very seriously. I mean, he says he hates Colorado for Heaven's sake! And he has the nerve to say that if you're a North American, New Zealand isn't worth the expense and to just go to British Columbia instead. British Columbia is on my list of places to visit in my lifetime, but so is New Zealand. Traveling isn't just about seeing different landscapes, but also about encountering different cultures. So what if New Zealand's geography is like British Columbia? Geography is just one variable in a list of many that make a place worth visiting. There were things I liked about the book, but there were also some things that didn't sit right at all with me. But I guess that's what makes for a good discussion.
mattycakesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Here's the thing -- he's not wrong about the travel writing industry basically being an advertising arm of the tourism industry. It's just that the tourism advertising industry also exploits these kind of edgy, Hunter S. Thompson-esque confessionals to get people to travel places, too. It's just a different face targeted at a different audience. He's still part of the same machine, even though he's being "honest."
With all that said, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Sure, he's a bit of a jackass, sure, the "rogue travel writer" persona is a wee bit tired, but he writes beautifully more than once. The "Lost Among Expats" chapter is particularly good.
With all that said, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Sure, he's a bit of a jackass, sure, the "rogue travel writer" persona is a wee bit tired, but he writes beautifully more than once. The "Lost Among Expats" chapter is particularly good.
traciemasek's review against another edition
1.0
I'm two chapters in and this dude is coming off as such a douchey frat boy that I'm reflexively rolling my eyes and passing constant judgment. But he's writing about drugs and Thai prostitutes, so I'll probably stick with it. Sex sells, kids.
Turns out, I was right to pass judgment. This guy is a total ass, a terrible writer, and he thinks he's hilarious. STOP WITH ALL THE SIMILES.
Seriously, don't waste your time reading this. Especially if you like to travel.
Turns out, I was right to pass judgment. This guy is a total ass, a terrible writer, and he thinks he's hilarious. STOP WITH ALL THE SIMILES.
Seriously, don't waste your time reading this. Especially if you like to travel.
kel_pru's review against another edition
3.0
While I didn't appreciate his tirade against teachers who have it "easy", I enjoyed the pretentious stories about his crazy travel experiences. The outline and set up of the book left a bit to be desired.