You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
I almost put it down after the first chapter b/c the descriptions were disgusting...but I powered through and found some redeeming moments.
i just finished this book on a trip to Bangalore so it was particularly entertaining.
the writer is a young Australian woman who quits her job and moves to New Delhi to live with her boyfriend/fiancee who is a reporter for Australian TV. the first part of the book is a hard hitting and tough description of the difficulties of living in India. some of the authors trials and tribulations are funny and some are touching. the writing style is quite entertaining.
the book takes an unexpected twist about half way through as the author becomes bored and decides to pursue spiritual growth by sampling the many religions of India. at this point it becomes fascinating as the author gains access to many of the leading figures in Indian religion and compares and contrasts the cultures of the different believers.
for good measure, the author also recounts her experiences of being in India on 9/11 and then going with her husband to Pakistan before the invasion of Afghanistan which he goes to cover live.
an excellent book! don't let it scare you off visiting India, though. Delhi is like the Newark of India.
the writer is a young Australian woman who quits her job and moves to New Delhi to live with her boyfriend/fiancee who is a reporter for Australian TV. the first part of the book is a hard hitting and tough description of the difficulties of living in India. some of the authors trials and tribulations are funny and some are touching. the writing style is quite entertaining.
the book takes an unexpected twist about half way through as the author becomes bored and decides to pursue spiritual growth by sampling the many religions of India. at this point it becomes fascinating as the author gains access to many of the leading figures in Indian religion and compares and contrasts the cultures of the different believers.
for good measure, the author also recounts her experiences of being in India on 9/11 and then going with her husband to Pakistan before the invasion of Afghanistan which he goes to cover live.
an excellent book! don't let it scare you off visiting India, though. Delhi is like the Newark of India.
I don't really have much to say on this one - it was interesting, I liked parts of the discussion on different religions, but I just didn't love this book. The writing was ok, the story was ok, it was just ok!
I've always been fascinated with India, so I was excited about this book, but it ended up making me think twice about whether or not I wanted to visit. I've always thought of it as a fascinating place with beautiful things and people, and this definitely disabused me of any wrong notions. The author didn't always seem super likable, but in the same way India grew on her, she grew on me, and I found myself enjoying them both in the end.
I read this book a while ago, but I came across this while looking at reviews of the White Tiger. This is a true story of an Australian's journey into the underprivileged parts of India. White Tiger and Holy Cow tread on similar grounds - showing how poverty emanates throughout India. However, the way White Tiger portrays India is with compassion and wit. MacDonald is just cruel and stereotypical of a privileged tourist. Maybe I am bias because I see this novel written in the white man's eyes looking down on the way of life in India. However, I think there could be better ways in showing her "spiritual" journey. No wonder I forgot to add this to my goodreads list, I blocked it out!
I read this while travelling in India and although it met the need to read a local travelogue, I found it quite depressing and fairly down on the country that I was loving. However, I enjoyed the author's style and her little stories about her experiences often rang true. In particular, I was interested in her spiritual trips and experiences as she set out to find the heart of spirituality in India.
What a delightfully interesting book! I love the rich and diverse culture of India, and have slowly been introducing myself to more and more of it. This book was assigned in a religion class back in college, and I absolutely loved it. Before reading this book, I never considered traveling to India. Now it is one of my bucket list destinations!
A very enjoyable read. She writes well and uses her Australian wit to the max. Gives a very good western account of living in India, making it almost a must-read for anyone going there for any length of time. Highly recommended!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
This book really reminded me of the India section of [b:Eat Pray Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269870432s/19501.jpg|3352398]. Same concept- a true memior of searching for spirituality in India. I love reading about India, so I liked this book. I find it a little tediuos to read about people learning to meditate, etc., but this book was interesting in that she explored a number of different religions (albeit superficially). It is interesting to learn how so many faiths co-exist in India.
As far as a travel memoir, this is the first book that has made me wonder if I could really tolerate a trip to India- one that I have been wanting to take. The smells, the poverty, the begging...all sound difficult. But, she overall credits India as the "place that made her".
As far as a travel memoir, this is the first book that has made me wonder if I could really tolerate a trip to India- one that I have been wanting to take. The smells, the poverty, the begging...all sound difficult. But, she overall credits India as the "place that made her".