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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Interesting account of a solo bike trip in the 60's that focuses mostly on her travels in the Middle East. A little repetitive and observing with rose-colored glasses at times; otherwise, I would have given it four stars. Still worth reading. Have an atlas or computer nearby to look up all of the places.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
I just love this book. It’s right up there with Eric Newby’s Short Walk in the Hindu Kush.
Coincidentally, when I was about 2/3 done, I happened to pick up a book of short stories called Servants of the Map, by Andrea Barrett. The title story takes place in the western Himalayas, with many of the same place names that Murphy mentions.
Coincidentally, when I was about 2/3 done, I happened to pick up a book of short stories called Servants of the Map, by Andrea Barrett. The title story takes place in the western Himalayas, with many of the same place names that Murphy mentions.
I just finished this book, and am really torn about it.
On the one hand, Murphy is clearly to be admired for her take-no-prisoners approach to bike touring. She does more with less than most of us could possibly dream of. I would have been a worried mess in a lot of the situations she describes. She does an excellent job of describing the scenery and environment she passes through using simple but evocative imagery.
On the other hand, I find many of her attitudes to be annoying, if not downright loathsome. She complains that the Iranians suffer from "hundreds of years of inbreeding." Later, she wonders why anyone would bother trying to institute literacy in Kashmir when, in her opinion, nobody has ever shown it to be useful to the poor and ignorant. She is freely given the vast majority of her food, lodging, transportation ( when she's not riding ) and then complains that she regretted missing a meal when she gave some eggs to a man who was literally starving. She has some sort of "noble savage" fetish where she constantly complains of how western society is ruining the countries she's passing through by their insistence on building hospitals, roads, railways, and so on. She engages in bizarre double-think where she praises the practice of purdah because she thinks it makes the women happy to know their place, and yet never seems to realize that if she were in that position she would never be allowed to engage in the travel she's clearly enjoying. And so on.
She describes the book as being essentially a lightly-edited diary, and as such, it's really quite well done. She clearly pulls no punches in describing her thoughts and feelings. And that's really the crux of the problem, I really, really dislike her as a person. Honestly, the only reason I continued with the book was to see what sort of ridiculous or oblivious social observation she would come up with next, and she never failed to disappoint in that regard.
My approach to travelogues is to imagine that I'm alongside the author as they go on their adventures. As such, it requires a certain amount of empathy and affection for them. In this case, I feel as if I would have thrown up my hands in disgust and gone on alone as soon as we left Europe.
On the one hand, Murphy is clearly to be admired for her take-no-prisoners approach to bike touring. She does more with less than most of us could possibly dream of. I would have been a worried mess in a lot of the situations she describes. She does an excellent job of describing the scenery and environment she passes through using simple but evocative imagery.
On the other hand, I find many of her attitudes to be annoying, if not downright loathsome. She complains that the Iranians suffer from "hundreds of years of inbreeding." Later, she wonders why anyone would bother trying to institute literacy in Kashmir when, in her opinion, nobody has ever shown it to be useful to the poor and ignorant. She is freely given the vast majority of her food, lodging, transportation ( when she's not riding ) and then complains that she regretted missing a meal when she gave some eggs to a man who was literally starving. She has some sort of "noble savage" fetish where she constantly complains of how western society is ruining the countries she's passing through by their insistence on building hospitals, roads, railways, and so on. She engages in bizarre double-think where she praises the practice of purdah because she thinks it makes the women happy to know their place, and yet never seems to realize that if she were in that position she would never be allowed to engage in the travel she's clearly enjoying. And so on.
She describes the book as being essentially a lightly-edited diary, and as such, it's really quite well done. She clearly pulls no punches in describing her thoughts and feelings. And that's really the crux of the problem, I really, really dislike her as a person. Honestly, the only reason I continued with the book was to see what sort of ridiculous or oblivious social observation she would come up with next, and she never failed to disappoint in that regard.
My approach to travelogues is to imagine that I'm alongside the author as they go on their adventures. As such, it requires a certain amount of empathy and affection for them. In this case, I feel as if I would have thrown up my hands in disgust and gone on alone as soon as we left Europe.
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
I wish I could give half star reviews. I have extremely mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, she was not concerned with the differences of race or breeding, but she was extremely judgemental of places, She walked into India expecting to hate it and didn't bother to hide that or her concerns the people. Part of me wonders how much of her responses are relative to the time and how much belongs to her. I always like Murphy's descriptions of places, but wish she would go further into things than, "It stinks" or "It's beautiful."
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
Here is a witty and good-natured journal of a pretty amazing woman's bicycling trip from Europe through Afghanistan and Pakistan (among other places). The trip's made in 1963, so there is a good slice of interesting Cold War history in the background -- but she squarely places the people and the landscapes firmly in the foreground. It's a bit unsettling to realize how little has changed in 50 years for these places that are now so important to the West once again -- and in other ways, how much.
I'll wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, even if they're not much for travelogues. I found it especially enjoyable to follow Ms. Murphy along her trip using Google Maps -- it gave a real sense of the route and the astonishing terrain we read so much about and (mostly) know so little of.
Also: if you're interesting in goats, there are many loving descriptions of goats, both big and small. You know who you are.
I'll wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, even if they're not much for travelogues. I found it especially enjoyable to follow Ms. Murphy along her trip using Google Maps -- it gave a real sense of the route and the astonishing terrain we read so much about and (mostly) know so little of.
Also: if you're interesting in goats, there are many loving descriptions of goats, both big and small. You know who you are.
Mõnus lugu vahva naise seiklustest! Autor kirjutas meie-vormis, pannes mind alguses mõtlema, kes on ta salapärane reisikaaslane, kuni sain aru, et see on ju ustav jalgratas Roz!
Üldse oli tegu väga õpetliku lugemisega. Mõned näited, mille võrra targemaks sain:
+ ära mine talvel jalgrattamatkale
+ saada ette vaadatud marsruudile varurehvid juba ette ootama
+ Aasias ei vaata juhid kunagi, kuhu sõidavad
+ Afganistanis ei tunta kella: eilne on möödas, tänast tuleb sekeldusteta nautida ja mis homsesse puutub - tulevikku plaanida on patune
+ USA ja NSVL sillutasid võidu Afganistanis teid
+ afgaanid kaevavad ratta alla augu, kui vaja rehvi vahetada
+ täiuslikke maid pole olemas
+ kuuma ilma puhul peaks jooma mahla, teed, piima jne soolaga
Lugedes tekkis ka mitmeid küsimusi. Kõige sügavamalt jäin juurdlema selle üle, kuidas ikkagi oleks kõige õigem viis maha jäänud riike aidata. USA ja NSVL tegid küll palju Afganistani järele aitamiseks, aga riik lõpetas ikkagi Talibani võimu all. Tore oli lugeda, kuidas Kabulis vanasti kord oli, võrreldes seda eelmisel aastal loetud afgaani naise memuaaridega 30 aastat hilisemast perioodist "Röövitud nägu: kahekümneaastasena Kabulis".
Ainus, millest lugedes puudust tundis olid pildid. Autor pidevalt rääkis, kuidas ta tegi sellest või teisest asjast pilti, hiljem küll kurtes, et ükski välja ei tulnud. Enda jaoks loo illustreerimiseks otsisin vahepeal kohanimede järgi googlest pilte juurde. Asupaikade järgi oli jutt õnneks väga detailne ning sai ka juures olevat kaarti näpuga järgitud.
Üldse oli tegu väga õpetliku lugemisega. Mõned näited, mille võrra targemaks sain:
+ ära mine talvel jalgrattamatkale
+ saada ette vaadatud marsruudile varurehvid juba ette ootama
+ Aasias ei vaata juhid kunagi, kuhu sõidavad
+ Afganistanis ei tunta kella: eilne on möödas, tänast tuleb sekeldusteta nautida ja mis homsesse puutub - tulevikku plaanida on patune
+ USA ja NSVL sillutasid võidu Afganistanis teid
+ afgaanid kaevavad ratta alla augu, kui vaja rehvi vahetada
+ täiuslikke maid pole olemas
+ kuuma ilma puhul peaks jooma mahla, teed, piima jne soolaga
Lugedes tekkis ka mitmeid küsimusi. Kõige sügavamalt jäin juurdlema selle üle, kuidas ikkagi oleks kõige õigem viis maha jäänud riike aidata. USA ja NSVL tegid küll palju Afganistani järele aitamiseks, aga riik lõpetas ikkagi Talibani võimu all. Tore oli lugeda, kuidas Kabulis vanasti kord oli, võrreldes seda eelmisel aastal loetud afgaani naise memuaaridega 30 aastat hilisemast perioodist "Röövitud nägu: kahekümneaastasena Kabulis".
Ainus, millest lugedes puudust tundis olid pildid. Autor pidevalt rääkis, kuidas ta tegi sellest või teisest asjast pilti, hiljem küll kurtes, et ükski välja ei tulnud. Enda jaoks loo illustreerimiseks otsisin vahepeal kohanimede järgi googlest pilte juurde. Asupaikade järgi oli jutt õnneks väga detailne ning sai ka juures olevat kaarti näpuga järgitud.