Paul Theroux's 'The Great Railway Bazaar' is a travelogue that follows the author's four-month journey across Asia by train, from London to Japan and back via the Trans Siberian Railway. Theroux explores various countries, encountering a diverse array of people and cultures along the way. The book provides a vivid snapshot of life in Europe and Asia, capturing both the surreal and gritty realism of the landscapes and characters he encounters. Despite Theroux's critical eye and sometimes arrogant tone, the book offers a compelling narrative of train travel through different countries in the early 1970s.
Theroux's writing style is described as witty, engaging, and fast-paced, allowing readers to feel like they are accompanying him on his adventurous railway journey. The author's observations and self-deprecating manner towards the end of his trip add depth to the narrative, providing insights into the historical and cultural context of the places he visits. While some readers find Theroux's misanthropic tendencies and occasional condescension off-putting, others appreciate his ability to bring characters to life and paint vivid portraits of the destinations he explores.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains references to drug use, prostitution, violence, and potentially insensitive cultural observations that may not resonate well with all readers.
From The Publisher:
First published more than thirty years ago, Paul Theroux's strange, unique, and hugely entertaining railway odyssey has become a modern classic of travel literature. Here Theroux recounts his early adventures on an unusual grand continental tour. Asia's fabled trains - the Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Frontier Mail, the Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Mandalay Express, the Trans-Siberian Express - are the stars of a journey that takes him on a loop eastbound from London's Victoria Station to Tokyo Central, then back from Japan on the Trans-Siberian. Brimming with Theroux's signature humor and wry observations, this engrossing chronicle is essential reading for both the ardent adventurer and the armchair traveler.
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1 comment(s)
I expected something more. This book wasn't bad, but it was a bit boring at times.
Although I can see how Theroux may have influenced other travel book writers. He found a really interesting way to describe his journey. Especially compared to earlier authors writing travel books, Theroux's method is innovative. I absolutely cannot deny that. Unfortunately, the method he chose also made me feel unsatisfied reading his book, and caused the author to leave out some of the things that are most interesting to me.
In my opinion, the author cannot get rid of the westerner's perspective, and I often felt that he thought he was better than the natives around him. A civilized man among uneducated and uncouth savages. Theroux could look with contempt at the people he met who lived in conditions that he considered disgusting or choked with the dream of living in the West.
We should also not forget that the author very often traveled in truly luxurious conditions. So he watched everything from the perspective of an upper-class man who deserved considerable privileges. He didn't spend the night crammed with the poor in a third-class car. No, he could only complain about the unpleasant company in the two-person sleeping compartment. He was looked after by representatives of the embassy, he dined with diplomats and the elite of the countries he visited. In his book, the reader may sometimes miss that the author's voyage had little to do with machete-treading through the jungle, and much more to do with the typical journeys of wealthy Britons in the 19th century, who expected to be served tea at five o'clock no matter what and complained if they didn't get fresh milk with it.
I also know that 30 years later the author decided to go on another journey along the same trail and described it in another book. I'm really curious how his views have changed and how he sees the world now. I think one day I will read this book. I will also try to give this author another chance, because I think there is a lot of potential in his work after all. I also believe I was reading his book at a time when I wasn't in the mood for a story like this.
What can you read after
The Great Railway Bazaar?
About the Author:
PAUL THEROUX is the author of many highly acclaimed books. His novels include The Lower River, Jungle Lovers, and The Mosquito Coast, and his renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and Dark Star Safari. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod.
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