Random Review

Taking what is essentially a two month holiday has allowed me a lot of time. Time to think, time to look inside myself and to re-evaluate my life. As I was unhappy with what I found, I decided that I should spend my time reading a bunch of books.

I have no real knowledge of literature (I am just starting this thing), but because I have nothing else to blog about) - I have decided to have a little review slot (also copy-catting my brothers Saturday review which I am slightly ashamed about). In typical RCWR style, I will do no research about bestsellers lists or other reviews, so I will tell you nothing you couldn't find out through a simple google search, and nothing will be up to date.

 

Like the sound of that? Read on.

7 Years in Tibet, Heinrich Harrer (1952)

Since my trip to China in 2005, I have had a mild interest in Chinese history (the trip was one which inspired my desire to see south east Asia). I have constantly been going on about wanting to go visit Tibet and do some trekking through the mountains (another of my new found likings). A guy I used to live with suggested I have a look at '7 Years in Tibet', a book made famous by the 1997 Brad Pitt movie of the same name. It took me some time to track down the book in bookshops (partially because I forgot the authors name), but once i did, I saved it for my Indonesia trip.

The book is hard going for the first part, the author makes the written excuse in his introduction that he is not a writer, and it tells in his writing style (it is also translated from German). It tells the story of Heinrich Harrer, a mountaineering and ski champion of some repute from Carinthia, Austria. In 1949 Heinrich is caught in India (on a mountaineering trip) at the onset of the second world war. His primary fear being captivity, he decides to make his escape from the British PoW camp and after being re-captured twice, he made it to the Himalayas, and eventually to Tibet.

His story really takes off when he talks of the months of hard trekking through inhospitable lands, and the years he spent trying to get Tibet to accept him into the country. However what really inspires is the story of becoming the fried of the Dali Llama, and learning of Tibetan politics and society. He accompanies the Dali Llama into exile from Tibet during the Red Chinese invasion, and goes on to be instrumental in raising global awareness of the plight of the insular Tibetan people on a global scale. 

The vivid and pragmatic depiction of the untouched Tibetan race (before the Chinese cultural revolution in which 1.2 million Tibetans lost their lives) is what has made this one of my favourite books. I can really recommend this.

Rating: 4 1/2 Rabbit Raisins

Mao's Last Dancer (2003)

Continuing the Chinese theme, this was a book that I had no prior knowledge of, and I spotted on an Australian bestsellers list. Another autobiography, this book tells the story of Li Cunxin, a peasant boy living in poverty in the 60's China. The book tells of how his peasant life is affected by the politics of Mao's revolution, how he grew up to love Mao and his policies although he descended into deeper and deeper poverty and starvation. Eventually he was randomly plucked from that poverty by the Chinese government (on the basis of his flexible limbs) who were looking for candidates to attend Madame Mao's dance school, and compete on a world stage.

He works hard, knowing it is his only chance to lift his family out of poverty and build a better life for himself, and upon the death of Mao and the beginning of a new open door policy he becomes one of the first Chinese people to leave the country. Upon leaving, he discovers that all he was told about the 'impoverished west' was fabricated and he uses his dancing as a means to gain freedom from the communist regime.

This book is written exceptionally well and is unputdownable for somebody keen to learn about Chinese peasant culture, and Mao's cultural revolution from the inside. One of my favourite self explanatory quotes echoes a sentiment given to me by a Chinese tour guide 'Oscar' when I was over there in 2005: "I often shed sympathetic tears and I felt even more grateful for the life that Chairman Mao had given us. If our life was heavenly, then these poor 

children's lives in America must be hell indeed."  

Rating: 4 Rabbit Raisins