Riding the Iron Rooster

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Summary: A Theroux adventure of epic proportions . . .
Review: "Riding the Iron Rooster" is a large scale adventure pursuing the elusive national character of the people and lands of China. Theroux bumps about in assorted steam locomotives, brewing his tea and peering out the window at dramatic landscapes passing by, from molten deserts to majestic lush green agricultural lands. He freezes in seedy northern hotels, which supply no heat, and mulls among desert dwellers shooting pool in the streets in the extreme western part of the country. Theroux convinces the reader that China is not one country, but many cultures forced to coexist in an artificial political arrangement. Vivid Theroux descriptions abound as usual, about the people, their habits, and the rickety, antiquated world they inhabit halfway around the globe. Highly recommended

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Summary: Tag sale surprise!
Review: After fighting through the begining of the book,I found the description of both China and her people fascinating. I felt the author really sought out the true China and the hidden feelings of the Chineese people. I was particularly interested in the decoding of the Chineese laugh. I'm guessing the author didn't get many sincere laughs with all the proding questions he asked. A brother of a friend of mine is embarking on a three year stay in China through his work. I've recomended this book to him and I'm anxious to here his experiences compared to Mr. Theroux.

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Summary: He know China/Chinese more than most Chinese do
Review: Being a Chinese myself, I grew up in China and have been to the most places in the same period of time as Paul described in this extremely entertaining book. I can personally verify the accuracy of his accounts of China. He vividly and accurately depicted the details of the Chinese living and mentality. His perspective on the subject not only provide a great reference for foreign travelers, but also a valuable teaching material for the native Chinese to reflect on. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to have anything to do Chine/Chinese.

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Summary: Ha! ha! ha! We're screwed!
Review: First off, let's just accept that this is a great book. Maybe it's about a China that's now gone, but it's a great read nonetheless.

For me, well, I once worked with a bunch of Chinese guys, in the US and in Japan. Personally, I think Theroux's observations of ordinary Chinese people are right on the mark. What struck me most was the Chinese laugh. It's true what he says, that the laugh usually means anything but mirth. Sometimes it's to cover embarrassment, sometimes to cover pain, but rarely is it the loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind.

Talking to buddies of mine who've traveled in China, mostly by train, and in the last couple of years, I'm struck that not all that much has changed. Maybe for the top 0.25%, but that's about it.

Anyway, a good read.

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Summary: Valuable and informative
Review: For me the value of this book lies in its detailing of life in China during the period between the end of the Cultural Revolution (1976) and before the massacre in Tiananmen Square (1989), a period not often written about. China isn't much like this anymore, thank God, but the book remains valuable and informative to anyone interested in modern Chinese history.

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Summary: One long exercise in China-bashing.
Review: Having read The Great Railway Bazaar and The Old Patagonia Express, I looked forward to Riding the Iron Rooster. And I was greatly disappointed. I felt Theroux went to China expecting to hate it and proved himself right. He was contemptuous of Chinese customs and culture. He looked for things to scorn. His arrogance was displayed on every single page. He was condescending instead of curious. He seemed to want to hold the country to the standards of the United States and was disparaging when rules and regulations dictated something different from what he personally wanted. A major disappointment

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Summary: in the history section, not travel
Review: I read this book before embarking on a five month trip across China. Little in Theroux's book resembles present day China. Plus his personal imprint on what he observes is so annoying that I find little value in recommending this book to anyone except historians.

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Summary: 12 years later - is the reality of China still the same?
Review: I suspect the reality of China now and then is not so different. Maybe the new economic openness has improved some conditions, but do the Chinese still spit on the floors of the trains? I'm sure Harbin is just a cold, Yunnan as humid and hot and Tibet still as oppressed.

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Summary: Ups and Downs of Late 80's Travel in PRC
Review: I was assigned this book for a class in modern Asian history. The professor was deadly dull, but I'm glad I took the class because it led me to Paul Theroux. In RtIR I found some of the funniest and most memorable bits of nonfiction in my life. China is a truly unique place and Theroux seems very well suited to its mysteries.

The author has made a career out of sharing his wit and wisdom about his travels in the world (fiction as well as non). As in all his travel tales, Theroux points out everything odd and fascinating to him along his route to and through the area he's focused on, including meaningful chunks of local history, literature, and cultural background. This is very literate travel writing and, taken with a grain of salt, can be highly educational though parts are a bit dated now.

You'll learn nearly as much about Theroux (or the character of Theroux, travel writer) as you do about the place. There is no story here: this is travel writing and you must go with the flow or put the book down. But the payoffs are tremendous; there are always dozens of "I gotta read this to somebody" passages in Theroux books. This one is no exception. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in modern China and some humor.

Rating:
Summary: Ups and Downs of Late 80's Travel in PRC
Review: I was assigned this book for a class in modern Asian history. The professor was deadly dull, but I'm glad I took the class because it led me to Paul Theroux. In RtIR I found some of the funniest and most memorable bits of nonfiction in my life. China is a truly unique place and Theroux seems very well suited to its mysteries.

The author has made a career out of sharing his wit and wisdom about his travels in the world (fiction as well as non). As in all his travel tales, Theroux points out everything odd and fascinating to him along his route to and through the area he's focused on, including meaningful chunks of local history, literature, and cultural background. This is very literate travel writing and, taken with a grain of salt, can be highly educational though parts are a bit dated now.

You'll learn nearly as much about Theroux (or the character of Theroux, travel writer) as you do about the place. There is no story here: this is travel writing and you must go with the flow or put the book down. But the payoffs are tremendous; there are always dozens of "I gotta read this to somebody" passages in Theroux books. This one is no exception. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in modern China and some humor.