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Summary
Summary
Maarten Troost has charmed and entertained thousands of readers with his tales of wandering among the remote islands of the South Pacific. When the travel bug hit again, he decided to go big-time, taking on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. In Lost on Planet China, Troost escorts readers on a rollicking journey through the new beating heart of the modern world, from the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to the Gobi desert and the hinterlands of Tibet. With his trademark edge and self-deprecating wit, Troost deciphers restaurant menus (offering delicacies such as garlic cattle penis); visits with Chairman Mao (still dead, very orange); and hikes (with 80,000 other people) up Tai Shan, China's most revered mountain. He learns to fish for tigers by dangling live chickens over Siberian tigers gathered in a pit below; studies Mandarin with a woman who may or may not be a take-out girl; and experiences the booming Chinese economy through its belching industrial towns--before North Korean border guards send him packing for home. Lost on Planet China brings China to life as you've never seen it before, brilliantly confirming Troost's status as the Bill Bryson of a new generation.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In his latest, veteran traveler Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Getting Stoned with Savages) embarks on an extended tour of "the new wild west," China. Troost travels from the megalopolis of Beijing to small, remote trails in the hinterlands, the fabled Shangri-La and all points in between, allowing for a substantive look at an incredibly complex culture. He does an admirable job of summing up the country's rich history, venturing to Nanjing to learn about China's deep-seated animosity toward Japan; he also visits the Forbidden City, and the tomb of Mao Zedong, still very much revered despite his horrific record of human rights abuses. Gross disparity in wealth, omnipresent pollution and the teeming mass of humanity that greet Troost at every opportunity wear on him and the reader alike; the sense of claustrophobia only relents when he gets into more remote areas. Throughout, Troost is refreshingly upbeat, without a hint of ugly American elitism; he often steps aside to let the facts speak for themselves, and rarely devolves into complaints over the language barrier or other day-to-day frustrations. Those looking for tips on Hong Kong night life or other touristy secrets will be disappointed--few names are named--but readers interested in a warts-and-all look at this complicated, evolving country will find this a rich education. (July) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Review
The roving journalist and travel writer takes on China. In his previous two books--Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu (2006) and The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific (2004)--Troost chronicled his time on the tiny, isolated islands of the South Pacific. Here, the author considers a decidedly different environment, a "massive and rapidly changing...vast and complex country." That description proves to be an understatement, as he encounters one bewildering thing after another, from the "hermetically sealed Super Deluxe Executive Suite" at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, the world's highest hotel, to rampant prostitution and unspeakably foul restroom conditions. "It is remarkable," he writes, "how quickly a country like China can reduce a foreigner--this foreigner, in any case--to a state of childlike powerlessness." As Troost travels through Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guangzhou and a half dozen other teeming cities, he notices the pervasive remnants of the Cultural Revolution, as well as the driving force behind the new "Chinese Model" for organizing society: "unfettered capitalism combined with authoritarian rule." With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, the author notes, comes a widening gap between the rich and the poor--the government is currently sitting on a $1.4 trillion reserve--in addition to increasing levels of air and water pollution, which Troost duly notes in each impossibly smog-choked city. The author finds relief in the relative order of Hong Kong, the utter barrenness of the Taklamakan Desert, the quiet calm of Lhasa (Tibet) and the staggering beauty of Tiger Leaping Gorge, but he is underwhelmed by the fabled Shangri-la. Interspersing sections of cultural history--and plenty of tasty and not-so-tasty culinary tidbits--throughout his travelogue, Troost offers a serviceable primer on life in China. But uncharacteristically awkward prose too often creeps into the narrative, and the author relies heavily on bland generalizations ("It's a complicated country, China, full of complicated people") in lieu of thoughtful commentary. Not as smooth or consistently engaging as his first two books, but worthwhile reading for armchair travelers and Sinophiles. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Troost, who entertained readers in The Sex Lives of Cannibals (2004) with tales of life on a South Pacific island, now turns his attention to China. Settled in Sacramento, California, with his wife and two sons, Troost gets restless and floats the idea of moving his family to China. His wife is amenable, so he sets off to scout ahead. What he finds in Beijing is a crowded, smoggy city where something as simple as taking a walk can be a dangerous proposition, given the hazardous traffic. Troost visits one burgeoning industrial city after another, finding immense crowds, odd cuisine, piteous beggars, and masseuses offering sexual favors. He also discovers a country that firmly believes that it's on the edge of something big; in spite of a great divide between poor and rich, China is undergoing a tremendous push toward modernity. Troost's crisp, engaging prose invites the reader to experience his adventures right alongside him. At turns meditative, whimsical, humorous, and shocked, Troost is an excellent guide to the vast, multifaceted country that is modern-day China.--Huntley, Kristine Copyright 2008 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Verdict: Troost tackles modern China with his trademark wit and unstinting honesty. A genuine pleasure to read, this book is recommended for all public libraries. Background: Troost initially traveled to China to see if he and his family could move there and escape Sacramento's pollution and crime. Rather than a refuge, he finds a country changing fast while skipping over nuisances like human rights, copyrights, and pollution controls. Troost (The Sex Lives of Cannibals) is ruthless in his portrayal of China as terribly polluted ("In no way was I ready for the swirling filth that constitutes air in Beijing"), a nation of knockoffs and rip-offs, and cruelly authoritarian in its treatment of Tibet. The author is constantly besieged by offers of questionable Rolexes and Mont Blanc pens and badgered by taxi drivers, beggars, and entrepreneurial women offering massages. A sojourn in the Chinese countryside provides welcome respite for the author and continued entertainment for the reader.--Lee Arnold, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.