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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
A little more detached and colder than his previous books. The reasons for journeying were more personal, so it might follow that his writing becomes more guarded. Lots of old family history which was revealed in the early chapters- these were the most enjoyable. Otherwise, a bit of a slog that hasn't stayed with me.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
I was expecting an adventure but this was more of a pilgrimage To a Mountain in Tibet by the author as a healing journey following the deaths of family and in honor of them. Quite a lot of information about the culture and history of Tibet, the monks, the Buddhists and other pilgrims. Some of this is greatly moving and some quite chilling and all quite interesting.
I grabbed To a Mountain in Tibet because I'd love to go to Tibet someday, and duh! It's a book about a guy who goes to Tibet.
But holy cow is it so much more than that. I still conjure up the images I read in it. Beautiful and haunting and enigmatic. The author excels at describing place and people while keeping intact the mystery that surrounds it all. He doesn't hesitate in facing the cultural differences that put him off, and he avoids the unreality that is the legend of Tibet. He doesn't make it out to be some magical, otherworldly place. There's so much more to it than that. He takes part in a pilgrimage that is physically life-threatening, and that he hopes will help him deal with the death of his mother. That's part of what drew me in so much, I think. Journeys undertaken as a way to deal with grief are always so poignant, and much deeper than typical travels. It's very fitting for Tibet.
I have often romanticized Tibet in my head, joining the ranks of millions of Westerners who always have done that. Thubron does a magnificent job exposing that, lifting the veil from a place that can be at times harsh, lovely, confusing, brutal, and that has a violent history.
From prayer flags to sky burial to statues of deities with confusing identities hidden in little nooks, Thubron takes Tibet and expresses his experience there eloquently and without too much personal bias. If anyone is interested in knowing more about that mysterious part of the world, I would suggest this book as a place to start.
But holy cow is it so much more than that. I still conjure up the images I read in it. Beautiful and haunting and enigmatic. The author excels at describing place and people while keeping intact the mystery that surrounds it all. He doesn't hesitate in facing the cultural differences that put him off, and he avoids the unreality that is the legend of Tibet. He doesn't make it out to be some magical, otherworldly place. There's so much more to it than that. He takes part in a pilgrimage that is physically life-threatening, and that he hopes will help him deal with the death of his mother. That's part of what drew me in so much, I think. Journeys undertaken as a way to deal with grief are always so poignant, and much deeper than typical travels. It's very fitting for Tibet.
I have often romanticized Tibet in my head, joining the ranks of millions of Westerners who always have done that. Thubron does a magnificent job exposing that, lifting the veil from a place that can be at times harsh, lovely, confusing, brutal, and that has a violent history.
From prayer flags to sky burial to statues of deities with confusing identities hidden in little nooks, Thubron takes Tibet and expresses his experience there eloquently and without too much personal bias. If anyone is interested in knowing more about that mysterious part of the world, I would suggest this book as a place to start.
Have to admit I skimmed this (after trying to listen to an audiobook where the narrator swallowed the end of each sentence) and enjoyed reading about his climb, the countryside and the people. The religious traditions he describes left me cold. As he says of himself, "I belong helplessly to another culture."
The author undertakes a journey, mainly on foot, to Mount Kailas in Tibet, where he joins the Bhuddist and Hindu pilgrims as they circle the holy mountain, which has still never been climbed. During the journey, he meets monks in the remaining monasteries not destroyed during the Cultural revolution and contemplates the loss of his own family members.
A book bout the great travel writer's pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. Since I too traveled to and around this mountain, I wanted to read someone's account of the trip. So I began the book today.
The author is very knowledgeable and knows his material. The problem is that the book becomes hard to follow if you aren’t familiar with the customs and religions of the region. I enjoyed reading about the arduous journey, but I came close to giving up many times when I wondered when he was going to make his point and move on.