Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Teaser Tuesday: Lunatic Express



"Suddenly the power came on, the dim lights in the hall and my couchette revealing a world of dirt.  My mattress was so stained it looked like a bullet riddled soldier had died on it."

--What is good about Lunatic Express: Discovering the World . . . via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes by Carl Hoffman: vivid descriptions of traveling in the developing world, like this scene on a train in Africa.
"It was a cheap hotel -- thirty dollars -- but it seemed the most luxurious experience I could ever imagine. Yet a part of me wondered, imagining Ly in a noisy, cluttered home amid too many brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts, who was happier."
-- What is not so good about Lunatic Express: self pitying musings that make a mockery of the difficult conditions in which the people he meets actually live, like this one about an adult professional he met on that same train in Africa. Which one of them is "happier"? Give me a break. That's not a particularly relevant inquiry. 

I just finished this book to review for the Internet Review of Books. Overall, I liked it quite a lot, despite lingering a bit much on his mid-life crisis.


Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.





8 comments :

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  2. Those are great teasers! Sounds like an interesting book, although probably not one I'd want to read.

    TT: Live to Tell

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  3. My teaser is from "Free Sex, Expensive Therapy: the Adventures of a Woman in Search of a Connection," by Judith Sagé. She considers herself a retired codependent, no longer playing various roles to please others. Obviously free sex factored mightily in her life at one point, she suffered from depression and little by little transformed herself and became healthier. Studs Terkel believed in her honesty and ability to identify with other chronic human beings then take the high road to self-transformation would "avoid the lobotomy for all of us." I think that's cool, because I love Studs Terkel!

    Here's my teaser: [[I grew into my fifties and decided the goddess thing was uncomfortable and passé. I said goodbye to random sex and fantasy love affairs and hello to friendships with women and men.]]

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  4. Having misplaced my link here sometime ago I'm catching up. Angler Management I'm sure I could have written if I had any writing talent. Sounds like fun. My recent reading of The Last Child In The Woods by Richard Louv sounds similar in purpose to Nurture Shock. I do like wilderness canoeing and camping but Third World Countries sounds to dangerous for me!

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  5. Joy -- I didn't think I would like it, but it ended up being very interesting. Thanks for the link!

    Liz -- That book sounds terrific! I love the teaser. Thanks for leaving your comment.

    Beth -- Yes, ick. That was probably the most icky description he gave of anything.

    Troutbirder -- Thanks for the comprehensive comment! Now I do feel caught up!

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