Details Containing Books A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
| Title | : | A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East |
| Author | : | Tiziano Terzani |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 384 pages |
| Published | : | April 23rd 2002 by Broadway Books (first published 1995) |
| Categories | : | Travel. Nonfiction. Cultural. Asia. Autobiography. Memoir. Biography |
Tiziano Terzani
Paperback | Pages: 384 pages Rating: 4.18 | 4365 Users | 321 Reviews
Representaion As Books A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
"An utterly charming and engaging travel book that offers vivid portraits of unusual corners of Asia, told by a skilled raconteur whose eyes were open wide." --Los Angeles Times Book Review Warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller not to risk flying for an entire year, Tiziano Terzani--a vastly experienced Asia correspondent--took what he called "the first step into an unknown world. . . . It turned out to be one of the most extraordinary years I have ever spent: I was marked for death, and instead I was reborn." Traveling by foot, boat, bus, car, and train, he visited Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Geography expanded under his feet. He consulted soothsayers, sorcerers, and shamans and received much advice--some wise, some otherwise--about his future. With time to think, he learned to understand, respect, and fear for older ways of life and beliefs now threatened by the crasser forms of Western modernity. He rediscovered a place he had been reporting on for decades. And reinvigorated himself in the process.Itemize Books Conducive To A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
| Original Title: | Un indovino mi disse |
| ISBN: | 060980958X (ISBN13: 9780609809587) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Containing Books A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
Ratings: 4.18 From 4365 Users | 321 ReviewsWeigh Up Containing Books A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
This was nothing more a continual diatribe against the negative effects of development in Asia. Heavy on exposition/editorial, light on narrative and scene. I think it could have been effective as an essay or editorial but a 365 page rant? In fairness, there was some reference in the book jacket copy to the anti-materialism message but I was not prepared for such a negative and one-sided book (surely there have been some positive effects of development like rising standards of living?). And also
I picked up a paperback copy of this from a sidestreet bookshop in Bangkok. It was tightly wrapped in plastic to protect it from the mold and humidity, but fortunately when I was finally able to open it upon returning to Singapore, it still had a pleasantly-sweet used book smell.I'm glad I found this book and I'm glad the shopkeeper recommended it (although I think it was the third or fourth book he recommended, just wanted to sell me something, struck me as more of a salesman than a reader,
I loved this book. It is the haunting story of a middle aged Italian journalist from Florence whose lifelong beat has been Asia. He has lived and worked there most of his life and watched it go through wars and "development." In 1976 a fortune teller in Hong Kong tells him that he will die in a plane crash in 1993 so he shouldn't fly that year. It's a long way off but years pass and when 1993 comes, now in his late 50's Tiziano Terzani decides he will organize his ongoing work so that he can go
I don't share many of Terzani's ideas (the book leitmoitiv is how things were better when everybody (else) was much poorer).Even if these are the premises, the book is quite interesting as he's a good and curious journalist that travelled extensively, at the end of the year travelling until Europe by train and else (but it won't talk much about this part).The book is about his experience of one year (1993) spent travelling through Asia without taking planes. His style is pleasurable and easy to
I don't usually read reviews.. But I saw that this book has a very good rating and I thought maybe I'll insert a different perspective over here.Half way through the book, I flipped to check the title and the blurb to verify if I got the wrong idea about it. Nope, nowhere does it say the author will spend half his time voicing out his distaste of the Chinese. I must say, what he writes isn't always wrong but he's not exactly objective either. Moreover, I feel like many of his comments come from
A while back I read a book, that made a huge impression on me, it highlighted the native American culture and how so much of it is disappearing. This book in many ways resembles that one, though the location is very different, a look at the disappearing Asian primitive landscape, it being overtaken and changes through progress.This is also, a book that I had never heard of nor probably picked up if it wasn't a recommendation pick from a group I am in. It covers so much ground, different beliefs
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