Lost on Planet China Review
TITLE: Lost on Planet China
AUTHOR: J. Maarten Troost
GENRE: Travelogue
Synopsis
Maarten Troost has charmed legions of readers with his laugh-out-loud tales of wandering 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. ~ Read more at Goodreads.com
Distressingly Hilarious
Did you know that one-quarter of the pollution found in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains originated in China? This is just one of umpteen distressing facts in this hilarious travel journal called Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost. He’s one of a very few authors that can take me from a grown to a guffaw in a matter of seconds.
For awhile now, China had been popping up in a lot of my conversations. I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard that my kids should forgo Spanish, French and German in favor of Mandarin class in preparation for the impending economic revolution. As much of a wanderer as I am, I’m not yet sure if I’m hardy enough to tackle China…because China intimidates me. So when I went to the library in search of more Troost laughs, I was thrilled to find one that enabled me to wander [and laugh] vicariously through [and at] him.
I was particularly pleased with this decision as I closed the back cover. Troost faced numerous “challenges” that would have broken me. I was immensely relieve to laugh my ass off at his expense in the sanity of my own home.
This is my second Troost book. I adore him. His writing style is easy going, informative, smart(ass) and, yes…hilarious.
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If this Lost on Planet China review piqued your interest, check out my review of my FAVORITE Troost book—The Sex Lives of Cannibals. Less memorable, but good for more than a few snorts, is Getting Stoned With Savages – A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu.
Sounds like you and I once again think alike. As much as I am sure there are places within the country that would amaze me, the sheer size of the population and that chaos you mentioned would surely intimidate me and make for not such as enjoyable visit.
I’ll be looking for something to read on the plane tomorrow, so might see if the local bookshop has one of his. 🙂