One thing travel has done more than anything is force me from boredom of long train or coach journeys into an avid reader. Here are some of my recommendations.
Chronicles, Stephen Fry
To any Brit he needs no introduction. To Americans he was for a long time the comedy partner and university friend of Hugh Laurie of House fame and Emma Thompson 90s occassional fame. An honest account of 8 years of his life from prison to Cambridge to getting into television. More than a biography he is ruthlessly honest about himself. How he suffers from depression, but looks at the fortunes of his life and feels guilt for being depressed.
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Such a moving story. The film was very close to the book, so if you've seen the film, the main addition is more detail is put on the main character Amirs friend Hassan meeting his demise at the hands of the Taliban. Also in getting Hassans boy back to America from Pakistan is a little harder. If you've not seen the film, the story of a man trying to make up for his childhood transgressions in a heroic way is a near tear jerker. I was on the train from Genoa to Pisa in Italy, and I fought back the tears if only as a family were opposite me, when Hassans letter reaches Amir "when flowers grow in Kabul and the skies filled with kites". I will read it again soon.
Call of the Wild, Jack London
The story of Buck the dog from a domestic in California to the vicious competitive world of an Alaskan Husky pulling sledges. Seeing Buck lose all his love for men, but gain it towards the end after an act of amazing kindness. Then to see his new found love and loyalty for that owner be tested when he meets a wolf, befriends his and is tempted by the call of the wild.
1984, George Orwell
Up until 1984 we wondered how prophetic it was, and it really was. He told of the power struggle of Oceania (USA and Britain) Eurasia (Soviet Union) Eastasia (China), which seemed reminiscent of the cold war. Some will say his prophecy fell short of recognising the fall of communism, and most totalitarian regimes (only North Korea left), and the new world order is one of fear of a bunch of radicals let loose with a plane ticket and a rucksack. Then again, at the end when Winston "loved big brother" I see the propaganda we have today. I read this as a politics student, because well um, I was a politics student so it was the law to. However I enjoyed it all the more now.
Welcome to Hell, Colin Martin.
Now you come to Bangkok and you scour the book stalls for something to read and on every shelf there is something about the legendary Bangkok Hilton. This of course means the harsh prison in Bangkok not the lovely white building that overlooks the Chao Phraya River. Usually its a drug dealer who was short of money and thought he'd slip through the net at the airport. Instead they end in this harsh prison where they sleep on a hard floor, eat dirty rice, watch men wank and a few rapes and beatings thrown in, because that's what happens in prison. Mainly the reason why citizens try not to break the law too often. This guy Colin Martin suffered all the above, but mainly because he was the worlds greatest imbecile.
His Bangkok story starts with a scam when he pays a company $100,000 and some to employ him and his team of welders. Here I would walk away, but he didn't he; came up with the money. The money went and the would be employers stopped answering their phones. The Thai police were not as helpful as he would have liked, and instead of admitting he fucked up royally and trade his way out of the situation, he spent 3 years in Bangkok chasing down the men concerned, oh and getting married and fathering a child. He finds one of the conmen, and punches him, and manages to reclaim some of the money, but it wasn't all of it, so he went after the main guy, finds him, kidnaps him and ends up in tussle with his bodyguard. His version of the events concerning the tussle, which end in the death of the bodyguard and his charge for murder, seem very confused and lead you to believe he did it good an proper m'lud.
His slow acceptance that Thailand has a seperate legal system to England and Wales (not least of all as they stubbornly conduct their courts in the language of Thai) leads him to much frustration. Also his slow acceptance at prison life. From his first day announcing how appalled he was that his fellow inmates pick their noses, gives the reader concern that he is in for a rough ride. He complains about the beatings himself, yet beats up an English inmate for having a cheaky bit of solo fun. Not a likable character and also not a learner from mistakes. Despite not trusting Thais and admitting his Thai wife only saw him as having money, he had no qualms about handing over to her $40000 his Irish family scraped together for his bail. He never saw bail nor the money again.
All appeals fail, even up to Thai Supreme court, yet he only served 8 years for a murder, which makes him a lucky man in some ways. In all a great book as you squirm with embarrasment and feel like shouting at the book when you see the oaf walking blindly into yet another stupid mistake. You also take the view, that if you were a Thai policeman dealing with this cock, you'd hit him with a telephone directory too.
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
Such a funny American writer, so dry and sarcastic in his humour. And why not? He spent his first 20 years in writing and journalism in the UK. His book Notes from a Big Country detail his return to the USA after 2 decades in the UK and I think this book about a walk along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, a journey of 2000 miles seems an personal reconciliation with America. He does it with gusto and his journey companion, Katz a recovering alcoholic with an food obsession leads for an almost enemy to buddy story like the film Planes Trains and Automobiles. Other characters in the book like advice monkey Mary Ellen who vocally knows all but really knows nothing is laugh out loud.
Dotted between the journey and the characters are occasional jaunts into the science and evolution of the AT and the wildlife. His stats and examples make interesting reading. However, like an attentive teacher who knows when my attention is wandering, Bryson pulls you back on the journey before the science bits get boring.
His walk, which I shouldn't say if he completes or not is an impressive feat. It paints a perfect picture of the size of America, and the richness of it. It also makes you debate the aspects of using the countryside for leisure, and the ethics behind it. Sometimes when it seemed hill billy communities (read poverty) and farms were moved off to 'protect the countryside' you wonder how important a walk in the wild is when social cleansing is factored in. I read in literally two afternoons as it was so hard to put down.
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