Tuesday 23 June 2020

99 problems on 80 Trains (Around the World)



Continuing with the theme of travel books, because what else would you want to read during lockdown? Yes, we're still here, reporting from my London flat which, though I've recently left for a whole day for the first time since March, is still our permanent base.

Waterstones named Monisha Rajesh's latest, Around the World in 80 Trains, its book of the month (last month? This month? Last year? What is time?) so, me being a sucker for all things travel, I thought I'd give it a go, yearning for the promise of some much-needed escapism.

I haven't read Monisha's first book, Around India in 80 Trains (I'm picking up on a theme here) and I know little about her work, except that she's a journalist who has written for the New York Times, the Guardian and other outlets, and that she lives in London with her now husband and daughter. But then, you don't need qualifications necessarily to devise an epic train journey that cris-crosses the world through the US, China, Russia, with a detour to North Korea too, and that ultimately finishes back home in ole' St Pacras station. Which is the story of the book, as you may have guessed - we follow Monisha and her fiancé, Jem, across the world as they experience the highs and lows of train travel across the world, seeking that old-school romance that, spoiler alert, is definitely not dead yet.

What did I like about it?

I was surprised to see the destinations of choice in this book. Far from the usual South America, Europe with a hint of Asia combo, Monisha's book is heavily weighted towards Asia, with only a short chapter dedicated to the US and really not much of Europe at all. It's quite refreshing, actually.

I especially enjoyed reading about their trip to North Korea - much like her, I wasn't aware this was even an option. We learn it's a crime to take a cropped picture of any of the Kims' statues, for example; and, as Monisha reflects, "the Kims had taken pains to be viewed as an enigma by rarely speaking in public, having no known official residence and appearing around the country unannounced"; which means that often, foreigners are not allowed in certain places or events, due to the possibility that Kim Jong Un might be present. (Also not allowed anywhere else by themselves and not allowed in most of the country, but oh well.)

The book really thrives when Monisha lets her sentimental side speak. I felt truly touched when she tries to hide some tears after a Tibetan monk gifts her a scarf, as a thank you for travelling so far to see Tibet. I love her immediate emotional attachment to Karen, a fellow traveller "with Dame Edna glasses and a blunt brown bob", their discussion really reflecting - to me at least - how connections made on trains are something altogether different and special. What are the odds of receiving some genuine life affirming advice and taking it to heart anywhere but a train? "You have to live with no regrets. That's all." Noted, Karen. Noted.

What was I not massively fond of?

On the whole, unfortunately, this book did not provide that much-needed escapism. Much like I felt about Paul Theroux's Great Railway Bazaar, I got annoyed by the feeling that they were mostly having a miserable time on this trip. There are too many complaints of red wine headaches, the wrong shoes, getting lost and generally being unprepared for me to give the author credibility. "That morning, we'd set out on foot to find the Forbidden City, and returned two hours later having managed to get no further than buying bubble tea and a cardigan from Zara." How, I ask?

For me, Monisha seems to place emphasis on the wrong things. She is fascinated by oppression and catastrophe - we spend an inordinate amount of time on the Hiroshima bomb, the 'death railways' of Vietnam and the Chinese oppression in Tibet - but not so much by natural wonders or the real people in the places she visits. I still can't get over her ignorance in relation to the Terracotta Army in China, mostly because she'd entered the room from the back and the warriors were facing away from her ("It didn't bode well that I was standing witness to apparently one of the greatest modern discoveries, but wishing I'd stayed in bed at an inner-city Ibis"). 

In general, there is a lot of judgement and bias in her writing, which is hard to ignore if you don't agree with her opinion. A glaring example from North Korea when she sees an abandoned rail carriage that's been occupied by a family by the tracks - "This was a wonderful example of the juche ideology of self-reliance established by Kim Il Sung. It made perfect sense. Inside was warm, protected from the elements, and there were sleeper berths for all the family." Personally, that's not really the first thing that comes to mind.

To her credit, she does try to talk to the local folk (though it's actually mostly her fiancé who seems to strike up conversations) but when she does, I often felt uncomfortable by the interrogating nature of her discussions. Whether that's just her writing style, or whether these interviews were indeed conducted in this way, I'm not sure.

Overall...

Parts of this book are absolutely wonderful - there are beautiful descriptions of British Columbia, of the mountains of Tibet, of Vietnamese bridges and delicious dishes across the world. And if, like me, you view trains with an endless romantic fascination, you will also see the beauty of it.

But there is a lot to be desired. Perhaps this review is very subjective - perhaps I just had different priorities for Monisha's trip, and I'm the one being unfair. So take this with a pinch of salt. In either case, kudos for her seven-month trip and for really trying the highest and the lowest of trains. I am extremely jealous of their journey home on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - if you only have time for a moment of escapism, it's worth a look.

5/10