Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux My rating: 5 of 5 stars Having lived and worked in the British Protectorate, Nyasaland in the 1960s, Singapore in the 70s and England after that, Paul Theroux is well-placed to write a book on the in-and-outs, snobberies and brutalities of the British Empire. He also has the language of … Burma Sahib
White Monkey by Carlos Hughes My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a hilarious take on the English teacher in a foreign country story. To those who have been there, the stages are familiar. For the rest, it goes like this: A twenty-something with a university education but limited prospects accepts a job in … White Monkey
American Pilgrim by Roosh V. My rating: 4 of 5 stars Even in his pick-up artist phase, Roosh Valizadeh’s writing displayed a level of introspection and observation which made his books worth reading. In ‘American Pilgrim,’ Roosh is on the road—giving us his take on worldly issues for possibly the last time. His aim isn’t … American Pilgrim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not a spoiler because it’s made clear early in the book: Mike Stoner’s protagonist Newbie has come to Indonesia on the run from the grief he’s suffering from the accidental death of his English girlfriend. Jalan Jalan is an accomplished entry into the ‘Clueless Westerner in Asia’ genre. Most … Jalan Jalan
A tightly written, hilarious, and with hindsight tragic memoir of Shawn Matthews’ first three months in Korea teaching at a Hagwon on an island off the coast of Busan. A qualified teacher working as a mental health counsellor for low pay, Matthews is living in Syracuse, New York. He still pines after his ex-girlfriend. He … Island of Fantasy
Earlier in 2023, I wrote a review based on what I remembered from having read “Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja” in 2003. This book had popped into my mind many times over the years, and with a first-ever trip to Cambodia coming up, I thought … Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja Reconsidered
Links go to my reviews on Goodreads Sexual Fascism — In these essays the USA compares poorly with China in terms of sexual freedom White Faced Lies — This graphic novel details the rent-a-white-guy in China phenomenon Unwelcome — An anti-coming-of-age novel set in China and the US, gripping in the tear-legs-off-a-spider kind of way Default … Eight indie/small press books I reviewed in 2022
The Dragonhead: The Godfather of Chinese Crime–His Rise and Fall by John Sack My rating: 5 of 5 stars As others have mentioned, “The Dragonhead” is a great read taken as a novel but doesn’t hold up as a true story. The Dragonhead himself, Johnny Kon, crosses over into Hong Kong in the 60s as … The Dragonhead
In ‘Civilization and its Discontents,’ Freud tells us that civilisation necessitates the curbing of the natural expression of the libido, and this repression leads to neurosis. The answer is to redirect the libido into work or artistic expression. For author Isham Cook, the state keeps us in fear of our libido as a mechanism of … Sexual Fascism
