The Great Railway Bazaar cover art

The Great Railway Bazaar

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The Great Railway Bazaar

By: Paul Theroux
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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About this listen

The Great Railway Bazaar is Paul Theroux's account of his epic journey by rail through Asia. Filled with evocative names of legendary train routes - the Direct-Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Delhi Mail from Jaipur, the Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Hikari Super Express to Kyoto, and the Trans-Siberian Express - it describes the many places, cultures, sights, and sounds he experienced and the fascinating people he met.

Here he overhears snippets of chat and occasional monologues, and is drawn into conversation with fellow passengers, from Molesworth, a British theatrical agent, and Sadik, a shabby Turkish tycoon, while avoiding the forceful approaches of pimps and drug dealers. This wonderfully entertaining travelogue pays loving tribute to the romantic joys of railways and train travel.

©1975 Paul Theroux (P)1983 Recorded Books LLC Adventure Travel Asia Travel Writing & Commentary Adventure Railroad Imperial Japan

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All stars
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really excellent a classic excellent a classic excellent a classic excellent a classic excellent a classic read it today

brilliant

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The book had me yearning to get on a train in a time before I was born and in a place before phones and social media. The story is great and each of the chapters function alone, and since I finished it a month ago I have found myself going back to my favourite journies repeatedly since. The performance by the reader is like nothing i have ever listened to. Not sure if I ought to be troubled by the full frontal Indian, Chinese and Japanese accents imitated throughout but the reality is i am not - the whole reading is fantastic theatre, a real one-man show and the dark comedy of Theroux's writing comes out through the incredible performance. The constant stream of consciousness of pomposity, alcoholism and colonial overhangs that pervade this book somehow don't come across as tasteless but rather as a guilty pleasure, feeling somehow terribly indulgent; I want to be boozed up, probably wearing all linen, in a first class sleeper, somewhere between Afghanistan and Pakistan without the sheer terror that would naturally come with doing that in the 21st century. Inevitably, I have the strong feeling this book is Marmite however and other listeners will either love it or hate it. Personally, like Marmite, I love it and I wish Frank Muller had narrated some of Theroux's other work but unfortunately this is the only one

The best audiobook reading I have ever listened to

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After the final words of this epic travelog are spoken, the silence in your head is filled with the rhythmic rocking of a train travelling through the night in some exotic country, far from the comfort and familiarity of your home, populated by travelling companions who are fascinating and infuriating in equal measure. Theroux's incessant, descriptive prose and Muller's syncopated delivery are hypnotic and immersive, so that when the tale was finished, I felt like I had awoken from a vivid dream, filled with the heat, noise and privations of travelling by train across distant continents. It left me enriched.

A rattling good yarn

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One of Theroux’s best. This time without moaning and just bearing the discomforts as they come. It is lovely to relive the places and tracks in lazy listening.

A dream of dreams.

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The book is well narated. The story can get long winded and rambles in places, but it is descriptive and points à picture of what travelling round the world in the early 1970s was like

Enjoyable

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Enjoyed the journey of this book but could have done with a better narrator. The voice grated and actually meant I didn't listen as often as I would have as it put me off. A very sardonic delivery gave a strange experience to the book. I had to work hard to get past that. That was a shame.

Good story. Did not like the narrator.

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Great book made all better by a superb narrator. It feels like you’re actually there.

Thanks

Excellent

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Enjoyed this book. Don't think long distance trains have changed much. Knowing in my lifetime I won't be able to take the trans Siberian is sad, but Paul's description doesn't leaving me wanting!

Great to listen to while on a train

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This book gave me an excellent insight into travel through many countries in the 1970’s and their cultures. My only slight criticism is the writer is at times quite disparaging of others.

A fascinating rail travel book

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Paul takes on this amazing journey, through lots of countries. Istanbul, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Russia, India, and we hear about the many cultures, and peoples at the most random of places. He also ventures out and sees some of the less charming aspects of those worlds, and their realities.
Its a long journey, but with many of theses travel writers, they have a tendency to being persistent and consistent, keeping you hooked for the long journey.

A wonderful journey.

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