Lost on Planet China

By: J. Maarten Troost

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

J. Maarten Troost charmed listeners with his humorous tales of wandering the remote islands of the South Pacific in The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages. When the travel bug bit again, he took on the world's most populous and intriguing nation.

As Troost relates his gonzo adventure - dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai, eating yak in Tibet, deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favorites such as cattle penis with garlic), and visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead) - he reveals a vast, complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think.

This insightful, hilarious narrative brings China to life as you've never seen it before.

©2008 J. Maarten Troost (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

I laughed out loud

Having been to China a few times, I found myself bursting out laughing while driving and listening to this engaging book. I enjoyed this book immensely and found it quite factual. Troost's descriptions of the smog, the spitting, the split pants was both hilarious and true. China is a great country with a great history. It also has some downsides. Troost handled the downsides with wonderful humor. Anyone who has spent any time in china outside of a five star hotel will find very familiar descriptions in this book. If you haven't been to china, it is just as enjoyable. This is a side of China. Not all of china, but certainly one truthful side.

Not Just a Travel Writer

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Troost is masterful. Funny, irreverent, honest, and even at times, deeply moving. Unlike many travel writers, he doesn't just visit an exotic local, he lives it. His storytelling is compelling, and it is hard to turn away once you've begun one of his stories.

Furthermore, the Reader on this book is fantastic. He portrays the author and others extremely well, with the appropriate gravitas and levity, even within the same paragraph.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lost on Planet China?

The visit to the Leaping Tiger Gorge was truly memorable. Intermixed among vivid descriptions of beautiful scenery are laugh out loud moments (the overweight travelling companion's bold confidence and near immediate regret), and deeply troubling observations (the encroaching destruction of such a marvelous place).

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to almost the entire book in a day.

Nice Touch

Nice touch here and there: one can't help but burst into laughter...

Informative: it catches a glimpse of the time he travelled in China, while revealing some of China's past and history.

And certainly Simon Vance's performance, as always, makes everything even more enjoyable.

Worn out by the constant

Would you try another book from J. Maarten Troost and/or Simon Vance?

Perhaps.

Has Lost on Planet China turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Simon Vance?

Yes, if it is a good book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

To be fair, I stopped listening halfway. I imagine that travelling in China must be challenging at times. However, it seemed the author did not find anything during his travel in China that he enjoyed or liked. The constant complaining wore me out, and I stopped listening. Perhaps other readers who have listened to the entire book would have different conclusions from mine.

Any additional comments?

I have read his other books. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book.

Brave and honest book about traveling to China

It’s important to note that the book is not about China which is a great country. The book is about a foreign traveller from an advanced country visiting China and sharing his brave and honest opinions. These are rare these days, especially about China. So, when the author asks something like “How can one live in such a polluted city?”, it means that he, the traveler, has an option to come back to his country (he has several: US, Canada, Netherlands — giggle) with higher air quality. Many Chinese don’t have that option. Perhaps some can choose between a big city, small city, and a rural area. I have to agree with some reviewers that the description of China is more negative than I expected (I’ve never been to China). I appreciate the candidness of the book, and as some said, it saved me a trip. (After having read the author’s other books about South Pacific, I wanted to go the islands. This book had an opposite effect.) And of course, the author has a great sense of humor. I wish he did not become an alcoholic (described in his last book) but instead traveled to other interesting places like India, Japan, Russia, Brazil, etc. and wrote similar books!

doesn't hold together

I just can't figure out why he wrote this book. He says something about how he is pondering moving his young family to China because its such an important place, and he goes to check it out. That makes no sense, especially from someone who wanted only to leave civilization in his previous books. I kept thinking, maybe the government paid him to go write a really unflattering book about how messed up China is. The result of reading this book is that I sure don't want to go to China. He didn't have much good to say. The author is funny and the book is pretty listenable. It just had this overlying aura of implausibility. I highly recommend his 2 earlier books. They seem honest and are hilarious. This one...not so much.

Funny and pretty realistic

Narrated by the gifted Simon Vance who brings life to this authors rather caustic view of a rising country.The traffic,the babies pooping in the gutter,and the strange customs and foods of the world's oldest culture are all brought to life as Martin Troost visits many of the best locations in a massive country.Not quite as good as going the personally,but the next best thing.I felt like the author perhaps exaggerated the difficulty of Tiger Leaping Gorge.While it was steep in some places I felt less nervous hiking the trail than I did taking a small van back along the treacherous mountain road beneath the mountain that was being held up precariously in places by wire mesh.One big boulder the hit our van and we could have been floating the Yangtze River.The author talks of his republican friend who was a smoker riding a donkey.I think this part of the book was embellished to appeal to the reader.Many travel writers fictionalize characters to make things more interesting.

Nailed It! J. Maarten Troost Nails It!

This was absolutely one of the best books I've read on China because it really gave an accurate and humorous overview from the author’s perspective.

I've been traveling in and out of China several times over the last couple of years, and the author is right on with a slight exaggeration or two here and there, but overall, this is an excellent read, especially if you ever plan on visiting China!

Thoroughly Enjoying

Would you listen to Lost on Planet China again? Why?

Yes, because I found it not only informational but quite humorous

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

I thought he did a great job

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Every part that that described the collapse of the positive aspects the culture and the destruction of so many parts of China's historical sites.

Any additional comments?

I think Mr. Troost is an amazing story teller. When I first started to listen to the book, I thought it was a novel. I found myself laughing out loud at some of his experiences. I was fortunate to have traveled to Beijing and Guangdong in the mid 1980's and my experience there was much different than that of Mr.Troost. At that time in history, there was no smog or pollution. There were very few vehicles or factories. At the time, I found that the govt was very oppressive and felt sorry for the Chinese people. I still feel sorry for them in many ways but not the ways I felt for them in 1985. It was a different kind of Planet China at that time.

My favorite and funniest audible book ever!

I have listened to this book numerous times without being bored. J. Maarten Troost is so funny and insightful. I can't wait to read his other books.