- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Lulu Press (August 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1411611306
- ISBN-13: 978-1411611306
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
- Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
David Thompson is a former Vietnam War conscientious objector in Paris on a quest to find himself in the early days of 1977. When he befriends an Iranian and an Afghan and is invited to return with them to their countries, his quest slowly becomes a descent into his own personal hell. On the road from Europe to the East he encounters Kurdish bandits in the eastern mountains of Turkey, becomes involved with an underground group opposed to the Shah in Iran, escapes to Afghanistan, and later suffers extreme sickness on the streets of Delhi and Calcutta. Although continually searching for the happiness and identity he could not find in the U.S., he cannot easily shed his American past. Throughout the journey he is hounded by the demons of memory, particularly that of his father, a World War Two hero who disowned David and died while David was still in prison. The journey itself becomes a physical manifestation of his struggle to achieve reconciliation with his own conscience.
From the Author
Much of this novel is taken from my own experiences. I was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, was court-martialed, and spent time in a military prison in 1969-71. In 1977 I began a journey that took me from Paris to India. This was before the Iranian revolution and the Afghan-Russian war, so I was able to experience some countries that are very difficult to enter these days. It was a journey that I was lucky to survive, and it caused many changes in my views on life.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dull as ditchwater,
By A Customer
This review is from: Looking for the Summer (Paperback)
The only reason I finished this book was because someone had recommended it to me and I didn't want to disappoint them. The protagonist is a cardboard cutout, the lone Good American among hordes of Nasty Americans who have not achieved his level of enlightenment. The Afghans, Iranians, et al whom he meets on his travels could all be interchangeable, and everyone spends far too much time yammering self-rightous screeds and not actually doing anything.The sad thing is that with the settings and time period, this novel could have been fascinating. But the author has taken golden material and turned it into junk - reverse alchemy, if you will. I'm sure that this book was fascinating to live, but unfortunately that fascination was not translated onto the printed page. Don't waste your time. One star.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
2.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dull as ditchwater,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Looking for the Summer (Paperback)
The only reason I finished this book was because someone had recommended it to me and I didn't want to disappoint them. The protagonist is a cardboard cutout, the lone Good American among hordes of Nasty Americans who have not achieved his level of enlightenment. The Afghans, Iranians, et al whom he meets on his travels could all be interchangeable, and everyone spends far too much time yammering self-rightous screeds and not actually doing anything.The sad thing is that with the settings and time period, this novel could have been fascinating. But the author has taken golden material and turned it into junk - reverse alchemy, if you will. I'm sure that this book was fascinating to live, but unfortunately that fascination was not translated onto the printed page. Don't waste your time. One star.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good travelogue and personal philosophy story,
By Paul Lappen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Looking for the Summer (Paperback)
American David Thompson is a Vietnam War conscientious objector. After spending a year in military prison, during which time he became estranged from his family, he travels around Europe, not really sure where he's going or what he's doing. In Paris, he meets a man named Hasan, who encourages David to accompany him back to Iran, his homeland. David is assured that plenty of jobs for foreigners are available. Their paths diverge for a while, and they meet up again a few weeks later, and undertake a harrowing journey to Iran by way of southeast Europe and Turkey.The mountains of southeast Turkey are full of the sort of people who shoot first and don't bother with asking questions later. The two pass many disabled vehicles along the way, but don't even think of stopping; the philosophy is "every man for himself." They eventually reach Teheran, the Iranian capital. It's a dirty, noisy, congested place, like a city that's grown up too quickly. They continue to Mashad, Hasan's hometown, a much cleaner and nicer place. David is invited to a meeting of an informal group of young people to discuss political philosophy; they have heard about his political rebellion. It's during the reign of the Shah, whose secret police, the SAVAK, are everywhere, so many precautions are needed. A few days later, the leaders of the group are arrested, and David is told to leave Iran immediately. He continues on to Afghanistan. While there, he meets some Westerners who are more interested in drugs than in getting a different perspective of the world around them. He is told that he must continue on to India, to experience it first hand. Emotionally, it will hit him harder than anything in his life, but it's something he must do. Throughout his whole trip, and expecially in India, he experiences great kindness from total strangers. He also witnesses poverty and misery on a scale inconceivable to the average American. This book is short, but it works on several levels. It's a good travel story, it's a good political and personal philosophy story, and it's a fine tale of an average person looking for his place in the world. It's well worth reading. |
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