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Riding the Iron Rooster

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 3,724 ratings · 153 reviews

Paul Theroux invites you to join him on the journey of a lifetime, in the grand romanttic tradition, by train across Euope, through the vast underbelly of Asia and in the heart of Russia, and then up to China. Here is China by rail, as seen and heard through the eyes and ears of one of the most intrepid and insightful travel writers of our time.

Paperback, 464 pages

Published March 28th 1989 by Ivy Books (first published January 1st 1983)

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May 29, 2012 mark monday rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: guidebooks

3 Things about Riding the Iron Rooster:

(1) land sakes, Paul Theroux does not like human beings! he seem like a very disdainful and contemptuous person in general. that disdain and contempt certainly includes the Chinese - which was an off-putting and distancing thing to experience when reading a travelogue concerning China. at times it really got to me and i found myself disdainful and contemptuous of the author in return. he began to drive me up the wall with - as another reviewer notes - his r...more 3 Things about Riding the Iron Rooster:

(1) land sakes, Paul Theroux does not like human beings! he seem like a very disdainful and contemptuous person in general. that disdain and contempt certainly includes the Chinese - which was an off-putting and distancing thing to experience when reading a travelogue concerning China. at times it really got to me and i found myself disdainful and contemptuous of the author in return. he began to drive me up the wall with - as another reviewer notes - his relentlessly consistent authorial voice. i'd have to remind myself that he also wrote The Mosquito Coast, which besides being my dad's favorite film (scary, that), is all about escaping from the dirty, disgusting world of conformist, unimaginative humans - and the terrible dangers that can arise from that sort of mentality. so it's not like Theroux doesn't have a good read on his own personality and his maybe-not-so-secret desires. and that's kind of admirable.

(2) i read this side-by-side with Mark Salzman's Iron and Silk. the contrast between the two was illuminating. on the one hand, Salzman seems like such a decent and sweet guy, someone i'd like to know. his book is very well-intentioned... and, sadly, sorta vapid. it has no teeth and no bite, just a soft babyish gumming of sorts. the writing is also basically uninteresting. on the other hand, Theroux, who is a person i have no interest in knowing, is all bite (and lots of bark too). he lets you know his thoughts and he is fearless when it comes to being percieved as a snotty asshole. he doesn't care and he writes it like he sees it. his writing may be bleak, but it is also very real. this is a man who looks at the ugly side of things and reports on it in prose that is often exceedingly impressive. but still rather ugly.

(3) apparently people who regularly sleep in (as i do) have homes that smell "feety". you know, like feet. huh. i did not realize this and i'm not sure if this is true. i think this is another example of Theroux being a dick regarding habits he disdains. oh, Paul.(less)

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Aug 27, 2007 Frank Noe rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the book that inspired me to take the Trans-Siberian train, basically traveling from Berlin to Hong Kong by train, in 1990.

The core of the book discribes Paul's adventures spending nearly a year on the rails of China. I really enjoy his perceptions of people and local customs.

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Apr 03, 2008 Lara rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book exhausted me. 450 pages of train rides, blurred landscapes, glib conversations, and Paul Theroux's relentlessly consistent authorial voice throughout, cramming in detail after detail from a year-long journey throughout China in 1987; it became a reading challenge more than a pleasure.

I wasn't about to get off the train in Heilongjiang, worn out around page 300, not because I was so riveted, but rather because I wanted to know if he would ever bring it all together, if his partial and...more This book exhausted me. 450 pages of train rides, blurred landscapes, glib conversations, and Paul Theroux's relentlessly consistent authorial voice throughout, cramming in detail after detail from a year-long journey throughout China in 1987; it became a reading challenge more than a pleasure.

I wasn't about to get off the train in Heilongjiang, worn out around page 300, not because I was so riveted, but rather because I wanted to know if he would ever bring it all together, if his partial and often repetitious reflections would ever coalesce into a larger meditation - his consciousness of travel writing as autobiography does little to bring out critical reflections of his own judgments.

I suppose he did, in part, take me as a reader to a final destination that put the rest of the trip into a clearer perspective. I will not spoil the details, but I can easily say that the last chapter makes the whole endurance-read worthwhile, especially under the conditions in which I experienced it: that is, living in Chengdu, the last big city before the Tibetan frontier, in the middle of the largest Tibetan uprising since 1959, only two months before Beijing is to host the 2008 Olympic games. His fondness for Tibet and the risks he takes to be there are sentiments I hold close to my heart.

Both the greatest fascination and largest frustrations I felt with this book stemmed from the inevitable constant comparisons I made with my own China experiences. Of course, the country in which I live is not the same as the one he visited, separated as we are by not only two very different personalities and purposes, but also two decades of monumental attitudinal and political change. The China Theroux explores is one just emerging from its era of isolation, and is in a breathless and mistrustful, albeit hopeful, period of testing the air let in from Deng Xiaoping's open-door policies. People seem eager to talk to Theroux, (although it is often unclear which language they are using - his Chinese seems to be much better than mine). After 7 months in one place, I have yet to be invited into someone's home. The yuan is stronger against the dollar in 1987 than it is now; bicycles are still a dominant form of transportation in many areas; the Cultural Revolution is still a topic of regretful conversation; the Internet has yet to consume the minds of the youth, and the one-child policy has yet to produce its generation of solipsistic princelings and career-driven princesses. He spends pages admiring Chinese craftsmanship in the objects of daily life: locks, clocks, fountain pens. I wonder how it is that these things could have changed so quickly: my bicycle lock can be unhinged by a sharp gust of wind. I also wonder how much the introduction of American consumer demands for cheap crap have contributed to the downward spiral.

Perhaps the most chilling inconsistency between his China and the one I see every day is the absence of the events in Tian an'men Square in 1989. He discusses student protests in passing, and he and others make innocent predictions: "they will amount to nothing," most say. "They do not have the courage," or even, "Things are different now - the State will do little in response. It will all blow over." My edition of this book was published in 1988; I cannot help but wonder if he added a note to later editions, a comment in retrospect on the irony of these passing predictions, all laid bare and sadly naive in the glare of more recent Chinese history.

Many things are, of course, the same, and so familiar I laughed out loud: the shrieking into telephones; the utter lack of safety precautions anywhere; the staggering, ultraplanetary beauty of the Tibetan landscape; the impossible yet tenacious geometry of the rice terraces; the gross views afforded by public trench-style squat toilets; the luscious smells of steamed dumplings; the ubiquitous hawking of lougies and spitting on the floor in restaurants, classrooms, buses, bars.

Theroux is a fine writer; his attention to human detail is commendable, and, unlike most travel writers, he admits to his own presence in a clear and responsible fashion - you cannot pretend that the experiences he puts forth are your own. You are simply sitting beside him, privy to his thoughts. The book is a rambling chain of anecdotes, prone to repeating observations at times, but also giving a genuine warmth to each new interaction as characters come in and out of view, and offering a due nod to the immense cultural complexity of a place like China, unified in many ways only by government.

An unwieldy and tiring book, but full of fascinating detail and unusually privileged insight - and occasionally, funny as hell.(less)

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Aug 02, 2007 Patrick O'Connell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Want to understand China? Read this along with Peter Hessler's Rivertown and you will get a pretty good picture.

Unlike most travel writers, Theroux is cynical, and accordingly perhaps a little more insightful. Anne Tyler may have written "The Accidental Tourist", but Theroux is certainly the reluctant tourist.

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Oct 13, 2007 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book dragged at times, but overall, it was an interesting way to learn something about a country I know very little about.

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Oct 25, 2007 L.J. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Travel readers

Shelves: belongs-on-my-shelf

A gem of a book from Theroux. Having read several of his train travel books (and his paddling book in the South Pacific) I have not been disappointed with his travel narratives. Because the book takes place so many years ago it would be interesting to get a follow-up from him, but as for reading it now it is still a grand adventure through China to places most people are not exposed. I enjoyed his description of the South and the coastal area near Vietnam and was very interested in his experienc...more

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Dec 09, 2007 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: International Culture/China/ Travel people

If Rick Steves is your type of guide than this is not your book. Paul Theroux is the UN-romantic travel guide. Well he isn't really a guide. He is a man on a long vacation through Mongolia, China and Tibet. He is wonderful at telling stories within his book without making the book seem a collections of short stories. He suffers no fools and readily critques aspects of culture that he thinks are worthy of it. He does not hesistate to point out that sub standard education, or housing or even gover...more

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Nov 12, 2007 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, travel-literature

This book fits right in between Theroux's first travel book and his last. It's sarcastic and caustic, but not to the extent of The Great Railway Bazaar (fortunately). It's also informative and provides fascinating insight into China, but not to the extent of Dark Star Safari regarding Africa (unfortunately). Ultimately, though, it's a unique, geographically comprehensive account of China that is highly entertaining, very descriptive, and generally fascinating. The highlights are the descriptions...more

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Jan 12, 2008 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

We moved to China this year, largely ignorant of China's history, both recent and ancient. This book was incredibly eye-opening as to what the cultural revolution entailed, what it did to Chinese culture and people, and how much things have changed here since the book was written. Theroux captures the essence of China quite clearly for us. While he seems unlikeable or crabby at times, he is also very real and very clear about what travelers oftentimes must endure for the sake of a journey, of le...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

I would summarise as a nice light read, however just over midway through I began to flag. Problem was at times the writing was very good but at other times it was quite repetitive and about 2/3 of the way in I began to feel Paul Theroux was continuing the journey for the sake of it. Certainly he seemed to have the kind of personality of doing things simply because you could (for example haggling with people with no intention of actually having a transaction). I also couldn’t stop my mind from wo...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another month, another Paul Theroux travel book. In this one, he spends what must have been about a year riding the many rails of late-1980s China (the namesake Iron Rooster is only one such train). He describes all of the trips and destinations in a fairly detailed fashion, making for a lengthy read. Actually, one of the book's highlights is Theroux's comparatively brief description of his trip to China, where he chronicles the foibles of his fellow tour group travelers only slightly more acerb...more Another month, another Paul Theroux travel book. In this one, he spends what must have been about a year riding the many rails of late-1980s China (the namesake Iron Rooster is only one such train). He describes all of the trips and destinations in a fairly detailed fashion, making for a lengthy read. Actually, one of the book's highlights is Theroux's comparatively brief description of his trip to China, where he chronicles the foibles of his fellow tour group travelers only slightly more acerbically than they deserved - not bad for a well-known cynic.

Actually, I disagree with the seemingly popular notion that Theroux is a cynic or a "reluctant tourist". He consistently approaches new people, places, and ideas with respect and an open mind. This leads to the surprising, enlightening encounters that comprise much of all of his books. He does indulge in spots of crankiness about boors and large cities but I'll give him that much over a trip that long. I find his negative conclusions about many of the places he visits (including China - more on that later) to be paper tigers (when in China...) that obscure the hope he holds for many of the individuals who inhabit them.

I have to admit that the geopolitical commentary in the old travel writing I enjoy so much is far more likely to be outdated than offering continued insight (as opposed to the commentary on humanity, which tends to be timeless). That said, Theroux's picture of late-80s China is pretty bleak. There's overcrowding, perhaps not as grotesque as India's, but bad enough to force young lovebirds into distressingly public places and foment a rather creepy tolerance of touching and lack of personal space. There are countless new scars over wounds rent by the Cultural Revolution, where people were uprooted and places destroyed. There's the country's shabby (to put it lightly) treatment of Tibet, around which the trip and Theroux's narrative reach its climax - the Chinese as every other growth-above-all nation throughout history, unable to comprehend the idea of a people who do not want to be moved into modernity.

Still, the China of the story is incredibly varied, with Russian-winter cities in the north, surprisingly idyllic beaches in the southeast, and the beautiful emptiness of the way to the Tibetan plateau. Like all good travel writing, it makes important parts of you want to pay a visit, even if other parts recoil in disgust.(less)

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Sep 14, 2007 T. Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: other Theroux books

This isn't a travel book or just a book about China. It's a book about the pain in the ass that travel can be and the annoying, obnoxious, petty and unpleasant people you meet along the way. These are all the things that make the book (and most of his others) interesting. He doesn't leave out the boring parts in between. He's a little bit of a curmudgeon and can sometimes be downright mean. Every road isn't rocky however, and he gives you a real sense of place; you can almost smell it.

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Jul 29, 2011 Simar added it

I'm not a great fan of travelogues, they tend to be too much of a self-indulgence. When I started this book I did feel 'My Secret History' was infinitely better. Nevertheless, the reason for picking up this particular book was to know more about a place I don't intend to visit for personal reasons. Great insights into the quirky Chinese people, and although it drags a bit sometimes the book maintains a good flow. However, my overall verdict was strictly average.

What I loved about the book though...more

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Oct 17, 2007 Joel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Made me want to take a long trip on a train. Theroux makes a lot of comments about China that may have been true at the time, but which don't seem to be that true now -- what a difference 20 years makes. This book was written right before the events of 1989 (published in 1988), so the political stuff is really fascinating -- to see people's thoughts and attitudes about government just prior to that horriffic time.

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Jan 21, 2010 Needleroozer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: life-stories, travel

Reading this book made my decidedly NOT want to visit China, but it DID make me want to visit or at least learn more about Tibet.

Of course, the events of this book happened in 1986, so things are probably much different in both places now.

I'll probably never make it to Tibet.

I appreciated the author's use of his train travels as the unifying theme of this book. Having a theme, a purpose even, made the book more compelling than it would have been if it was simply and broadly about his travels in...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Steven Grimm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel

I didn't expect a travelogue like this to have a villain, but it does: the Cultural Revolution. The book was written in the mid-1980s and that period is perhaps the single most frequent topic of conversation with the various people Theroux meets in his travels. I was left more convinced than ever of how much lasting damage that horrible idea did to Chinese society.

Having been to a decent number of the places he visits, I found it fun to read what they were like a couple decades earlier, as well...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Richard Etzel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fictional, travel

1982, half dozen years after the death of Mao, I hooked up with a farmers group Kansas on a cultural exchange to China. What an experience that I shall never forget. Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster brought back vivid memories of what I saw. We traveled from Shanghai to Beijing in 17 days by bus, train and air. He reminded me of the communes we visited, the schools, Freedom Stores (set up for tourists as a way to import foreign currencies used in trade with the rest of the world), factories, sm...more

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Aug 28, 2009 Martac rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 24, 2008 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Travelers in China

Shelves: travel, asia

read this while on the train, traveling through China. The connections of being on a similar route to what Theroux took in the book was amazing. What I do recall about the book is that I felt his characterizations of the Chinese around him were a bit off base and out of date, but perhaps that was the naiveté that I had my first trip through China in 92.

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May 17, 2008 Justianna Birzin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the way that China became geographically real to me while reading this book, and the fact that Paul Theroux refused to toe the party line during this trip in the early 80's. Anyone interested in what's happening to Tibetans can get a good sense of the problem in this book.

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Jul 17, 2007 Jet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not really

I saw a copy of this book in the op shop for 50 cents - I know why - this guy likes to complain so much I found myself thinking he was English.

Some of his insights might have been applicable to China in the 1990s but the country has changed so much, not much is relevant any more.

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May 31, 2008 Jrobertus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Theroux is a great American travel writer. This is one of my favorites of the many I have read. The Iron Rooster is a Chinese train that carries him deep into the back waters of China in the mid 80s. His descriptions are both acrid and humane. Go figure.

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Dec 16, 2011 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: china, travel, non-fiction

The Iron Rooster is the name of just one train line; Theroux took them all, from London through Eastern Europe, Mongolia, China, and Tibet. A vast book (440+ pages), and deeply insightful into the Chinese mind at the beginning of the new political openness: Theroux talks to Party hacks, students, and everyone else who will subject themselves to his endless questions. He sets out, sort of, to disprove the inscrutability of the Chinese, and their saying “We can always fool a foreigner.” To his cha...more

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Mar 12, 2008 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting snapshot of China twenty years ago, when Deng was in power and China was beginning the myriad changes in its society and economy that are changing the world as we know it today. That having been said, I find Theroux a bit cold and dry.

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Feb 23, 2008 Megan Mccullough rated it 5 of 5 stars

Paul Theroux is by far my favorite travel author. His descriptions of China made me want to go for myself. He captured the essence of the Chinese people during a tumultuous time, and I felt as though I was riding the rails with him.

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Mar 03, 2011 Troy Parfitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a bit long, dry, and workmanlike in places, and not even one of Theroux's best travel narratives, yet it remains the best China travel narrative in existence. Even when the Medford, Mass. writer was only writing well, and not exceptionally well, he still managed to come out on top, at least in my view. This book also represents a great snapshot of China in the eighties, just after it had thrown off the insanity of the Mao years and before it had gone very far down the path of "socialism wit...more

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Feb 21, 2008 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the best travel writers out there. Theroux makes you want to overturn your desk, light your cube on fire and turn in your company ID...so you can get into the world and LIVE!

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Jan 09, 2011 Carmen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel

I love Paul Theroux's writing. Here is a sample. "It seems very odd that the Chinese are hired as architects and builders, since thier own buildings are so undistinguished, not to say monstrosities. It was rather as though Poland were exporting chefs, and Australia sending elocution teachers to England, and Americans running classes in humility or the Japanese in relaxation techniques."
In this book, he describes travel in China. He leaves with a group of people from London, and then spends most...more

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May 04, 2008 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: travel, non-fiction

A Another fascinating Theroux travel novel; I love how he really captures the Chinese people, and also, highlights the rape of Tibet.

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Feb 12, 2013 will rated it 3 of 5 stars

Theroux seemingly has the ability to make almost anything interesting with his evocative descriptions and insightful observations. Reading his work always makes me want to travel to the areas he describes, despite the fact, as in this case, that he does not try to conceal the flaws of the land or people being described.

My one complaint with this book was that Theroux had a tendency to repeat himself. Societal quirks or explanatory anecdotes that he introduced to the narrative would suddenly crop...more

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About Paul Theroux

Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue about a trip he made by train from Great Britain through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through East Asia, as far east as Japan, and then back across Russia to his point of origin. Although perhaps best know...more

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