What do you think?
Rate this book
Backpack
It's New Year's Day and the year isn't kicking off well for Tansy: her mother's dead, she's a cocaine addict and her boyfriend has just left her. A trip around the world seems like the only option except that she's not interested in seeing the world, just escaping from it, and the last people she wants to hang out with are backpackers.
Like a lot of travellers on the Lonely-Planet-led Asian Grand Tour, Tansy is intensely irritating at first. Always on the look out for the "real" Vietnam--the one in which she can walk around "like a model, fanning myself gently, strolling into ancient temples and learning about inner peace"--she is opinionated, narrow-minded and remarkably naive (for a supposed media luvvy). Once she has shrugged off her addiction to lines of coke, skinny lattes and Nicole Fahri jumpers, she becomes more appealing. So by the time she's fallen for Max, a fellow traveller, she'll have won you over and you'll be just as worried as she is about the serial killer who appears to be on her trail.
Emily Barr is a former Westminster researcher who now writes for the Guardian and the Observer. Backpack is her first novel and, like Tansy, takes a while to find itself. City-girl pretensions jostle with shoestring-style travelogue and it is only when it hits full-throttle thriller mode that Barr's strength as a novelist becomes apparent. Be prepared for echoes of The Beach--hardly surprising given that Barr was an extra in the film. Also be prepared to get itchy feet--if nothing else, you'll be tempted to reach for that backpack and slap on the insect repellent.--Jane Honey
472 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
26 people are currently reading
1253 people want to read
About the author
Emily Barr
43 books583 followersEmily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
December 2, 2009
Some people smoke, some drink, some eat chocolate. I travel. That's my indulgence. Nothing makes me feel more alive than a sea of motorcycles rushing at me in Hanoi, as an old lady helps me across the street, or a guy with a machine gun yelling at me in Cambodian, when all I want to do is use the bathroom, or showering in cold water in Cuba, when it's about 50 degrees outside. Traveling helps me understand why we're on this planet and what makes us all tick, regardless of culture and geographical location. That's why I loved this book. I loved to read about western, pampered people who think they're all that, only to be served some humble pie for dessert.
September 21, 2015
For me, Emily Barr is a bit problematic. Her books are either a big hit or wide off the mark. Well this was a BIG hit. The writing was intense and Tansy is a complex character. Although Tansy isn't particularly likable at the start I was still keen to follow her which is a testament to the writing. The story is intriguing and didn't go in the way I was first expecting which was a nice surprise. Eventually I worked out the 'who' but it took a long time so it did not matter as I had to wait for the' why' to know if I was right.
I loved all the travel. I now know more about South-East Asia than any geography teacher could ever have hammered into my head. This can only be a good thing :)
This book really is a page turner and I recommend it.
I loved all the travel. I now know more about South-East Asia than any geography teacher could ever have hammered into my head. This can only be a good thing :)
This book really is a page turner and I recommend it.
August 15, 2013
I love fun travel/adventure books, and this is one of my favorites. A spoiled English girl goes traveling through Asia, learns about love, and confronts her demons along the way. The settings are very well described; I can tell that the author has traveled a lot herself. The mystery element doesn't add much to the story, but it doesn't spoil it either.
June 9, 2014
First read this book when it was published and many times since. Still one of my favourites!
March 14, 2011
I couldn't get over just how obnoxious and ignorant the main character was. If the character truly changes by the end of the book instead of just the minor tweaks mostly related to being superior to other white tourists ... just not worth it to me to keep dragging through the first stage which lasted longer than I thought it should have.
April 22, 2024
no comments.
lo único bueno de este libro es el librero que me lo vendió y su ilusión por que me lo leyera, pero la verdad que no me ha hecho ningún favor🥲
lo único bueno de este libro es el librero que me lo vendió y su ilusión por que me lo leyera, pero la verdad que no me ha hecho ningún favor🥲
February 5, 2017
I was reminded of Backpack by Emily Barr when I saw she had recently released a new book. I bought Backpack many years ago now, a few years after its initial release (I’m thinking 2007?), so with a bit of digging through my cupboards I found the paperback copy and gave it a read.
When I first saw this book, I remember thinking it was chick-lit (based on judging the book by its cover), not something I’d be interested in. But after I’d read the blurb and it talked of backpacking through Asia with a murderer following her, I took the plunge and bought the book. Once I started reading it I was so glad I did. So while it is categorised on Amazon as “Women’s Fiction”, I feel all sexes would enjoy reading this.
Tansy, in the beginning of this novel, is fairly unlikeable. Her mother has just died, and she’s hard drinking / hard drugging herself to forget about it. Convinced to take some time off from her life and go travelling with her boyfriend, she books a backpacking trip through Asia. Her boyfriend pulls out at the last minute and she’s forced to travel alone.
She arrives with impractical clothing and despising everyone, especially the backpackers who she believes herself to be above. Of course along the way she meets many interesting people who she begins to trust and love. As the novel progresses, news of murdered backpackers that look a lot like Tansy are showing up dead, in places she has visited. Of course she becomes less of a douche along the way, and embraces the backpacking way of life.
So part mystery / suspense, part self-discovery, part comedy, this novel deftly blends all three together into a thoroughly enjoyable read. The descriptions of life on the road as a backpacker and of the places and people Tansy meets along the way are immersive, obviously written by someone who has travelled the circuit.
An oldie but a goodie and glad I looked past my preconceptions based on the cover.
When I first saw this book, I remember thinking it was chick-lit (based on judging the book by its cover), not something I’d be interested in. But after I’d read the blurb and it talked of backpacking through Asia with a murderer following her, I took the plunge and bought the book. Once I started reading it I was so glad I did. So while it is categorised on Amazon as “Women’s Fiction”, I feel all sexes would enjoy reading this.
Tansy, in the beginning of this novel, is fairly unlikeable. Her mother has just died, and she’s hard drinking / hard drugging herself to forget about it. Convinced to take some time off from her life and go travelling with her boyfriend, she books a backpacking trip through Asia. Her boyfriend pulls out at the last minute and she’s forced to travel alone.
She arrives with impractical clothing and despising everyone, especially the backpackers who she believes herself to be above. Of course along the way she meets many interesting people who she begins to trust and love. As the novel progresses, news of murdered backpackers that look a lot like Tansy are showing up dead, in places she has visited. Of course she becomes less of a douche along the way, and embraces the backpacking way of life.
So part mystery / suspense, part self-discovery, part comedy, this novel deftly blends all three together into a thoroughly enjoyable read. The descriptions of life on the road as a backpacker and of the places and people Tansy meets along the way are immersive, obviously written by someone who has travelled the circuit.
An oldie but a goodie and glad I looked past my preconceptions based on the cover.
July 6, 2011
If you're looking for typical mediocre chick lit, read this book.
If you're looking for an inspiring book about a woman traveling alone, you may want to pick up a different book. Though parts of this one may be satisfying.
At the start of this book, I wondered how I'd ever come around to liking the main character: a London party girl who drinks in excess and does cocaine. It was not what I expected. But the character does develop and change, and I appreciate that. But overall I was disappointed that most of the book wasn't about a young woman traveling alone, since she falls in love with a handsome, sexy, kindhearted man during her travels (a clear indication that this is fiction). And yet I am inspired anew to visit Asia someday.
If you're looking for an inspiring book about a woman traveling alone, you may want to pick up a different book. Though parts of this one may be satisfying.
At the start of this book, I wondered how I'd ever come around to liking the main character: a London party girl who drinks in excess and does cocaine. It was not what I expected. But the character does develop and change, and I appreciate that. But overall I was disappointed that most of the book wasn't about a young woman traveling alone, since she falls in love with a handsome, sexy, kindhearted man during her travels (a clear indication that this is fiction). And yet I am inspired anew to visit Asia someday.
January 15, 2015
Such a boring book, didn't even finish it the main character is so annoying. Got about half way into the book and wouldn't go on, skipped to the end and still seemed like nothing was going on.
July 26, 2023
I don't even know where to start. It's been a while since I've hated a book this much. Although the main character is supposed to be 27, she behaves like a child and is an absolute brat. She's insanely annoying, and it was immensely hard to get through the first 40%. She did get a little bit better throughout the book, but not much. She only drinks and does cocaine, and when she's not, she's whining about not being able to drink or do cocaine. Gosh, she's insufferable. I don't understand why people even like her at all. Makes. No. Sense.
Some characters, such as Guy, were interesting, but we never actually met them. We see their emails, sure, but we never even see the characters. For this reason, all of the side characters felt insanely flat. I couldn't care less about any of them, and this ensured that I started skipping entire pages to just get through it. I did love Max. I don't get why he'd ever be interested in someone as Tansy, but I did really like him. Would've loved it if we just could've read the entire book from his point of view.
The ending didn't surprise me in the least, but did suck. The whole book just feels insanely unnecessary now.
I just don't get this book at all. The weird stereotype about English people being insanely rude made no sense, and the white savior complex was also clearly there. I'm glad Tansy got a little better, but she still massively sucked. The story was really slow. Even though the idea was promising, it was not executed well at all. Man, I hated this whole thing.
Some characters, such as Guy, were interesting, but we never actually met them. We see their emails, sure, but we never even see the characters. For this reason, all of the side characters felt insanely flat. I couldn't care less about any of them, and this ensured that I started skipping entire pages to just get through it. I did love Max. I don't get why he'd ever be interested in someone as Tansy, but I did really like him. Would've loved it if we just could've read the entire book from his point of view.
The ending didn't surprise me in the least, but did suck. The whole book just feels insanely unnecessary now.
I just don't get this book at all. The weird stereotype about English people being insanely rude made no sense, and the white savior complex was also clearly there. I'm glad Tansy got a little better, but she still massively sucked. The story was really slow. Even though the idea was promising, it was not executed well at all. Man, I hated this whole thing.
April 28, 2021
Wat had ik een gruwelijke hekel aan deze hoofdpersoon. Ik weet niet precies wat het was, maar ik vond haar in het begin van het boek echt enorm irritant. Misschien was het wel gewoon de drank en drugs die haar irritant maakten, want later in het boek ergerde ik me totaal niet aan haar, tot die Tom terug kwam.
Ik vond het ook lastig om in het verhaal te komen. Het begin was een beetje langzaam, maar het werd steeds beter. En toen ineens kreeg ik een vermoede wie de moordenaar was. Ik had ook heel even het verkeerde vermoede, maar achteraf zat ik toch goed. En man man man, wat was het spannend op momenten! Zodra je het doorhebt wil je alleen nog maar verder lezen. Ik wilde het boek niet meer wegleggen.
Super spannend en echt een top boek! Alleen jammer van het begin dus.
Ik vond het ook lastig om in het verhaal te komen. Het begin was een beetje langzaam, maar het werd steeds beter. En toen ineens kreeg ik een vermoede wie de moordenaar was. Ik had ook heel even het verkeerde vermoede, maar achteraf zat ik toch goed. En man man man, wat was het spannend op momenten! Zodra je het doorhebt wil je alleen nog maar verder lezen. Ik wilde het boek niet meer wegleggen.
Super spannend en echt een top boek! Alleen jammer van het begin dus.
July 8, 2025
Following Tansy’s solo trip throughout Asia, her trauma can’t be outrun by traveling to foreign countries. She endures and navigates a lengthy healing journey with an intense climax. I expected more of beach read, but I thought it had much more depth, beauty, and authenticity. I found this book a bit difficult to get into and start to like characters, but at the end I found myself wanting to go back and re read some of the beginning chapters again. The blend of genres sounded chaotic and I wasn’t sure how it would all flow together, though I really do think it was a great mix. It felt like there were a lot of different messages throughout the stories and I appreciated that kind of realness.
October 24, 2018
Hard to begin the book as the main character was extremely unlikable. Persisted and the book got better. A straight story which made it enjoyable and clues that were obvious.
December 6, 2020
I loved Backpack. This was my second read. I really felt for Tansy, the principal protagonist, as the story progressed.
The cover is misleading. It’s not lighthearted chick lit at all. Tansy breaks up with horrible Tom after he has refused to go backpacking with her. Her alcoholic mum has passed away and she discovers she has a half brother, Will. A murderer pursues het across Asia. He even kills one of her friends, Amanda.
Tansy, initially, is not a likeable character. She drinks a lot and loves recreational drugs. They are her coping tools. She is selfish and self absorbed, but it’s a cloak for who she really is. She doesn’t have backpacking clothes, is ultra trendy, and she’s patronising towards other backpackers.
People keep getting murdered in places she has visited. Women who look like her are the victims. She meets interesting people on her travels. Ellie and Eddy are cool Aussies. Gabe is an outspoken pain in the butt. Greg is a nice rich guy who falls in love with a woman from Laos. She falls in love with Max. He has a history, of course. She has a secret that she eventually divulges to Max.
She begins to enjoy the backpacking life. Awful Tom comes to meet her for a couple of weeks. She soon kicks him to the kerb, which is satisfying. She travels to Tibet with Max and others. There is a disturbing and cataclysmic event, which leads to her returning to England with Max to rebuild a relationship with her Dad, who left when she was young, and her half siblings.
This book is very well written. There is a lot of suspense in the story. It’s a great read.
I highly recommend Backpack to others.
The cover is misleading. It’s not lighthearted chick lit at all. Tansy breaks up with horrible Tom after he has refused to go backpacking with her. Her alcoholic mum has passed away and she discovers she has a half brother, Will. A murderer pursues het across Asia. He even kills one of her friends, Amanda.
Tansy, initially, is not a likeable character. She drinks a lot and loves recreational drugs. They are her coping tools. She is selfish and self absorbed, but it’s a cloak for who she really is. She doesn’t have backpacking clothes, is ultra trendy, and she’s patronising towards other backpackers.
People keep getting murdered in places she has visited. Women who look like her are the victims. She meets interesting people on her travels. Ellie and Eddy are cool Aussies. Gabe is an outspoken pain in the butt. Greg is a nice rich guy who falls in love with a woman from Laos. She falls in love with Max. He has a history, of course. She has a secret that she eventually divulges to Max.
She begins to enjoy the backpacking life. Awful Tom comes to meet her for a couple of weeks. She soon kicks him to the kerb, which is satisfying. She travels to Tibet with Max and others. There is a disturbing and cataclysmic event, which leads to her returning to England with Max to rebuild a relationship with her Dad, who left when she was young, and her half siblings.
This book is very well written. There is a lot of suspense in the story. It’s a great read.
I highly recommend Backpack to others.
December 19, 2020
Was recommended this as a good holiday read, nothing too serious, but didn't really get on with it. It's not terrible at what it's trying to do but it's not very good either. Billed as a thriller, it's not very thrilling - lots of reasonable description of travelling and then an occasional reminder there's a serial killer on the loose with basically zero tension. Also it's very very obvious who the killer is. All the action happens in the last 15% too and the other 85% could have been half the length without losing anything.
Something I can't really get past is how objectionable the main character is. I like an unreliable and not particularly nice narrator but she is fairly thinly sketched and a bit boring, where she shouldn't be boring.
I also can't help but feel like the main character is providing an outlet for the author's political opinions, some of which are a bit shitty at worst and ignorant at best. Some of the stuff about China is quite bizarre...
Something I can't really get past is how objectionable the main character is. I like an unreliable and not particularly nice narrator but she is fairly thinly sketched and a bit boring, where she shouldn't be boring.
I also can't help but feel like the main character is providing an outlet for the author's political opinions, some of which are a bit shitty at worst and ignorant at best. Some of the stuff about China is quite bizarre...
June 6, 2007
I picked this book up when I was in London and had I known then that this author's books are out of print in the US, I would've picked up the rest because she's a great writer. Tansy is struggling with addictions of her own and, after her mother dies, she decides to travel around Asia for a while. At first Tansy is a superficial twit but as her travels expose her to the "real world" and she is away from the influence of her old friends and lovers, she begins to change. There is this secondary storyline about backpackers being murdered that I thought took away from the story and could've been dropped all together.
February 9, 2013
2006 bookcrossing:
Wasn't sure which category to put this in, because although it is fiction, it's a great armchair-travel book too. The main character, Tansy, travels through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China, Tibet and Nepal. I really want to travel now!
At the start of the book she is quite an obnoxious character and there were moments when I wondered whether I could be bothered to continue with this book. But it is definately worth sticking with because it is great when she does start travelling.
The pyscho-killer murder speech at the end does grate a little bit, but otherwise this is a great read.
Wasn't sure which category to put this in, because although it is fiction, it's a great armchair-travel book too. The main character, Tansy, travels through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China, Tibet and Nepal. I really want to travel now!
At the start of the book she is quite an obnoxious character and there were moments when I wondered whether I could be bothered to continue with this book. But it is definately worth sticking with because it is great when she does start travelling.
The pyscho-killer murder speech at the end does grate a little bit, but otherwise this is a great read.
September 12, 2017
This novel was a real struggle to get in to. Tansy, the main character, is not a very likeable person and very infuriating at times! I very nearly gave up the book, but I managed to keep reading and eventually finished it, however not one of the most memorable books I've read.
As the book progresses and we accompany Tansy on her travels across Asia, the story becomes more tolerable. There is a good twist alot later on in the plot if you can stick with it that long, and Tansy really starts to find out who she really is.
If you want an easy-going read to relax with, then this book is for you. However if you want something with a bit more depth, I really wouldnt recommend it.
As the book progresses and we accompany Tansy on her travels across Asia, the story becomes more tolerable. There is a good twist alot later on in the plot if you can stick with it that long, and Tansy really starts to find out who she really is.
If you want an easy-going read to relax with, then this book is for you. However if you want something with a bit more depth, I really wouldnt recommend it.
April 3, 2020
Part travel book, part thriller, part romance. A self-redemption story that ticks all the boxes. Is Tansy travelling to run away or to find herself? Someone is out to find her also, and killing along the way. Tansy is not a likeable character, not at all. But there's something inside her that makes us see past her outward behaviour and root for her.
I loved this book. It's been on my shelf for a long time but the girly cover put me off reading. It shouldn't have; I've enjoyed every one of Emily Barr's books that I've read, but somehow she's slipped from my mind as a writer to follow. She's back at the top of my list though. I'll be reading more, for sure.
I loved this book. It's been on my shelf for a long time but the girly cover put me off reading. It shouldn't have; I've enjoyed every one of Emily Barr's books that I've read, but somehow she's slipped from my mind as a writer to follow. She's back at the top of my list though. I'll be reading more, for sure.
August 26, 2020
I really liked this,I had to stop reading for a week because I left it in the garden and it got wet in a shower 😬It could have been a typical story of a dumped girl going on holiday,finding love and herself and yes it was like that but it had a dark undertone if the murderer,the secret Tansy is carrying around with her and Tansy herself can be unlikable but I found her funny and she’s good at heart really. I loved that the places she travelled to were not all wonderful and beautiful but the actual reality of what they are like. I loved all the characters she met and their stories,Max was lovely and I liked the email exchanges. Enjoyable book.
October 2, 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it truly has a little bit for everything thrown in: mystery, murder, adoption, travel, soul mates, humour, romance, and fact blended with fiction.
Tansy Harris is a Notting Hill party girl and proud of it! But when her alcoholic mother dies she begins to question so many things in her life including her relationship with long-time boyfriend Tom. Will a trip to some of the toughest backpacker destinations in the world help her to find out who she and what she wants?
Tansy Harris is a Notting Hill party girl and proud of it! But when her alcoholic mother dies she begins to question so many things in her life including her relationship with long-time boyfriend Tom. Will a trip to some of the toughest backpacker destinations in the world help her to find out who she and what she wants?
October 4, 2016
An unexciting and underwhelming novel about a London woman traveling through Asia after the death of her mother. While the creation of experience and environment were wonderful, the characters and their relationships felt incomplete. Not only were the characters lacking, the "mystery" that was woven through their stories felt unnecessary. If the mystery was removed and the characters had a bit more depth to them, this would have been outstanding.
March 31, 2010
The ending was ridiculous, but it was a fun ride joining the heroine on her trip through Asia. She smokes, drinks and snorts her way thorugh London before heading on this trip alone. And it's not even because she's realizing something's gotta give, it's just time for her to do something...anything. I like a flawed main character with some charm.
September 18, 2015
Leuke chicklit!
January 13, 2018
3,5 sterren.. Ik had erg veel moeite met de eerste helft door te worstelen. Gelukkig heb ik wel doorgezet, want daarna werd het een stuk beter! Gedetailleerde recensie binnenkort op mijn blog.
August 6, 2019
This was meant as a fluffy, easy read with one of my favorite topics at the center: travel. And it was and it wasn't. It was definitely about travel, or rather backpacking, and that's what kept me going. Because this was really hard to get into which is not what you want from a fluffy read. There was the lighthearted Bridget Jones tone to the narration just with a more sarcastic and meaner touch to it. Sometimes a lot meaner. And a lot whinier. And holy moly, there were some topics thrown at me as the reader that I didn't see coming in novel of this light caliber: the mother's death was expected as the story catalyst but the details are a lot grimmer. There is alcoholism and abundant drug use presented on a such a casual level that I wondered if this is maybe normal and I am just a sheltered flower (spoiler alert: it's not normal)?! Tansy, the protagonist, is rude and self-absorbed and whiny and, yes, mean. At least, that's what she is presented as at first. I am someone who claims to like reading about unlikeable characters but Tansy was hard to support in the beginning, it was rough and I considered not bothering much longer, this book was not meant to be rough.
But I persevered, and I am not sure I would say it was worth it but after 100 pages I started to really enjoy myself reading. The travel aspect started taking center stage and with that character development followed. Traveling changes Tansy, this is not a surprise, traveling changes people (let me assure you), this was partly what I came for, and I think these parts Barr executes very well. We slowly learn more about her and the person she was at the beginning makes more sense. We see the places she goes through her eyes, which I loved. There is romantic entanglements, usually not my choice of drink, but I liked it here. It made sense to be part of this story. There is also some fun murder mystery element, that will have a very predictable and maybe a bit ridiculous solution but it was kind of fun while it lasted. And I actually appreciated more and more that it was not as fluffy as it had looked from afar while still having enough fluffiness to fit my mood. In the end, "Backpack" works fairly well as what it sets out to do, just with the harsh beginning and the weird juxtaposition of tone (very light) and subject (too dark) it took me a while to realize what this novel was trying to do.
I am glad I stuck with it but I wouldn't say this novel is one others should fight through as well, that's what I meant earlier when I said the struggle and the dislike you will feel for the protagonist are not truly worth it. The novel never elevates itself to a level where that kind of struggle has a payoff but the start will seem fitting if you continue. It will still only be a "fun" novel, and those shouldn't be work is my point, and I am glad this changed from work to fun in the sun.
But I persevered, and I am not sure I would say it was worth it but after 100 pages I started to really enjoy myself reading. The travel aspect started taking center stage and with that character development followed. Traveling changes Tansy, this is not a surprise, traveling changes people (let me assure you), this was partly what I came for, and I think these parts Barr executes very well. We slowly learn more about her and the person she was at the beginning makes more sense. We see the places she goes through her eyes, which I loved. There is romantic entanglements, usually not my choice of drink, but I liked it here. It made sense to be part of this story. There is also some fun murder mystery element, that will have a very predictable and maybe a bit ridiculous solution but it was kind of fun while it lasted. And I actually appreciated more and more that it was not as fluffy as it had looked from afar while still having enough fluffiness to fit my mood. In the end, "Backpack" works fairly well as what it sets out to do, just with the harsh beginning and the weird juxtaposition of tone (very light) and subject (too dark) it took me a while to realize what this novel was trying to do.
I am glad I stuck with it but I wouldn't say this novel is one others should fight through as well, that's what I meant earlier when I said the struggle and the dislike you will feel for the protagonist are not truly worth it. The novel never elevates itself to a level where that kind of struggle has a payoff but the start will seem fitting if you continue. It will still only be a "fun" novel, and those shouldn't be work is my point, and I am glad this changed from work to fun in the sun.
December 15, 2017
Backpack is a "chick-lit" psychological thriller telling the story of a young English girl, Tansy, who decides to go travelling after the death of her alcoholic mother. After her boyfriend Tom breaks up with her just prior to leaving, Tansy decides she will travel to exotic South East Asia on her own, in order to prove her independence and win him back. As she begins her travels, though, there are reports of a killer on the loose who is murdering blonde British girls in South East Asia. Will Tansy live long enough to win Tom back, or is there some other mysterious dark-haired, scruffy suitor who will win her affectations. All is about to be revealed.
OK, if you thought that intro was pretty corny and not to your liking, that you might want to give this one a big swerve. The inspiration for Barr's first novel is promising enough and came from a year she spent backpacking the globe for a newspaper column assignment. Whilst this gave her a great feel for the whole backpacking scene, the story itself is wooden, punctuated with deux ex machina moments and spends far too much time handing down ham-fisted warnings on the impact of tourism, drugs and abuse of alcohol.
Despite being a book about backpacking through (mostly) South East Asia there is little actual descriptions of the places that Tansy and her friends visit. Instead, the locations simply serve as a backdrop to the romance and thriller threads that make up the bulk of the story. However, for those who used to communicate extensively through emails back in the late 90's/early 2000's, there is some nostalgic moments as Barr uses these liberally as a writing technique for her story. It's quite amusing to think back to how we used to communicate and Barr has captured this form of communication well.
Backpack certainly isn't going to set the travel literary world on fire. Barr's story about an obnoxious and flawed main character, who detests the whole backpacking scene and those in it, but inevitably finds that she is becoming one herself, albeit on "her terms", is hardly that novel. For some though, this might be the ideal sort of fodder that will entertain whilst on a 10-hour flight or while on a sunlounger next to the pool knocking back Siam Sunrays by the bucket. Just make sure you're not seen with a copy at the next Full Moon Party in Ko Pha Ngan or walking down Khao San Road. Full Review Here
OK, if you thought that intro was pretty corny and not to your liking, that you might want to give this one a big swerve. The inspiration for Barr's first novel is promising enough and came from a year she spent backpacking the globe for a newspaper column assignment. Whilst this gave her a great feel for the whole backpacking scene, the story itself is wooden, punctuated with deux ex machina moments and spends far too much time handing down ham-fisted warnings on the impact of tourism, drugs and abuse of alcohol.
Despite being a book about backpacking through (mostly) South East Asia there is little actual descriptions of the places that Tansy and her friends visit. Instead, the locations simply serve as a backdrop to the romance and thriller threads that make up the bulk of the story. However, for those who used to communicate extensively through emails back in the late 90's/early 2000's, there is some nostalgic moments as Barr uses these liberally as a writing technique for her story. It's quite amusing to think back to how we used to communicate and Barr has captured this form of communication well.
Backpack certainly isn't going to set the travel literary world on fire. Barr's story about an obnoxious and flawed main character, who detests the whole backpacking scene and those in it, but inevitably finds that she is becoming one herself, albeit on "her terms", is hardly that novel. For some though, this might be the ideal sort of fodder that will entertain whilst on a 10-hour flight or while on a sunlounger next to the pool knocking back Siam Sunrays by the bucket. Just make sure you're not seen with a copy at the next Full Moon Party in Ko Pha Ngan or walking down Khao San Road. Full Review Here
November 17, 2019
Dit is een boek wat door de meeste mensen zou worden genoemd als een meesterwerk van Emily Barr. Deze uitspraak zal ik zeker niet ontkennen maar ik zal zeker ook de kudde niet volgen. Er zit misschien dan toch een tikkeltje waarheid in de meeste recensies die je ziet op het net. Hoe dieper ik in het boek zat hoe meer ik misschien wel overtuigd was dat het een speciaal boek is, een boek met meerdere betekenissen een levenslessen. Dit is uitzonderlijk omdat dit het eerste boek van Mevrouw Barr is. Dit stukje literatuur leek in het begin langdradig, er zit geen beweging in. Toen het hoofdpersonage (Tansy) begon met reizen door Zuidoost Azië en er werden wat moorden gepleegd in de buurlanden werd ik wat aandachtiger. Het verhaal vloeit samen met de personages volledig open naarmate ze dichter in de buurt van de moordenaar kwamen. Mijn aandacht steeg nog wat meer toen de moordenaar nog een moord pleegde zeer dicht bij het hoofdpersonage. Uiteindelijk werd alles opgelost en was het verhaal geëindigd. Dit was voor mij iets te plots. Net als de vele flat characters die een reisgenoot speelde van Tansy. Ze zijn totaal overbodig en nemen een groot aantal van de bladzijden in. De plaatsen waar het verhaal zich afspeelt en de situaties van het hoofdpersonages zijn geniaal voor mij gekozen. Alles hing aan elkaar als een puzzel, op sommige momenten was dit voor mij een Indische puzzel maar het was oké. Ondanks dat mijn brein zeer deed op sommige momenten heb ik er toch van genoten. Bedankt Mevrouw Barr!
February 28, 2025
This book is about Tansy, whose mother had just died, and her and her then boyfriend decide to take a year out and travel. Tansy drinks too much and takes cocaine and is extremely dislikeable. At the last minute her boyfriend tells her he's not coming and she sets off on her own. She goes to Vietnam, seemingly determined not to enjoy herself, and slowly starts making new friends and relaxing into the 'backpacker' (she hates being termed a backpacker) lifestyle. In the background of the story a man is going around, killing blonde, female backpackers. Each one dies with an object in their hands, which coincides with objects that Tansy has.
The story hurtles towards it's conclusion, and the murderer and Tansy are linked, which the reader already realises - but I still did not know who it was until he was revealed!
I really, really enjoyed this book. I found it to be very well-written, easy to read, with a great story which led the reader down a certain path. Tansy becomes a very likeable character, once she shakes off her old, sad, London life, and the other characters are all well-formed and interesting.
I will certainly be reading more of Emily Barr's books, and cannot recommend this one highly enough!
The story hurtles towards it's conclusion, and the murderer and Tansy are linked, which the reader already realises - but I still did not know who it was until he was revealed!
I really, really enjoyed this book. I found it to be very well-written, easy to read, with a great story which led the reader down a certain path. Tansy becomes a very likeable character, once she shakes off her old, sad, London life, and the other characters are all well-formed and interesting.
I will certainly be reading more of Emily Barr's books, and cannot recommend this one highly enough!
January 14, 2026
This book changed my life!
I read this book as a teenager of perhaps 15 (over 10 years ago) after finding it in an apartment on holiday and it sparked my wanderlust. Ever since, in the back of my mind I always wanted an adventure to find myself in South East Asia much like Tansy. I finally made it to a 2 month tour around Asia, going to many (but not all) of the countries Tansy visited last year.
As per custom dictates I left the book in the apartment for the next holiday maker to read and have thought of it many many times over the years but couldn’t find quite the right google prompt ‘book about’ to find it again until I was explaining the book to a friend and tried again today. SUCCESS! I immediately reread and just couldn’t put it down! What an amazing read and I am so thankful to be able to read this again.
10000% recommend this book it has something for everyone: mystery, suspense, romance, travel. I will be recommending this to all my friends!!
From the bottom of my heart thank you Emily xx
I read this book as a teenager of perhaps 15 (over 10 years ago) after finding it in an apartment on holiday and it sparked my wanderlust. Ever since, in the back of my mind I always wanted an adventure to find myself in South East Asia much like Tansy. I finally made it to a 2 month tour around Asia, going to many (but not all) of the countries Tansy visited last year.
As per custom dictates I left the book in the apartment for the next holiday maker to read and have thought of it many many times over the years but couldn’t find quite the right google prompt ‘book about’ to find it again until I was explaining the book to a friend and tried again today. SUCCESS! I immediately reread and just couldn’t put it down! What an amazing read and I am so thankful to be able to read this again.
10000% recommend this book it has something for everyone: mystery, suspense, romance, travel. I will be recommending this to all my friends!!
From the bottom of my heart thank you Emily xx
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews