I just finished reading Falling Off the Map, a fantastic book by Pico. Read it if you want to get a peep into the world that we usually do not hear about. Furthermore, these places as he describes them can easily fall off the map. And no one may actually notice it.
Falling Off the Map by Pico Iyer
Locals have closed themselves to the whole world and have existed in their own world thus making them very lonely places. But, the loneliness of each of these places is peculiar to them and is absolutely different from the others.
Psychic State of the Countries
Throughout the book, he talks about the psychic state of the countries, just like we describe the psychic state of a person. So he actually goes on to link it to their historical perspective and why they are here? What is it that they are looking forward to? At times you get a feeling that he is trying to sketch the psychic map of the country. Thus, it is the collective representation of the psychic state of the people inhabiting the place. Most of these places were not in sync with what was happening in the world around them.
And also most of them were not even bothered about what was happening in their own country. And they were either too laid back to be bothered about anything or were living in a world that they have created in their minds and refused to see anything outside it.
Chapter Titles
The titles of the chapters are very apt and interesting like ‘An elegiac Carnival’ for Cuba. ‘Rock n Roll Ghost Town’ for Iceland’. ‘Hidden inside the Hidden Kingdom’ for Bhutan. ‘Yesterday Once More’ for Vietnam. ‘Up for sale or adoption’ for Paraguay. ‘Five thousand miles from anywhere’ for Australia.
Some peculiar things that I noticed were that he always analyzed what composed the most part of the telephone directories in each country. What were the most popular names in the directory? He also notices that popular destinations in each of the places have a fascination for some common name and you would find a series of places with that name.
Now I want to visit all these countries someday. …:-)
Buy Falling Off the Map by Pico Iyer at Amazon.
Recommend you read the following book reviews.
The Man within my head by Pico Iyer
Fantastic, Planning to read….thinking of borrowing the book from you and hoping to join you to visit all these countries some day…. Now don’t say no…ok, baba…I will not, first I will visit each and every place in my country and then plan to join you (may be its not possible then)…ok, Happy journey. Do bolg as you visit each country…planning to write a book reading your blog..
Dear Santosh,
You are most welcome to join mme in my journeys as and when they happen…and I must than you once again for making me write in Tsunami relief, that post has got the maximum response till daye on my blog.
-Anu
You are welcome, But the credit goes to you, you blog real good…