Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

Susan Jane Gilman

2009 • 320 pages

Ratings3

Average rating3.7

They were young, brilliant, and bold. They set out to conquer the world. But the world had other plans for them. Bestselling author Susan Jane Gilman's new memoir is a hilarious and harrowing journey, a modern heart of darkness filled with Communist operatives, backpackers, and pancakes. In 1986, fresh out of college, Gilman and her friend Claire yearned to do something daring and original that did not involve getting a job. Inspired by a place mat at the International House of Pancakes, they decided to embark on an ambitious trip around the globe, starting in the People's Republic of China . At that point, China had been open to independent travelers for roughly ten minutes. Armed only with the collected works of Nietzsche, an astrological love guide, and an arsenal of bravado, the two friends plunged into the dusty streets of Shanghai . Unsurprisingly, they quickly found themselves in over their heads. As they ventured off the map deep into Chinese territory, they were stripped of everything familiar and forced to confront their limitations amid culture shock and government surveillance. What began as a journey full of humor, eroticism, and enlightenment grew increasingly sinister-becoming a real-life international thriller that transformed them forever. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven is a flat-out page-turner, an astonishing true story of hubris and redemption told with Gilman's trademark compassion, lyricism, and wit.

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Deb Nance

Susan and her friend, Claire, set off for a round-the-world trip, but everything came to a screaming halt when Claire was beset with mental illness. This is the story of Susan's trip, taken over thirty years ago.

I love travel memoirs, but I really liked this one more than most of my recent reads. I'm amazed at the details Gillman provides; it felt almost like a trip back in time.

November 1, 2009

Daren

The story of two easy-to-dislike American girls who decide to travel the world, starting in China. I mean really easy to dislike. Hitting all the standard dis-likable cliches - one is trust fund rich, but also from a rich family and constantly has to tell everyone her father is a very important businessman, has lived a life of servants and holiday houses, and is tall, blonde and sporty too. Both are ivy league college students, twenty years old. The author however has worked hard, saving her money, but constantly falls back on her French speaking, and falls in love with every male she meets.
Both of them lacked the confidence to travel China, particularly the China of 1986, which was a lot more restricted than today. Roll out cliches - bad toilets, small hotel rooms, cold showers, etc etc.
Without the assistance of other travellers, and a few particularly helpful English speaking locals they would hardly have made it past Shanghai, if they had found a way to leave Hong Kong alone.
If you are interested in cringe travel stories, this book delivers.
There is not a whole lot else to say about this book without spoilers, as the actual story starts to unroll pretty soon after arrival.

November 23, 2014