A series of loosely connected farcical stories set in Kathmandu and surrounds. ( )

I don't recall how I ended up buying this book, I think it may have been mentioned in another book I was reading late 2015. At any rate, reading the blurb it sounds like a bizarre book and a waste of time.

It is however, actually quite interesting and has many an imaginative scene. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Shangri-La and the tunnel systems, the tunnel rail chase also brought back memories of childhood novels & movies. All very pleasing.

The book has four sections, the first being the most fantastical about saving a Yeti from being exploited the latter three being of a more serious nature. There's also a pretty good description of a Mount Everest climb early on.

Worth a look if you come across it, don't be deterred by the outlandish blurb. ( )

This mostly realistic book was divided into four parts with recurring characters & settings, plenty of humor, and some nice historical tie-ins. There are a few silly, off-the-wall moments -- like a yeti pedaling a bicycle through Kathmandu!? The variation between each of the stories made the book enjoyable. I especially liked how the third part is narrated by another character. My only real reservation is that the last story feels leaner and a little rushed compared to the first three. ( )

This is one of Kim Stanley Robinson’s older works. Written in 1989 it predates his famous Mars Trilogy but it shows his gift for placing unforgettable characters in astonishing places. Robinson did travel to Kathmandu and trekked to the Everest base camp and that experience led him to write this book.George Fergusson is an American who leads people on treks up into the Himalayas. In 1985 he was between treks and getting bored in his room in the Hotel Star in Kathmandu. He passed the wooden rack stuffed with letters that had never been picked up a number of times a day. Finally his curiosity about one thick envelope addressed to a George Fredericks (called Freds) got the best of him. He took it up to his room and started reading the eight sheets of paper written by Nathan, another American who discovered a yeti while camped with a group of American scientists up in the mountains. One of the other scientists, Phil Adrakian, also saw it and Nathan is very concerned that he will return to capture the yeti. Soon George has a chance to meet Nathan and Freds and they all help rescue the yeti that Phil has indeed captured. It’s a funny story that ends well. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn even make a cameo appearance.There are three more stories in this book all of which take place in Nepal and/or Tibet. There is an unsanctioned climb of Mt. Everest, a foray into Shangri-La and an elephant ride in the jungle that hooks up with a massive underground tunnel system that extends from Shangri-La across much of the Asian continent. Not your ordinary travelogue by any means but enjoyable if you can suspend your disbelief and follow where Robinson wants to take you. ( )

A fix-up novel formed of four stories that are based around experiences and observations that KSR appears to have made when visiting Nepal. Certainly it's informed by the spirit of all those "What I did on my holidays" essays we wrote in school; the observation in the stories is very precise. It matched completely the various travellers' tales I've heard about the place over the years, and indeed brought back recollections of those stories for me.

As for the content; well, this is KSR kicking back somewhat, complete with ex-pat dudes and some fairly casual drug use; the stories are best described as Nepalese urban fantasy - yeti wearing baseball caps, Tibetan lamas taking part in guerrilla actions and unmasking corrupt Nepalese officials - and it's all quite amusing. Some of the blurbs on the cover imply that it's belly laugh-inducing, but I wouldn't go that far. One for completists and travellers from distant lands. ( )