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  • The Hotel on the Roof of the World

  • Five Years in Tibet
  • By: Alec Le Sueur
  • Narrated by: Steven Kynman
  • Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (409 ratings)
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The Hotel on the Roof of the World cover art

The Hotel on the Roof of the World

By: Alec Le Sueur
Narrated by: Steven Kynman
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Summary

The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over 10 feet.… This wasn’t just bad - there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens.

Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the Fawlty Towers of Lhasa.

Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.

©2003 Alec Le Sueur (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

“...offers lucid details about living in a place that westerners tend to misunderstand.” (Time Magazine)
“An hillarious account of a clash of cultures...a comparison with Fawlty Towers is inevitable, but this is funnier.” (Mail on Sunday)
“Imagine moving Faulty Towers from Torquay to Tibet...Le Sueur has distilled five years of real anecdotes into one hilarious volume...unbelievably true.” (Focus Magazine)

What listeners say about The Hotel on the Roof of the World

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Imperfect people living interesting lives

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hotel on the Roof of the World to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version but always feel that a well read audio book stirs both the left and right side of the brain ... therefore making it way more alive and valuable. It's a hard person to find who doesn't enjoy a book being read to them! This book is very well read with great impersonations. I'll definitely listen to it a few times over.

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

It stands alone but if I had to compare it to a variety of travel books - or even books in the humurous category - I'd say it would come out tops.

What about Steven Kynman’s performance did you like?

His impersonations were excellent. He brings the characters to life with ease.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed quite a few times, and felt their frustrations a few times too.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book. Well worth listening to ... especially for travel readers who like to be taken to a lesser-known corner of the earth.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best audiobook I have listened to

What made the experience of listening to The Hotel on the Roof of the World the most enjoyable?

The story is brilliant, the narrator gave the book a perfect flippancy and captured the situation perfectly. I have listened to this book several times and is performance is the best of any audiobook.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hotel on the Roof of the World?

The description of the Chinese airline and the onboard magazine made me laugh out loud.

Have you listened to any of Steven Kynman’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I haven't unfortunately

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

They make running a hotel look easy...

Any additional comments?

Funny and thoughtful. I felt like I was there with him and shared in his experience. Can't recommend highly enough.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very entertaining

What made the experience of listening to The Hotel on the Roof of the World the most enjoyable?

This is a very witty and amusing book which depicts unusual characters in a way that makes you feel that you know them too. The enjoyment not judgement that the author conveys in his descriptions and stories around the clash of cultures is hugely entertaining.

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

The only other travel books I have read have been Bill Bryson's, whose humour is more gentle and whose journeys are not so far afield. I loved listening to the problems that arose due to the very different cultures mismatch of expectations - both staff & visitors.

What about Steven Kynman’s performance did you like?

His reading matched the style of the book and had just the right tone and inflection to maximise the comic moments.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very enjoyable but breaks were needed as I I felt I had to concentrate to take in all the information. No bad thing in any book.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Humerous

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I also worked in a hotel like Fawlty Towers so found this book funny and enjoyable and it brought back many memories.

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptions of the different characters that work in the hotel, and of course interesting facts about Tibet.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator’s Asian Impersonation is cringeworthy

While parts of the story are interesting and colourfully described, I’m finding the narrator’s Asian impersonations offensive and actually cringeworthy. To the point wherein I don’t really want to listen to the book anymore. I’m finding these parts demeaning as a result, with Tibetan culture or specific Tibetan characters seemingly being the ‘butt of the joke.’ Which is not something that I want to ‘laugh at.’

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very funny story - well read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - a really good read I would recommend to anyone. Very Funny

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

No read anything else - but would like to know if there is one

What does Steven Kynman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Well told and easy to identify the characters

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh out loud...lots

Any additional comments?

looking forward to listening again with my husband... and stay in the hotel.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow start but worth persevering

Both author and narrator took a couple of chapters to get into their stride, I almost gave up in the first five minutes as the narration was so bad...but eventually things improved and I enjoyed the book immensely.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Any additional comments?

Steven Kynman narrated this book in such a way as to make it very enjoyable. A very funny account of the authors experiences in Tibet. Not the austere and bleak country you would imagine. Really good in my opinion.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book will cheer you up !

I loved this book & have not laughed so much for a long time -the narrator is superb

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very well read, enjoyable tale

This was a very well read, enjoyable tale. I would recommend to anyone for a light hearted fun tale.

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2 people found this helpful