The Great Railway Bazaar cover art

The Great Railway Bazaar

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

The Great Railway Bazaar is Paul Theroux's account of his epic journey by rail through Asia. Filled with evocative names of legendary train routes - the Direct-Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Local, the Delhi Mail from Jaipur, the Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur, the Hikari Super Express to Kyoto, and the Trans-Siberian Express - it describes the many places, cultures, sights, and sounds he experienced and the fascinating people he met.

Here he overhears snippets of chat and occasional monologues, and is drawn into conversation with fellow passengers, from Molesworth, a British theatrical agent, and Sadik, a shabby Turkish tycoon, while avoiding the forceful approaches of pimps and drug dealers. This wonderfully entertaining travelogue pays loving tribute to the romantic joys of railways and train travel.

©1975 Paul Theroux (P)1983 Recorded Books LLC Adventure Travel Asia Travel Writing & Commentary Adventure Railroad Imperial Japan
All stars
Most relevant
superb book, brilliantly read, I laughed out loud and followed the journeys on google earth

get on board

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Paul takes on this amazing journey, through lots of countries. Istanbul, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Russia, India, and we hear about the many cultures, and peoples at the most random of places. He also ventures out and sees some of the less charming aspects of those worlds, and their realities.
Its a long journey, but with many of theses travel writers, they have a tendency to being persistent and consistent, keeping you hooked for the long journey.

A wonderful journey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One of Theroux’s best. This time without moaning and just bearing the discomforts as they come. It is lovely to relive the places and tracks in lazy listening.

A dream of dreams.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narrator of this story made it all come to life and it felt as though I was on the train travelling alongside and could smell and feel all the pleasures and discomforts afforded to the traveller. I have purchased the second part his return and already it has highlighted how the passing of time along with age makes you value and appreciate different things even after compensating and making allowances for memories being a ghost train and bringing about a sense of melancholy sense of loss.

I was on the train

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Enjoyed this book. Don't think long distance trains have changed much. Knowing in my lifetime I won't be able to take the trans Siberian is sad, but Paul's description doesn't leaving me wanting!

Great to listen to while on a train

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews