Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
by Jenners • 05/12/2012 • 5 Stars, Adventure, G Authors, Memoir, Non-Fiction, U Titles • 48 Comments
Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010Pages: 320
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Adventure/Travel Where I Got It: Bought it
Why I Read It: I was intrigued by the few reviews I read and decided to take a chance on it
My Rating: 5 stars
I cannot even tell you how absorbed I got in this book … how difficult it was to tear myself away to prepare dinner or get my son from the bus stop. This is simply the most fascinating, compelling, intense travel memoir I’ve ever read. It has everything you look for in a travel memoir: exotic locales, excellent writing, insight and a compelling narrative. Let’s take a look at these elements one by one.
Exotic Locales
In 1986, Gilman and her college friend Claire embarked on an “around the world” backpacking trip that starts in China, which (as Gilman puts it) “had been open to independent backpackers for roughly ten minutes.” This is a very Communist China that, at the time, was not yet very modernized. It is also, as Gilman finds out on a return visit 20 years later, a China that no longer exists. Gilman’s account of the difficulty of travel, the incredible bureaucracy, the food, the sights, and the people (often generous to a fault) brings to life a country and a culture that may be a mystery to many Westerners.
Excellent Writing
Gilman has a sharp wit and a way with words that make this book—which is, at times, as harrowing as any thriller—a pleasure to read. Her self-depreciating and wicked sense of humor grounds the book, and her creative use of metaphors delighted me time and time again. Consider this self-description:
Most of my time at Brown, I’d felt like geometry: a collection of unlovely, isolated parts that needed to be proven over and over.
Seriously, how awesome is that metaphor? The book is full of this type of wonderful writing—making the book flow like a stream of crystal clear water. (As you can tell by my seriously lame metaphor just now, it isn’t the easiest thing in the world to come up with apt and creative metaphors.) In addition, Gilman’s personality comes shining through on every page, and I found her to be winning, hilarious, down-to-earth and just plain awesome. (I’d love to hang out with her some time. I bet she is a hoot.)
Insight
I’m thankful that Gilman waited before attempting to write this memoir. The events in the book require a certain type of maturity and hindsight to fully understand and view properly. Had she written this book shortly after the events described, I don’t think it would have been nearly as effective. With the benefit of 20 years to ponder the events of the trip, Gilman is able to analyze her younger self and the decisions she made with a wisdom that would have been lacking had she written the book in “real-time.” Thus, we have two Gilmans writing this memoir: the 22-year-old Gilman who experienced the events and brings them to life and the grown-up Gilman who has the wisdom and maturity to understand and comment on her younger self and her experiences. I’ve read memoirs that lack the introspection and commentary that time can bring, and I think this book benefited tremendously from Gilman’s choice to write the memoir as an adult versus a young adult.
Compelling Narrative
Although this could have been a “two naive American girls traveling in China” travel narrative (and you almost wish it could have been), Gilman and Claire’s journey takes a bizarre and riveting turn when Claire begins to unravel psychologically. As little oddities begin to crop up (such as Claire’s insistence that she is writing a “world curriculum” and must go by herself to do research and make contacts), both the reader and the grown-up Gilman can see that the warning signs were there from the start. But Gilman’s analysis and reasoning on why these warning signs don’t register until it is too late are compelling and reasonable. I could totally see my 20-year-old self making the same decisions and getting into the same harrowing situations in which Gilman finds herself at the end of the book. The last third of the book was as suspenseful, harrowing and riveting as any thriller I’ve ever read. My pulse and anxiety level were rising with each new development, and I couldn’t imagine experiencing this kind of nightmare myself. Yet, as Gilman writes in the epilogue, it was this experience that helped shape her into the woman she is today.
The bottom line is that this book is simply the best memoir and travel narrative I’ve ever read. I simply can’t recommend it enough. I’m usually pretty stingy with my stars, but I’m giving this one 5 stars without hesitation. Make time for it … you’ll be glad you did. It is an excellent piece of writing that tells a riveting and compelling story that has something important to say about life, love, and being a citizen of the world. Despite Gilman’s often nightmarish experiences, it will make you wish you’d taken that backpacking trip you always said you would but never quite got around to doing.
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I love a good metaphor too. This sounds like a great read. So happy to be back blogging and getting these good book recommendations for me to add to my summer list.
If you’re going to add one book to your list from my blog, make it this one!
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I really like this one too and agree about Gilman’s wit. The book made me want to head off on an adventure! I have another of her books on the shelf and am looking forward to it
Wow – what high praise! I remember seeing some good reviews for this one, but it really hadn’t grabbed my attention before. I love travel memoirs though, so I’ll have to give it a try. As far as metaphors go – usually when I try to write one, especially in a review, I feel like a cliche-spouting idiot.
My metaphors are terrible — clunky and obvious — like a rust stain on a car. See!?
The title sounds naughty.
Well, it does refer to a naughty bit in the book.
I have heard that this book is simply amazing, and will blow me away several times, yet I have not sought it out for reasons unknown. I need to read this book it seems, because I do take your 5 star reads very seriously. It sounds like a book that would totally rock my world, and now I must be off to see where it can be had. Your enthusiasm for this one was so infectious! This is now a must read for me. Fantastic review today!
Well I hope you like it as much as I did. I suspect that you will. It is just so compelling and her writing is amazingly good. Plus she is funny.
Oh this sounds good- at least you made it sound really good!
Oh it was sooooo good. The whole element of her friend unraveling mentally added this whole other dimension to the book. Plus she is such a good writer.
Isn’t perspective great?!?! The passage of time helped this story ferment. Your thoughts reminded me of the quote, “Looking back we see with great clarity, and what once appeared as difficulties now reveal themselves as blessings.” How wonderful that she let the clarity and wisdom of a few years reveal the story you read. I’m anxious to find this and lap it up!!
Thanks for sharing!
Hope your Mother’s Day was great and that your thoughts of your mom were sweet, clear and blessing-filled!
Thinking of you.
That quote you shared was perfect and lovely. Thanks you. The author’s clarity helped to make it a much better book. I hope your Mother’s Day was wonderful and thank you for thinking of me. It was a bittersweet day in many ways.
Finally home from “the big trek north” and wanted to pop in and wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!!
Why thank you. Same to you!
Best travel memoir ever? Wow! I’ve heard a lot of praise for this book, but you seem to love it more than everyone else. I’ll ensure I get to it at some point.
The story just fascinated me. It could be that I haven’t read enough travel memoirs but this one just really rocked my world.
Wow!! I never paid much attention to this because I have never really gotten into travel memoirs. I also didn’t realize there was that whole other “storyline” in this memoir. I love your enthusiasm and am definitely adding this to my list!!
The “whole other storyline” just added an element of suspense that elevated the story to be “not just another travel memoir.” It was just riveting.
I know I read about this a couple of years back and heard raves about it, although nothing anyone said every made me want to read it as much as you do, with the comment about the perspective of the young narrator and the experienced writer. I do like that kind of double vision.
Her being able to comment on her own youthful decisions added so much to the book. It was like she was making peace with herself through the process of writing. It was interesting to see that “double vision” because you so rarely get that in a memoir.
This sounds like a great read. I love reading about other people’s travels. I’ll add this one to my list.
This sounds like it would be right up your alley. I hope you read it. It was just so interesting.
Sounds fantastic Jenners, great review.
I’ll have to add it to my wishlist.
Do add it … you won’t be sorry!
I read a few reviews of this book over a year ago and I don’t recall them being anywhere near as good or enticcing as yours This book sounds captivating and fascinating. I want to read more memoirs because I realized with the last 2 I read, I really enjoy them especially when they’re well-written, interesting anmd honest. I also enjoy travel memeoirs because I geta good ‘view’ of the country from the author! I feel for Gilman when Claire starts unraveling psychologically. How frightening!
And I got the geometry metaphor (clever & sounds about right to me) although I didn’t really get geometry. lol
Fantastic review, Jenners, and your enthusiasm for this book is very compelling!
)
Thank you
Oh I don’t get geometry either but I got the metaphor! This memoir is just excellent and has all your requirements covered. I hope you read it. I’d love to see what you think of it.
Wow! Your enthusiasm for this one is contagious–I’ll be adding this travel memoir to my TBR priority list!
Glad you caught the “bug” for this book! I want everyone to read it … I’m just so in love with it.
Wow – five stars! Definitely going to have to read it. Especially as I spent three years a volunteer teacher in China at about the same time the writer was there.
Oh how interesting!! I’m sure you have some stories of your own to tell. I imagine that you would be even more fascinated in the book after seeing this China first-hand!
I disagree about geometry! But it is a good metaphor!
Isn’t it? I thought it was clever and unexpected but made so much sense. I love a writer who can do that.
Wasn’t this book fabulous?! Did you know Frank McCourt taught Susan high school English?
Yes! I read that little factoid after I finished the book and was Googling her to find out more about her. (I wasn’t quite ready to let her or the book go.) He must have been quite a teacher because she turned out to be quite a writer. Can you imagine having someone like that teach high school English!!???
Well I must move this up on my list, I do have it in the TBR pile… someplace. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day. Enjoy BB now because when they grow up they become Bigger BB and get girlfriends and life get complicated.
ACK! Don’t talk to me about BB getting girlfriends! I can’t imagine that yet!! I think he wrote a song for me for Mother’s Day. I’m very interested to hear it!
Like I said on Goodreads, you are making me want to put other books on hold to read this! It sounds amazing. (Btw, you don’t need amazing metaphors because this line right here: “I cannot even tell you how absorbed I got in this book … how difficult it was to tear myself away to prepare dinner or get my son from the bus stop.” is enough to make anyone keep reading.
Ooohhh…I’m so glad I got you excited about reading it. I personally think it is worth putting other books on hold for (of course, that might depend on what you are reading.)
You have a way of taking a book I probably wouldn’t look twice at in the store and making it sound like something I just have to read! Of course there aren’t enough spare hours in this lifetime to read all the books I feel that way about thanks to book bloggers like you.
I feel the same way about book bloggers. My TBR list is out of control and filled with so many books I probably wouldn’t have looked at twice before.
I trust you implicitly so I’m going to have to figure this out. I’d heard the audio was fabulous, but my library doesn’t carry it, so I just kept putting it off, thinking that either a) I’d find time to read the book in print or b) my library would order the thing. Seriously, you have inspired me to get to it one way or another! I think I may need to get it on Kindle.
I looked for it on Audible but didn’t see an unabridged version so I bought my copy. I’m glad I did … though I would imagine it would be a kick-ass audio to listen to. It is one not to be missed!
You really do read ALL the coolest books that I want to read and yet keep adding to the list before accomplishing. I will read this someday. I wish I had chosen it for my bookclub instead of what I did cuz even I don’t want to read it.
This may be the ONLY area in my life where I might even be remotely considered “cool.” And “ouch” on your book club pick. That is pretty awful. What did you picK?
High praise indeed but with a title like this I’d expect nothing less.
It lives up to the title … and exceeds it!