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Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven (Hardcover)
by Susan Jane Gilman (Author)
Book Details
* Hardcover: 320 pages
* Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 24, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0446578924
* ISBN-13: 978-0446578929
* Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
* Rating: 
Book Description
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.
Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven Review
Two well-educated, intelligent young women decide in a moment of naivete and foolishness to travel to China together in the 1980s. They struggle in the communist country with language, food, hygiene, and other things we take for granted in the United States. The author’s friend at first seems a bit kooky but gradually becomes totally separated from reality. In other words, she loses her mind and becomes a danger to herself and others. The goal then becomes how to get her friend back to United States before anything too terrible can happen to her. Although this sounds grim and depressing, Gilman has written it in the style of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. It is at times hysterically funny, and I often read passages out loud so my partner could understand why I was laughing. This is a wonderful book that proves that most people are decent and sweet. I can absolutely see it being made into a film.
Beware of making travel plans, what to do after college plans, any kind of plans based on the placemats at the International House of Pancakes. One night in 1986, fueled by post graduate giddiness and a large amount of alcohol Susan Jane Gilman and friend Claire decide to circle the globe, starting with China (newly opened to any type of tourist activity), one of the sites on IHOP’s placemat. Making sure they have the necessities…the complete works of Nietzsche, an astrology love guide, endless optimism and visions of hostel travel the two embark on a romp that quickly goes awry. Were it not for the peril of venturing into areas of China closed to foreigners, the lack of funds, constant hunger, the threat of arrest and a general lack of awareness of the seriousness of their situation this might be a fun trip. Gilman manages to tell the story with wit and no small amount of hubris. If I wasn’t so irritated by her devil-may-care attitude I might have enjoyed it more. Well written with great dialog and a keen eye for detail , but this book really rubbed me wrong even knowing it all ended well.
I found this book a great read from the beginning; by the time I was a third of the way through, I couldn’t put it down. It’s an exciting, oh-my-god-what’s-going-to-happen-next experience of a book. Instead of the usual let down after you finish, this book leaves you thinking. Gilman shows us our humanity. She has a message that’s not in your face and she delivers it with her characteristic tough New Yorker wit. I laughed and I cried reading this book. Gilman’s message is that we can survive even dreadful circumstances. As Gilman pointed out in Seattle on her book tour, in these times, even sitting in our own living rooms is being on unfamiliar ground. Faced with the stunning differentness of the world financial collapse and the challenge of potential climate disaster, we can take from Susan Jane Gilman’s book a useful lesson: we are resourceful. We will survive.
I can’t wait for the movie!
The author and her friend Clara head to China for the beginning of a round-the-world backpacking adventure after graduation in 1986. And that’s where things begin to go both horribly wrong and on occasion fantastically right. This engaging and griping memoir was written recently, yet the author very ably describes the experience as if it were fresh, while using a light-handed perspective that puts some of the events in the context of China 20 years later. Having done the post-college trip to Europe at that time, I cannot imagine the difficulties of travel in China. Indeed, the author and her friend, were ill-prepared, which adds much to the highs and lows of their experiences. Layered on top of it all, is Clara’s degenerating mental condition. This book illuminates a recent time, when China was just beginning to emerge as a modern country, before the modern investment and development that has culminated in the Olympics. However, what has not changed, and what is at the heart of this story is the interpersonal relationships, and the kindness that travelers often experience while in foreign lands and cultures. I was drawn into the book from the beginning and could barely put it down until the end.
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