Under the Dragon: Travels in a Betrayed Land

by Rory MacLean

An evocation of contemporary Burma from the author of STALIN'S NOSE and THE OATMEAL ARK. Through his intense studies of the lives of the individual Burmese he encounters, MacLean reveals their patient endurance, fragility and charm, and makes us feel the weight of the oppressive military regime under which they labour.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Asia, Contemporary, History, Politics

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 1998

About the author

Canadian Rory MacLean is one of Britain's most expressive and adventurous travel writers. His twelve books include the UK top tens Stalin's Nose and Under the Dragon as well as Berlin: Imagine a City, a book of the year and 'the most extraordinary work of history I've ever read' according to the Washington Post. He has won awards from the Canada Council and Arts Council of England and was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary prize. His works – according to the late John Fowles – are among those that 'marvellously explain why literature still lives'. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he divides his time between the UK, Berlin and Toronto.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fails to convince. I mean, perhaps I'm wrong and the author has based everything in solid fact but... OK, it starts with the claim of arriving in Yangon *on the wrong flight having meant to go to a different country* well before the country opened up and apparently being allowed to hang out, make lifelong friends and see the place for a week. Really? If you arrive without a visa now, you get sent right back, so I'd have liked to know just how the author managed that.

I don't believe that happened. I don't believe in any of the interpolated Big Book of Suffering stories of Myanmar people, all of which are presented as fact without any info on how he knows them. I don't believe in two-thirds of the reported meaningful conversations. The McGuffin of searching for the maker of a century-old basket was a clumsy hook to give it much needed structure, except the structure was dumb. Add in a healthy dose of snobbery towards both fellow travellers and Myanmar people who didn't meet the author's lofty standards of humanity, and this really was not a piece of work I can recommend.

I mean, if you're going to make up short stories, fine, but don't sell it as non fiction, that's all. Because claiming to know the country based on what appears to have been about a month's holiday to the main tourist spots is unconvincing, and the interpolated "personal stories" of human tragedy reeked of appropriation in the cause of Meaningful Travel Writing. God knows those stories are there to be told but I didn't trust this book as far as I could throw it (which was across a Bagan hotel room, since you ask).

[Nathan Hillyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have looked at some of the other reviews and been puzzled by the struggle people have with this book. What the book is NOT about is finding a basket. The basket is merely a symbolic tool whether or not they were actually looking for one. What is the basket in this book? It is a weaving of people and a lost history which is being searched for. They go from region to region, always looking for this lost craft and use the whole country to weave their own understanding of Burma, a basket that contains. Along the way, the stories are held together by interlocking common humanity and pain. Furthermore, the writing is incredibly sensitive and evocative.

I think one has to want to understand more about Burma/Myanmar to enjoy this book, but I can say that having been there recently, this helped me understand a lot about the overwhelming kindness of the people, their honest hospitality, and perseverance. I was able to understand more about why currency is such an issue for them because it is entrusting stability to outsiders where it had been lacking internally and betrayed so bitterly. The tourist bears a lot of responsibility when traveling to Myanmar now whether he or she realizes it, and this book shows why. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for a place which still does not have Starbucks, MacDonalds, or ATMs in smaller towns. At the time this was written, Burma was still under a more oppressive fist, and Aung San Suu Kyi is no longer under arrest as she basically was then. So, things are changing. Hotels are still springing up because there aren't enough in some areas, driving the room cost up compared to the standard one might expect in other places. But this book shows a time when it was still almost impossible to get into certain parts of the country without special permission - which is still true to a certain extent. Some areas, quite frankly, are still dangerous, but I doubt one would have the kind of adventure the author had to get where he and his wife were going.

Read this book for its artistry and for its pathos. Throughout the reading, I could feel the spaces and the five senses. There is beauty and discomfort. Everywhere there is betrayal of some kind, but there is love, hope, loss, and acceptance.

For anyone about to travel to Myanmar or even been there already, I recommend this book more than George Orwell because this will give a stronger understanding of the present we find the country coping with, but one has to read past the superficial story for the heart of Myanmar people.

[Nadya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in this book came to life for me in MacLean's writing. His travelogue story telling left out much of his own trials of such a difficult journey (unlike many other authors tend to include) and focused his every word on the sentiments, worries, tribulations, and often hopeless acceptance of the country's painful story.

I have travelled to Burma with my mother so that she could revisit her childhood. These stories are real. The fearful silence of the people is real, tangible. The way MacLean tied it all together in search of this basket - how beautiful. I wish I could only thank him for putting a voice to all their struggles.

I would point out, that although Aung San Suu Kyi has given much hope to these people, she has been less than helpful and possibly complicit of the genocide of the Rohingya population. I believe this has come out after the publication of this book. But I needed to mention this.

[Andrew]

It's hard to know what to make of this. On the one hand, MacLean's writing is downright gorgeous, and he has this innate sense of magical realism that serves him well, especially in very magical-realist Myanmar, where I once saw a boy ride an ox yoked to the chassis of a World War II-era Willys Jeep as a cart. Every part in which he's at the mercy of a drunken warlord -- well, every traveler who has found themselves accidentally attached to such a character, which is perhaps more common than you might expect, has had a similar experience... thinking back to my narrowly avoiding an ass-kicking and possible stabbing in the mountains of the Philippines...

On the other hand, I have to wonder how much of this nonfiction hunt for a McGuffin is really non, which normally wouldn't bother me -- after all, it is beautifully well-written, and his very self-conscious lapses into lyrical fiction make nice stories -- but there's something kind of cringey about MacLean imposing his own Very Important Authorial Perspective on a country that's exceptionally difficult to know and travel in, and this reflects my own worst tendencies as a traveler and writer. If he'd wanted to do the acid-drop version of a travelogue, I'd have far preferred some Chatwin-type dissociation.

[Alex Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book struggled to find its identity. I read one review stating that it smacked of a ruse to traipse all the way through Burma in search of a copy of a 100 year old basket, and I tend to agree. I just didnt really see the point of that side story other than to justify how their route was chosen through the various origins suggested by randomly encountered strangers.
The fictionalised stories of the people met along the way were nicely written, and provide poignant points of clarity to the reader to gain some clear snapshots of the brutality and harshness of the regimes over the past 60 years, but I found the actual recounting of history itself could have been more chronological to make it more accessible (at least to one with so little background knowledge of events as I).
I read this book as an introduction to a country I may be working in over the coming years, and I feel it was certainly worthwhile on that front, but in literary terms I think it struggles.

[Tara Outman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a hundred or so pages in for this book to win me over (anything with three or more stars from me is something I would recommend) because I disliked the premise of the main narrative and the slow pace of its unfolding. Ultimately, though, the prose is lovely and memorable, and many of the Burmese characters' flashbacks (the stories within the story) are haunting and compelling. I also really liked learning about the landscape and its history. I did find myself wondering from time to time to what extent this kind of travel writing by Western 'outsiders' is inherently problematic the way so much traditional non-fictional anthropology is. All in all though, a worthwhile, and relatively short, read.

[Murali Neelakantan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I expected to read a travalogue, perhaps the publicity following the book's association with William Dalrymple set the expectation too high for this book to meet. While it is no doubt a well written description of the travel in Burma, the reason for the journey just does not come across as credible at all. There are a lot of things one could look for in Burma, but of all things a basket! It would have done the author a great deal of good and spared the readers a ton of misery if only Rory MacLean had read Roy Moxham's The Great Hedge of India.

[Tanis · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me this book failed because it's not one thing or the other. It's not a great travel book, it's not a great insight into Burma or the Burmese, it's not an entertaining story. I struggled to make myself finish it, there just didn't seem to be any point to it. I've given it two stars because it is readable and the cover is nice.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this a dull and unconvincing tale of a supposed search for a specific woven basket. The text lacks definition drive and continuity and compares poorly to other books i have read by the same author

[Akimbo1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially I found myself drawn to the main character, her struggles, and the local history, but as I read on, I became confused about the timeline and the plot shifts. It's rare for me to get more than half way through a book, then quit, but I couldn't reconcile the plot surrounding the original main character with what became more of a travelogue and a telling of history with other characters. It felt as though the telling of history overshadowed the plot. Glad that other reviewers enjoyed it.

[Tina Khin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was good and author did a nice job of capturing each characters tragic back story and linking them to historical events that took place in Burma. But as a Burmese person, I found his use/writing of certain Burmese words annoyingly inaccurate and confusing. It’s understandable since he is not a Burmese speaker but I still felt that this small thing detracts from the story and cheapens it. Also noticed that in his acknowledgments he mentioned no Burmese people, which explains why his use of Burmese (and other ethnic dialects) in the book sucks.

[Jove · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a collection of short stories linked by the story of a traveling British couple in the 90s. All the stories are well told, and the engaging writing is probably more of a highlight than the content of the stories themselves. However, it seemed that the book's insights were mostly those of a western mind looking to understand Burma. I think I was hoping for a different perspective, but still enjoyed the book quite a bit.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this when there was an outside chance of me visiting Myanmar for work.
I enjoyed reading this, nice mix of characters stories -telling the tale of Myanmar through recent historical events
However it is worth saying that this was written while Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest and was widely revered as "our lady", so pre allegations of genocide of Rohingya muslims in Takine state.

Taken as a general history of the nation and its people its a good read.

[Eesha Bansal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rory Maclean's writing takes you to Burma. His insights are invaluable to understand the lives and minds of the people. He writes with objectivity and feeling from all senses. It really is a journey from start to finish.

[Maria Hoogewerf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written

A great sadness hangs over this book, the story of modern day Myanmar is tragic, if they was more interest and books like this one perhaps more could be done for the people of Burma

[Guy Mazim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book conveys a mysticism and uniqueness to Myanmar (Burma) that made me want to explore this country!

[Nicolas Sollay · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacLeon writes about a culture that is practically hidden from the rest of the world. Excellent!

[Roland Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the style of this book. An interesting blend of travelogue and stories.

[maria jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

Loved every story! Enjoyed how every story fed into the narrator's own story. This book opened my eyes to the Burmese.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a combination of travelogue and stories based on real people in Myanmar. I found it interesting to read about the people's lives and what had happened to them during the time of the Generals when Aung San Su kyi was locked away.

I found some of the writer and his wide's travels totally terrifying and other part very interesting especially as we have just spent a few weeks in Myanmar and recognised places they mentioned.

The style of writing was easy to read and I was kept interested throughout.

[Strivetoengage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I posted my review on my blog: https://strivetoengage.wordpress.com/...

[Christian C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book really frustrating. I bought it, partly because I am planning a trip to the country myself and party because it came with a recommendation and foreword from one of my favourite travel writers William Dalrymple.

Parts of it were brilliant written: the set-pieces of the two sisters of Lashio worked as a fascinating short story. I imagine MacLean imagined the narrative from the bare bones of whatever the sisters told him over tea.

And I loved the opening chapter.

But parts of it were so frustrating.

The snide comments during encounters seemed unnecessary. MacLean might not approve of the business elite but did he have to mention so many times that Michael the businessman, who clearly tries to help the couple on their baffling and self-indulgent quest, suffers from dandruff. Does he have to slip so far into caricature every time a businessman appears. I found the description of the karaoke celebrations patronizing and mean-spirited.

I love travel books where the author describes and let's us decide who the goodies and baddies are. Here it seems it is a general assumption that all "ordinary Burmese" are sparkling white goodies and anyone connected with money is inherently ridiculous and evil.

I also feel a bit sorry for Katrin; I imagine she is charming in real life and so don't want to be personal, but in this book she is described as either crying or quietly moaning: full of condescending and barbed comments. I've written (a wholly unsuccessful!!) travel book and I kept my partner out of it for this reason: I'm responsible for the way I portray myself but the way as a writer you portray loved ones is tricky.

I also wondered whether you can such an authoritarian judgement on "the way things are" in a 4 week trip. I've lived in my adopted country for 14 years and I feel I still have a lot to learn. It's a travel book; not a work of academia and I appreciate it's charm is its directness, but I would have appreciated a lot more recognition of the opaqueness of travel.

That said, having tried one myself, it is a much more complicated undertaking to write a meaningful travel book that you imagine at first and, if all the incidents are true, it is in the final sections a rollicking adventure.

It's a book that at first delighted me, then confused me, and then frustrated me. I wonder if I will feel differently when I have visited Myanmar/Burma (now almost 20 years on from the time of MacLean's book) myself.

[penelopewanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose this is basically non-fiction, although some parts are a bit unclear, and I found the writing reflected that...
The beginning is very poetic and evocative, with the olfactory descriptions conjured up by the basket. The section on Ni Ni was of value in drawing attention to the plight of so many young women in that part of the world, but it wasn't clear where this fit into the narrative. The conditional used later ('She might have replied', 'he might have said') when describing (?) Ni Ni's fate was confusing and clumsy, I found. Was it true, was she an invented character or a real character? Did they know what became of her or not at all??
I was very glad to have the opportunity to learn more about Burma, but every now and then I couldn't help wondering about the pretext... traipsing all over the country to discover the origin of a basket seemed so random at times... And I was almost disappointed by the resolution of the quest at the end, especially that they didn't take the detour and go to the final destination mentioned. I did feel there were some shifts in tone that disturbed me - richly lyrical and then very down to earth and almost sarcastic, but perhaps that was a true reflection of the experiences recounted in this book.Despite my reservations, this book is very important - having read a great deal about modern slavery (thanks, among other things to book-man-8's slavery spiral), and being somewhat familiar with the region for family reasons, I was aware of much described, but it's so essential for this to become more public.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the descriptive prose in this book is gorgeous and paints the beauty and complexity of the country and its people very well. I recognised the frustrating aspects of the authors' battle with bureaucracy, the pain of travelling around and the often frustrating chaos that surrounds any attempt to achieve anything here. But I also recognised the unfailing optimism and generosity of spirit that the Burmese have and while the ending may seem too good to be true, this country does have a way of working things out, especially when you just let go and run with the flow. Faith flows through the people in this tale and is a critical, but silent, element in the book as a whole. It links the pieces of the journey, the people and the events together in spite of the chaos and reminds us that it is something we need to have in the country, it's people and its government; that one day Burma will recover find its place in SE Asia.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacLean's travelogue focuses on the contrasts between the brutality of the Burmese regime and the generosity of the people unfortunate enough to live under it. It's a sobering book, especially as it was written before the series of recent liberalizations (and the creation of a nominal republic) in the country. That's reason for some hope, but the book leaves you wary too -- MacLean writes about a prior period of strategically slackened government control, used to identify and subsequently purge dissidents. Tourism, the drug trade and an increasingly tight Chinese partnership all provided funds to prop up the military junta - hopefully civilian rule will provide better opportunities for a group of people that, as the book makes clear, are certainly deserving.

[Simon Stafrace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the book while travelling in Myanmar, so it had a particular meaning for me. The book is loosely based around the author's search for the origins of a traditional basket from Myanmar which he came across while living in London. His quest leads him across the country and in so doing, allows him the opportunity to document a land then still in the grip of a military junta and yet to reconcile political and ethnic conflicts that had raged since colonial times. This is literary travel writing at its best. The author's observations about the people he meets & their stories kept me engaged from beginning to end. The ending was a little twee, but it was not that big a deal, because as with so much travel writing, the nuggets are in the journey not the destination.

[Kristianne]

MacLean and his wife go looking for a basket and find a collection of great stories from the Burmese people that help or hinder them on their journey.

excerpt:
"Our search had never been for the basket alone, although it was a beautiful keepsake. Instead it had been an attempt to understand the ordering mind and the controlling hand. Baskets reveal out longing for organization and completeness, our attempt to take charge of the world, to contain and to be contained. They, like love, make order in the chaos."

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just spent one month in Myanmar this was the best description of what real life is like for the people living in this beautiful country under the thumb of a militaristic authoritarian government. Even though MacLEan wrote this 10 years ago life has not changed for the better for the Burmese. I recommend this to all who plan to travel to this Buddhist country.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot imagine living in a country where I need a visa to travel the the next town. I take freedom for granted. I have always wanted to travel to Burma, but now have reservations since it seems that the government cares more about the tourists than their own citizens. I do realize that the conditions may have changed sine the time of the writing of this book, however.

[Maurício Linhares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asia is such a strange and magical place, Gil of colors so different than the ones we're used to its almost hard to comprehend how it all works. This is not a travel guide, this is a journey through a weird and unknown place, full of people and stories that are touching, hopeful and disheartening, all at the same time.