MONK Chasing Monkey

by Kunzang Choden (editor)

Rigzin, a young monk, lives a cloistered life with his master in the remote mountains of Bhutan. He knows nothing of the outside world, till one day his blissful isolation is invaded by a modern pop song. All peace and contentment shattered, Rigzin can find no rest till he satiates his newfound curiosity.

With the help of his master, Rigzin sets off on a magical journey around the country following his monkey mind wherever it takes him. He finds himself thrust into a world far more confounding than he could have ever imagined.

By turns fiercely comical and tender, Monk Chasing Monkey is the story of modern Bhutan and a moving tribute to the ordinary lives who navigate unknowable complexities every day.

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2021

About the author

Kunzang Choden was born in 1952, in the year of the dragon, in Bumthang, Central Bhutan. She spent her early childhood in Bhutan but went to India (Darjeeling) for her primary and secondary education. She has a BA Honours in Psychology from Indraprastha College in Delhi and a BA in Sociology from the University of Nebraska, USA.

She has worked as a teacher and later for the UNDP in Bhutan. From 1990 onwards, Kunzang has been writing on Bhutanese oral traditions, folklore and women. She lives in Thimphu Bhutan with her husband and continues to research and document Bhutan's oral traditions.

Reviews

[Thomas Pugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book follows a monk who upon hearing a pop song which lists the 20 districts, or dzongkhags, (it's a thing in Bhutan apparently, to foster patriotism) becomes worried that he knows nothing of the country he lives in. What follows is a whistle-stop tour of Bhutan, every time the monks 'monkey mind' wonders off he follows it to a new district.

The book has a simple, endearing style and, while it is not overly substantial, does what it says on the tin. There is little in the way of deeper literary connotations, and I am not sure how long the book will stay with me, but it was a pleasant enough read and gave a good picture of a very different country.

This review is taken from my literary blog: https://theworldisabookblog.blogspot....

[Soph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read a novel written by a Bhutanese author after recently travelling to Bhutan. However, I’m not sure what the purpose of this novel was aside from exploring 20 dzongas and writing anecdotally about each one. It was nice to reminisce about some great locations in Bhutan but I felt like the author was really exploring their monkey mind and letting themselves be carried to every location in Bhutan whilst writing this novel

[Tsey Peday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through Rigzin’s curiosity to know how the 20 dzongkhags of Bhutan are like, this book brings out the development, the thoughts, the events, the culture and the happenings in the lives of regular Bhutanese in all parts of the country. It has honest insights to learn about Bhutan, specially for kids who haven’t explored their country much yet, and for foreigners!