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The Backpacker
John's holiday in India begins badly. His girlfriend returns home after falling ill and he finds himself at the end of a knife in a train station latrine. But then he meets Rick, an enigmatic, streetwise traveller, who persuades him to embark on a series of increasingly bizarre journeys.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
John Harris
2 books12 followersJohn[19 spaces]Harris
At the age of 18, after a variety of dismal package holidays, John Harris bought a ticket to Egypt; things would never be the same again. Following a few years of on-off travel, mostly in Africa, he decided to go a stage further and work in the developing world, joining VSO to work as a building instructor in Nigeria.
Back in London, life proved uninspiring and the draw of distant shores called again. John set off on his trip round South-East Asia which later formed the background for The Backpacker.
At the age of 18, after a variety of dismal package holidays, John Harris bought a ticket to Egypt; things would never be the same again. Following a few years of on-off travel, mostly in Africa, he decided to go a stage further and work in the developing world, joining VSO to work as a building instructor in Nigeria.
Back in London, life proved uninspiring and the draw of distant shores called again. John set off on his trip round South-East Asia which later formed the background for The Backpacker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 28, 2012
John Harris is exactly the kind of tourist that has destroyed places like Thailand and made millions of people around the world think of Westerners as shallow, self-absorbed hedonists. Read this book to find out how not to travel.
April 2, 2016
Backpacking, such an innocent thing for those on a gap year to do. You may be slightly worried as you wave them off at the airport, but you think that they are fairly level headed and aren’t going to do anything stupid. Are they?
If you have any concerns at all then I wouldn’t recommend reading this one.
John Harris has just arrived in India with his girlfriend. Even though her parents are Indian, she hates the country, and after a bit of a row, she decides to head home. Harris is in a bit of a quandary about what to do, but his more pressing need is to do something about the man pointing a knife at him in the train station toilets. He is saved by Rick, who manages to persuade him that his present plans are a bit boring and he needs to live a little more. Next step Thailand.
The Thai island of Koh Pha-Ngan is a tropical paradise with its warm seas and golden sands; but there is a much darker side to it. The first time they visit, their new friends Dave finds a freshly severed finger in the undergrowth at the back of the beach. They soon forget about it though as the wild parties, drugs and beautiful women have much more appeal. They are pretending to be rich aristocrats, but soon the game is up and they are trying to get out of Thailand to escape the clutches of the mafia. They make it into Malaysia. They decide to keep moving, travelling to Indonesia and Singapore before making the most foolhardy decision of their trip, and steal a boat…
This is not a travel book for the faint of heart. Harris and his two conspirators seek hedonistic excess at any cost, indulging in drink, sex and drugs as well as theft and taking huge risks. It is well written though; at times it reads like a thriller as you race through the pages to see just what is going to happen next. There is the head in the hand moments too, when he does yet another dumb thing and you are sitting there thinking, why? I think that it reflects more of what happens on backpacking holidays too, much more that you will ever know as a parent. A good read, but also quite a worrying book.
If you have any concerns at all then I wouldn’t recommend reading this one.
John Harris has just arrived in India with his girlfriend. Even though her parents are Indian, she hates the country, and after a bit of a row, she decides to head home. Harris is in a bit of a quandary about what to do, but his more pressing need is to do something about the man pointing a knife at him in the train station toilets. He is saved by Rick, who manages to persuade him that his present plans are a bit boring and he needs to live a little more. Next step Thailand.
The Thai island of Koh Pha-Ngan is a tropical paradise with its warm seas and golden sands; but there is a much darker side to it. The first time they visit, their new friends Dave finds a freshly severed finger in the undergrowth at the back of the beach. They soon forget about it though as the wild parties, drugs and beautiful women have much more appeal. They are pretending to be rich aristocrats, but soon the game is up and they are trying to get out of Thailand to escape the clutches of the mafia. They make it into Malaysia. They decide to keep moving, travelling to Indonesia and Singapore before making the most foolhardy decision of their trip, and steal a boat…
This is not a travel book for the faint of heart. Harris and his two conspirators seek hedonistic excess at any cost, indulging in drink, sex and drugs as well as theft and taking huge risks. It is well written though; at times it reads like a thriller as you race through the pages to see just what is going to happen next. There is the head in the hand moments too, when he does yet another dumb thing and you are sitting there thinking, why? I think that it reflects more of what happens on backpacking holidays too, much more that you will ever know as a parent. A good read, but also quite a worrying book.
April 1, 2013
The adventure story is a nice page turner. Apart from that, it's no literary master piece. The character started to p*ss me off at some point, because they are self-absorbed and egocentric a**holes who just care about drugs and women, most of which are prostitutes. The main characters (and if this is based on a true story, so the author) have no empathy or even interest in the people of the countries they travel in. They are portrayed as either ripping them off or, well, being hookers. Women are only portrayed as prostitutes/sex objects throughout the whole book. The backpackers themselves just take whatever they want without any self-reflection, empathy or sometimes even common sense. I am glad not all backpackers are like that, and those people who are like portrayed in the book, shouldn't be allowed to travel. Not a must read, I preferred The Beach and Are You Experienced? much more.
August 3, 2011
From a strong start this “true story” (rubbish) turned into badly written infantile crap. I felt annoyed I wasted my time reading it. Definitely no “The Beach”. Avoid.
March 10, 2015
This book is not worth the effort it took to read it. I rated it a one star, because there are no "minus" stars. Luckily I did not buy this book, but downloaded it from a library.......the only use for a paper copy of this book is for the outhouse this guy.......can't call him an author, probably used. This book is really awful, and quite stupid. Harris starts out in India, ditches his girlfriend and job, and leads a rather criminal life......not a petty criminal, from dealing drugs to stealing a boat to ferry himself and several like minded "buddies" to Australia, where they end up burning down the shack they live in in order to spite the farmer for whom they are working. I tried to find a redeeming value to this book, plodded through it, had to skip parts of it......it really was not worth the effort. I don't know who this guy is, and if he is still writing his awful prose, but hope to avoid any other books by this so called author......who doesn't know a plot from a conclusion!
August 6, 2012
A gripping book of a man and his travelling friends. Teary at times, full of smiles while reading. Was thoroughly hooked from beginning to end!
November 2, 2012
The concept and story of 'The Backpacker' is truly exciting and amazing, it really depicts the trials and tribulations of the events of backpacking and all the different opportunities one can be presented with living each day differently. The story displays so many different emotions and can be enjoyed by a broad range of social population. This is a truly captivating book which wants you reading more, it really consumes the reader and makes one believe they are traveling alongside, bearing the strengths that the author and companions face. Anyone who enjoys travelling, backpacking, culture, and adventure will thorough enjoy this book. A great inspiration and eye opener to how diverse the world is, and how one can really experience differences from their decisions. Absolute must read
March 2, 2016
As a regular traveller and familiar with far east, this was not interesting or engrossing and laborious in parts. Poorly written and way too laddish, with little cultural content or respect and little to appreciate.
January 16, 2014
Best book I have read in months, absolutely loved it. A lot of ppl talk about books you cannot put down and this is really one of them. Can't recommend highly enough
October 31, 2017
Reading like a misogynistic version of Alex Garland’s The Beach on steroids, this supposedly true story traverses South East Asia and briefly Australia after initially embarking upon a three week holiday to India. Here he meets up with his soon-to-be best friend and heads off in search of a life of sand, booze, drugs and beautiful girls.
This is a book that won’t appeal to a wide range of people due to the stereotyped depiction of non-Westerners and constant frequenting of prostitutes, but the writing is crisp and the stories so wonderfully entertaining that it’ll have you searching for your own backpack well before the end.
This is a book that won’t appeal to a wide range of people due to the stereotyped depiction of non-Westerners and constant frequenting of prostitutes, but the writing is crisp and the stories so wonderfully entertaining that it’ll have you searching for your own backpack well before the end.
July 7, 2020
In the beginning, it was a nice read, a little bit funny, a little bit appealing, a little bit surprising. Later on it started to feel and sound trashy, but in general - I enjoyed it.
The story had a lot of holes and a lot of unbelievable and surreal twists. The only reason why I was enjoying the book is because I visited couple of these places before reading the book, so it was nice to read about Asia, Australia and India in these paragraphs from another perspective.
That's why it got two and not one star, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone to read it, unless you like easy reading.
The story had a lot of holes and a lot of unbelievable and surreal twists. The only reason why I was enjoying the book is because I visited couple of these places before reading the book, so it was nice to read about Asia, Australia and India in these paragraphs from another perspective.
That's why it got two and not one star, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone to read it, unless you like easy reading.
September 30, 2019
Goodreads really should think about a rating of 0 stars. I love travel and adventure books. This was neither. The story was totally unbelievable and even if some parts were true...well, these guys belong in a jail somewhere (anywhere) they went. Disgusting characters that showed disrespect towards all women and other cultures and I think they are the reason westerners are sometimes not welcome. This has been in my "want to read" pile for a long time which made it an even bigger disappointment. The writing was poor...No saving grace. I could not finish this one, After a while, it was just a waste of my reading time.
January 24, 2021
What a cracking adventure the lads got up to! But, if this is truly a non-fiction account of the author's travels, it's difficult to condone their behaviour. They started a mafia war, conned the locals, stole a yacht, started a fire, stole money, and their friend died. I'm finding it hard to believe John didn't embellish his travels. Putting that issue aside though, I really enjoyed reading this. It was well written entertainment, despite some the eyebrow raising derogatory comments.
Word of warning: This was written in the nineties and hasn't aged well. It can and will be offensive to modern readers.
Word of warning: This was written in the nineties and hasn't aged well. It can and will be offensive to modern readers.
October 31, 2015
Had to give up on this one. It's a fairly good story, and the descriptions of the various places the lads wind up is interesting, but after a while it's like a 14-hour long version* of 'Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents' mixed up with one of those Channel 5 documentaries about holiday makers getting themselves in deep crapola while abroad. All well and good for an hour or so in front of the telly, but you wouldn't want to sit through 14 blooming hours of it!
I think it was trying to be 'The Beach' and it kind of almost got there but then didn't. I don't want to listen to another 5 and a half hours of lads going wild on holiday.
*This review is for the audiobook version. The narrator was good, you could tell the difference between the 3 main characters because of the accents. Reading the actual book, this would have been harder because they're all quite similar.
Didn't care for the lads' attitudes towards Asian women either. Yes, it is probably realistic of *some* real-life lads, particularly in the age group the characters are in, and yes, some of the women use the boys as much as the boys use them. But it's not particularly attractive and makes them hard to sympathise with at times.
Not terrible. Would make a good beach/holiday read/listen. A bit better than other stuff I've given up on, but not for me. I just didn't care enough about the characters to continue with it.
I think it was trying to be 'The Beach' and it kind of almost got there but then didn't. I don't want to listen to another 5 and a half hours of lads going wild on holiday.
*This review is for the audiobook version. The narrator was good, you could tell the difference between the 3 main characters because of the accents. Reading the actual book, this would have been harder because they're all quite similar.
Didn't care for the lads' attitudes towards Asian women either. Yes, it is probably realistic of *some* real-life lads, particularly in the age group the characters are in, and yes, some of the women use the boys as much as the boys use them. But it's not particularly attractive and makes them hard to sympathise with at times.
Not terrible. Would make a good beach/holiday read/listen. A bit better than other stuff I've given up on, but not for me. I just didn't care enough about the characters to continue with it.
November 11, 2016
It's obviously not a true story, at least several parts of it.
Example, the two main characters manage to enter Malaysia without one passport, just cause the officer think foreigners look all the same. They didn't stamp passports around 2001? And what about the exit from Thailand, and the departure paper than needs to match someone's passport? After having been there longer than what a tourist visa allows?
Another example, they steal a Yacht of a Japanese businessman and they write a book about it...as to say, hey man, come to catch me!
In any case, the title of the book is totally wrong and John Harris is no backpacker.
Example, the two main characters manage to enter Malaysia without one passport, just cause the officer think foreigners look all the same. They didn't stamp passports around 2001? And what about the exit from Thailand, and the departure paper than needs to match someone's passport? After having been there longer than what a tourist visa allows?
Another example, they steal a Yacht of a Japanese businessman and they write a book about it...as to say, hey man, come to catch me!
In any case, the title of the book is totally wrong and John Harris is no backpacker.
April 1, 2011
Since I first read The Beach I got hooked on travel stories of finding not only new paradises but also yourself. John Harris's book is exactly what i needed approaching the challenge of not following the establishment and instead following my itchy feet. The book is closely related to The Beach, most of the plot is situated in Thailand and the area, but of course being a real-life story is less dramatic and more grounded. Still there is life-turning point and the last pages of the book made me cry.
December 7, 2012
I read this mainly for the Koh Phangan Had Rin setting, having been there on honeymoon. This is no great work of literature - the flat descriptions that fail to evoke any real sense of the places he visits make this a mediocre read. Every single one of the characters is pretty unlikeable too, so it's hard to care very much how much trouble they're in. The book's saving grace is the adventure story. I doubt it's entirely true but it's a wittily told page turner and sufficiently kept my interest through most of it.
November 9, 2015
Hesitated to read after seeing some of the reviews, but so glad I did. I can see why fans of Alex Garland's "The Beach" would enjoy this read, it's adventurous and intriguing following a young mans travel-tale in Thailand.
The characters in this book aren't particularly moralistic, so I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't at all entertained by the characters frequent drug and sex binges, however I personally found quite a bit of humour in the realities of this novel.
I was very entertained by this story, I'd even read again in the future. I definitely recommend.
The characters in this book aren't particularly moralistic, so I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't at all entertained by the characters frequent drug and sex binges, however I personally found quite a bit of humour in the realities of this novel.
I was very entertained by this story, I'd even read again in the future. I definitely recommend.
July 28, 2015
This has to be the most stupid story and author I've ever read. John Harris is so immature, self-centered, whiny, "poor-me", chauvinistic, immoral, he basically is a con-artist, a stealer and an arsonist. He feels entitled and he feels that the world owes him or something. And he complains a lot! English is only my second language, but I can tell when a book is written in poor English, and this one is.
December 12, 2009
A very quick, very entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style and the story is every traveler's nightmare/dream. If you plan on traveling to Southeast Asia, or have recently been, I highly recommend it.
October 6, 2013
It's a boys book, with boys doing stupid things and thinking themselves cool. Making irresponsible choices and thinking they were funny or serendipitous. There were no redeeming characters and the women in the story are two dimensional. Has the writer ever met a woman?
May 8, 2015
Although I didn't like the characters, I did enjoy the book.
August 22, 2013
Brilliant and hilarious! Read it.
June 17, 2015
Quite a good read but disappointing ending! No where near as good as The Beach!
May 1, 2016
Sometimes is ok to read a nice and easy piece of cr*p, and this is a good one!
June 8, 2016
Awful.
January 8, 2016
I certainly enjoy debauched travel writing and hope to someday create my own. I don't always enjoy the hipster posturing that goes along with it--the idea that those who travel are inherently cooler and more insightful than those who have sold out and decided to stay home (although as an expat in Southeast Asia I do like to tell myself occasionally that this is true)--and I sense a lot of this type of stance in this book.
While I was living in Egypt, a friend let me borrow this book. I started and stopped it a few times before giving up and giving it back. A year later, I was living in Vietnam and found it on a friend's bookshelf. This time I finished it and enjoyed it more or less. Both friends told me that it was kind of a ripoff of the The Beach and not particularly well written but that it was a true story.
I'm going to disagree on all counts. The Beach connection doesn't extend much farther than the setting, and, it's not a great work of literature, but it's a pretty witty, well written page turner. True story? I'm skeptical. If all of these things had happened, this would be a much more famous story.
Overall, it's a good enough book set in a few exotic locales with some fun memorable characters. Take it with you on vacation and read it there.
While I was living in Egypt, a friend let me borrow this book. I started and stopped it a few times before giving up and giving it back. A year later, I was living in Vietnam and found it on a friend's bookshelf. This time I finished it and enjoyed it more or less. Both friends told me that it was kind of a ripoff of the The Beach and not particularly well written but that it was a true story.
I'm going to disagree on all counts. The Beach connection doesn't extend much farther than the setting, and, it's not a great work of literature, but it's a pretty witty, well written page turner. True story? I'm skeptical. If all of these things had happened, this would be a much more famous story.
Overall, it's a good enough book set in a few exotic locales with some fun memorable characters. Take it with you on vacation and read it there.
February 17, 2018
I ended up speed reading most of this instead of reading at my usual leisurely pace. I picked it up because it was recommended if you like The Beach, which I loved, but this just didn't hit the mark for me. Aside from Thailand as a backdrop, I don't see many parallels to The Beach, and the leaps and bounds between the kinds of characters in each book are vast. This book is kind of what like a weird, drugged out, rich boy fan fic of The Beach if there's any comparison at all to be made.
The main character has no redeeming qualities, which is often fine, but I felt it hindered my connection to a story that was already so far removed from what I was expecting and wanting that it really sealed my need to be done with this book by about chapter three. That being said, I actually enjoyed the casual writing style Harris used, as it really lent to the overall tone of the adventure. I very much disagree with the reviews who attacked the writing.
But, this still wasn't a book I enjoyed. Bad recommendation for those who liked The Beach. Better recommendation for those who think a juvenile version of The Wolf of Wall Street set in Thailand might be fun. It was kinda fun, but in a very shitty human being in a foreign country kinda way.
The main character has no redeeming qualities, which is often fine, but I felt it hindered my connection to a story that was already so far removed from what I was expecting and wanting that it really sealed my need to be done with this book by about chapter three. That being said, I actually enjoyed the casual writing style Harris used, as it really lent to the overall tone of the adventure. I very much disagree with the reviews who attacked the writing.
But, this still wasn't a book I enjoyed. Bad recommendation for those who liked The Beach. Better recommendation for those who think a juvenile version of The Wolf of Wall Street set in Thailand might be fun. It was kinda fun, but in a very shitty human being in a foreign country kinda way.
November 12, 2011
SPOILER ALERT!!
Im not sure what to think of this book. I enjoyed it while I was reading it..but also had some problems with it...I have a really hard time believing that the author so clearly remembered so many details of his journey when he was either drunk or stoned 90% of the time...also, when Dave "dies" and they just carry on with their trip after a quick "melancholy look out to sea to remember him" (my words not his) it just seems rubbish. He'd just spent the last year with this guy and all of a sudden he disappears and its "oh well on to the next country" What kind of person does that? I dunno...I found myself wanting to know more and more after I finished it...where are they now kinda stuff..and I really cant find anything at all. I just dont know if I can believe that this all happened. How is this guy not dead or in jail right now?? I picked it up in Hong Kong airport on my way home from Thailand and yes, it entertained me, but was it quality writing? no. is it one of my fave books? definitely not. I prefer to think of it as fiction...
Im not sure what to think of this book. I enjoyed it while I was reading it..but also had some problems with it...I have a really hard time believing that the author so clearly remembered so many details of his journey when he was either drunk or stoned 90% of the time...also, when Dave "dies" and they just carry on with their trip after a quick "melancholy look out to sea to remember him" (my words not his) it just seems rubbish. He'd just spent the last year with this guy and all of a sudden he disappears and its "oh well on to the next country" What kind of person does that? I dunno...I found myself wanting to know more and more after I finished it...where are they now kinda stuff..and I really cant find anything at all. I just dont know if I can believe that this all happened. How is this guy not dead or in jail right now?? I picked it up in Hong Kong airport on my way home from Thailand and yes, it entertained me, but was it quality writing? no. is it one of my fave books? definitely not. I prefer to think of it as fiction...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2013
Yes, it's a cliche to talk about the journey we readers go on, but I think it's a reasonable compliment for this memoir because John Harris took me on a journey. This true story of his experience traveling for over a year across Southeast Asia was extremely visceral. I have been studying this region since the beginning of the year, and while I have learned a lot from other books, this one really put me there - in the good and bad ways.
Harris's prose is never flowery or tedious. His writing has an honesty from describing he and his dorm mate's distaste for a gay border to his experiences on LSD and with prostitutes along with committing felonies in Singapore ( never a good idea) and admiring topless hippies in Thailand or teen prostitutes in Indonesia.
I recommend this book to anyone considering travel to the region or to those who want to feel better about staying home. Mostly I recommend it for what he has to say about the way so many of us live, or don't live.
Harris's prose is never flowery or tedious. His writing has an honesty from describing he and his dorm mate's distaste for a gay border to his experiences on LSD and with prostitutes along with committing felonies in Singapore ( never a good idea) and admiring topless hippies in Thailand or teen prostitutes in Indonesia.
I recommend this book to anyone considering travel to the region or to those who want to feel better about staying home. Mostly I recommend it for what he has to say about the way so many of us live, or don't live.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews