Baddha

by Elson Quick

A middle-aged man from the West finds himself dragged down an unconventional path toward Buddhist enlightenment The hero of Baddha has a moment of enlightenment while visiting a Burmese monastery with his traveling companion, Frog. Confused by the experience, he wants to recapture and explore the deep feelings he had, so he enrolls on a course held in a Buddhist retreat to learn how to breathe. Finding the retreat to be populated by pseudohippies from the West and taught by monks who seem interested only in money, he abandons any hopes of learning and begins a road trip. His journey takes him around the countries of the region—Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand—where he has wild drug- and alcohol-fueled adventures and muses on his deep relationship with a beautiful and enigmatic Lady-Boy prostitute. During moments of crisis including a near-death experience, a mysterious old man keeps fortuitously appearing. He does not hold back with his opinions and tries to guide the hero through the complexities of Buddhist beliefs and the difference between those and the thoughts expressed in the hero's journal. Eventually finding a kind of peace running a ramshackle store with the old man, his life is once more thrown into turmoil when his old companion dies. Truthful, mysterious, revealing, and brutally honest, Baddha explores the West's concept of Eastern culture and compares it to the reality.

210 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2012

Reviews

[Ellen-Arwen Tristram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, what is Baddha? Is it a memoir, a novel, a travel book, an autobiography? I had no idea what to expect when I started it, and I'm still not sure now! Apparently Elson Quick is a pseudonym of an internationally famous author, which adds another level of intrigue! (Who can it be? Trying to recognise the style etc.)

Elson Quick goes on a sort of journey of discovery to South East Asia, hoping to get over some writers' block for his latest blockbuster novel. With a crazy mixture of Buddhism, prostitutes and exploring, Baddha swings wildly between different experiences for the reader."The old man" is a character who appears at regular intervals and talks about Buddhism, and the mismatch of concepts between the East and West. Is he real? We don't know - and neither does Quick!

What did I think of Baddha? This is a hard question to answer as well. I didn't get on with it at the beginning; I think I wanted more of a concrete idea of what it was that I was reading. However, by the end I was gripped. It's very entertaining, but thought provoking at the same time. The clash of Eastern/Western attitudes to Buddhism was fascinating and I by the end I could happily have read another 100 pages or so. I would have given it four stars, but for the fact that I didn't enjoy the beginning very much.

An enjoyable read - out there, fun and unique.

(Note: I won this in a GoodReads giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own)

[Selina Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm wavering between a 4 and a 3 for this one.

I enjoyed the narrative style, very clever and strikingly different. Lots of asides to the reader and the strange play between the author and the old man, a lot of jumping around in time and expressing things chronologically.

If I had it on Kindle (as opposed to having won it in a giveaway - thank you!) there would have been many passages I would have highlighted, some of the thoughts on Buddha and possessions and spells were fantastic, but, call me a prude if you like, but some of the narrative was very sexual and this will make it difficult for me to share the book with other people, who i would love to enjoy the book, but without all the crude bits in! You can allude without having to detail. But, arguably I am missing the point.

I did do a goodle search on "who is Elson Quick" and came up with nothing. Perhaps this is an hoax to add another layer of mystery?

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 09/10/2012
Author: Elson Quick
Recommended for: over 16 year olds

I recieved this book for free through Goodreads First Reads competitions.

I thought that the narrative section of the book was very good. I found it a very good and enjoyable read. We go on a journey with 'Elson Quick' to South East Asia, it is very well written. it is a very unique book and an extremely great book to read!. Would recommend people to read this book and give it a try. There is some great thoughts on Buddha, possessions and spells however there was quite alot of sexual parts in the narrative which would make this book to over 16 year olds.

[Alison Large · Rating 4 out of 5]

I win this book from Goodreads First Reads - thank you!

I enjoyed the narrative sections of the book much more than the more contemplative passages and would have to agree with the author's sentiments that I might not have kept reading without him spicing it up with debauchery. All in all, I think I was primarily left with a sense of jealousy, I'd love to be able to give up on the day to day and run off to the Far East to search for myself and realisation and it was fun to live through the writer's journey.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway

Ultimately, although I mostly enjoyed reading the book, I struggled a bit with the conceptual stuff and overall, I thought the book was a bit long.

That is not to say that it was not well-written from a stylistic perspective and it would be a good read for someone who had an interest in this type of 'journey'. Parts of this book I could identify with from experiences in my formative years in the days when faiths first tried to lure you into their mysterious and 'secret' world.

OK if you like this type of thing.

[Liznemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a giveaway and it arrived after a quite long time. When I started to read I realised soon it is an unconventional book about Buddhism and real life adventures in Buddha-land. I liked its free language as well because it is so close to real people in real life. Sometimes I feel stories about Buddhism are full with riddles. This book is an opposite. It was a good time to read and I thank for this book to the publisher.

[Cal Littlehales]

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.

Not so much a travelogue as a personal journey. Straightforward talking, not for the faint hearted, but within this gives a fascinating insight to Buddhism and Buddha.

A funny, thought provoking book which gives the reader a sense of having travelled the road with the, albeit disguised, author.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Currently waiting for this book to arrive!

[Crisana]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Review will be added later.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won this book on good reads first reads.was a bit disappointed as love reading about travelling as been to Thailand and many other places.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally decided to read this book, which has been sitting on my book shelf collecting dust. Although I won this book ages ago in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, it wasn't really a book that I would usually choose.

Despite, I was surprised to find myself enjoying this book. Well written and easy to follow.