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The Teardrop Island
Cherry Briggs discovers the the writings of an eccentric Victorian writer and explorer - James Emmerson Tennant - and decides to follow his footsteps before she leaves her teaching job in Sri Lanka. The unmarried, and childless Briggs is the object of mirth and pity of the Sinhalese,she journeys around the Teardrop Island, inadvisably for her, but entertainingly for us on public transport. With the civil war recently ended and the effects of the devastating tsunami as ever present context Briggs entertains and educates. Her hapless inability to select decent guides or drivers results in her taking us vicariously to places we would never reach otherwise.
Not to be read if your offspring are contemplating a gap year in Ceylon.
Not to be read if your offspring are contemplating a gap year in Ceylon.
- GenresTravelNonfictionAsia
319 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 5, 2017
The great task for a travel writer is to transcend the what-I-did-on-my-holidays subtext of the genre. The Teardrop Island escapes this, somewhat, by being more accurately subtitled 'What I did on the Weekends During My Work Placement'. Having taken a post teaching English in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, Briggs, to her credit, wanted to find something to keep her from the ex-pat round of escaping the city to the beaches or hills, there to moan about the country that had given them home. She found it in the writing of James Emerson Tennent, one of those extraordinarily industrious Victorians who combined a public life - in Tennent's case he was colonial secretary of Ceylon from 1845 to 1850 - with artistic and literary endeavour. Tennent combined both in his two-volume Ceylon. An Account of the Island, Physical, Historical, Topographical with Notices of its Natural History, Antiquities and Production and Briggs, having been given the books, decided to follow in his footsteps around modern-day Sri Lanka.
Although The Teardrop Island is entertaining enough, it does not really escape the usual tropes of light travel writing: long accounts of uncomfortable bus journeys, meetings with eccentric locals, a little light history. In comparison, the extracts from Tennent that Briggs rather unwisely includes are enough to suggest that the Victorian was a better writer, a more perceptive traveller and, most surprisingly of all, less patronising about the natives than a modern-day, painfully right-on Western traveller.
Right, I might be being oversensitive here, but let's lay the cards out straight. My father is Sri Lankan (half Sinhala and half Tamil to be precise). So the country and the people are in my blood. And, frankly, I found this book deeply patronising to the people and the cultures of Sri Lanka. Of course, I'm sure Briggs had no intention of being patronising, and she is clearly completely unaware of doing this, but the deep-rooted condescension becomes clear whenever she attempts to deal with any aspect of religious belief, and shades over into her frankly inadequate attempts to give the history of the long civil conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Briggs had the advantage of travelling the island not long after the final defeat of the Tigers, gaining access to many places that few westerners, apart from agents of NGOs, had seen for a decade or more. Without, apparently, realising it, she also shows quite clearly the cafeteria compassion and cultural imperialism of modern NGO workers - from talking with my Sri Lankan relatives, it's clear that the big international aid organisations are seen there as being mainly in the business of providing a comfortable, conscience-satisfying living to people who like to justify a tax-free salary (UN and WHO employees pay no tax) and jet-setting lifestyle on the backs of people's poverty and misfortune. (Apparently, in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lankans took to calling the Toyota Landcruisers that were the preferred mode of transport of NGO workers, vulture wagons.)
There is, though, some entertaining writing to be found here, and it's a light, quickly read introduction to Sri Lanka, in a field with few other competitors bar the usual travel guides. If you're not actually deeply rooted in the culture and people of the place, you'll almost certainly find the book completely fine. For myself, I'm grateful to have been introduced to James Tennent's writing and it has whetted our anticipation for our trip to Sri Lanka in the summer, so it was a worthwhile read.
Although The Teardrop Island is entertaining enough, it does not really escape the usual tropes of light travel writing: long accounts of uncomfortable bus journeys, meetings with eccentric locals, a little light history. In comparison, the extracts from Tennent that Briggs rather unwisely includes are enough to suggest that the Victorian was a better writer, a more perceptive traveller and, most surprisingly of all, less patronising about the natives than a modern-day, painfully right-on Western traveller.
Right, I might be being oversensitive here, but let's lay the cards out straight. My father is Sri Lankan (half Sinhala and half Tamil to be precise). So the country and the people are in my blood. And, frankly, I found this book deeply patronising to the people and the cultures of Sri Lanka. Of course, I'm sure Briggs had no intention of being patronising, and she is clearly completely unaware of doing this, but the deep-rooted condescension becomes clear whenever she attempts to deal with any aspect of religious belief, and shades over into her frankly inadequate attempts to give the history of the long civil conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Briggs had the advantage of travelling the island not long after the final defeat of the Tigers, gaining access to many places that few westerners, apart from agents of NGOs, had seen for a decade or more. Without, apparently, realising it, she also shows quite clearly the cafeteria compassion and cultural imperialism of modern NGO workers - from talking with my Sri Lankan relatives, it's clear that the big international aid organisations are seen there as being mainly in the business of providing a comfortable, conscience-satisfying living to people who like to justify a tax-free salary (UN and WHO employees pay no tax) and jet-setting lifestyle on the backs of people's poverty and misfortune. (Apparently, in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lankans took to calling the Toyota Landcruisers that were the preferred mode of transport of NGO workers, vulture wagons.)
There is, though, some entertaining writing to be found here, and it's a light, quickly read introduction to Sri Lanka, in a field with few other competitors bar the usual travel guides. If you're not actually deeply rooted in the culture and people of the place, you'll almost certainly find the book completely fine. For myself, I'm grateful to have been introduced to James Tennent's writing and it has whetted our anticipation for our trip to Sri Lanka in the summer, so it was a worthwhile read.
February 6, 2017
Despite all the traveling I do, the travel memoir is one genre I mostly shy away from. Perhaps it's just envy and bitter grapes - I can't help thinking, "I could do that!" But of course, I don't. Or haven't yet. Anyway, for whatever reason, it's the rare travel memoir that I think manages to get beyond cliché, and unfortunately Briggs' The Teardrop Island is not one of that elite few.
To the contrary, her stories about broken down buses, sweltering afternoons and fixation on the sensational side of Sri Lankan culture (devil dancers and mystical astrologers) seemed after the first few chapters, "same same", as they say there. And I didn't feel like she had managed to learn much (or perhaps convey much) in her year criss-crossing the island that my 2 weeks on the tourist circuit with a chatty driver and a bagful of novels hadn't given me. It's perhaps my author manquee crabbiness, but I found her book superficial.
The ostensible hook - that she is recreating the journey of a 19th century colonial administrator - is very flimsy. Like most such hooks, she left me thirsty for more of the original text by her subject, but we only get a paragraph here and there, tantalizingly. And the conceit means she spends an awful lot of time on quixotically scheduled overcrowded buses, which, if you've taken one such bus trip in the developing world (or 3rd Avenue at rush hour), you've taken them all.
Not a highlight.
To the contrary, her stories about broken down buses, sweltering afternoons and fixation on the sensational side of Sri Lankan culture (devil dancers and mystical astrologers) seemed after the first few chapters, "same same", as they say there. And I didn't feel like she had managed to learn much (or perhaps convey much) in her year criss-crossing the island that my 2 weeks on the tourist circuit with a chatty driver and a bagful of novels hadn't given me. It's perhaps my author manquee crabbiness, but I found her book superficial.
The ostensible hook - that she is recreating the journey of a 19th century colonial administrator - is very flimsy. Like most such hooks, she left me thirsty for more of the original text by her subject, but we only get a paragraph here and there, tantalizingly. And the conceit means she spends an awful lot of time on quixotically scheduled overcrowded buses, which, if you've taken one such bus trip in the developing world (or 3rd Avenue at rush hour), you've taken them all.
Not a highlight.
April 10, 2022
It was disheartening to read how Briggs described her experience in Sri Lanka with veiled distaste. Almost every reflection was accompanied with a painfully patronizing comment about the locals. The book's main hook was its informative account on Sri Lanka's cultural and historical past through Tennent's adventures.
January 20, 2016
A nonfiction travel book about Sri Lanka. Since all travel books these days seem to need some sort of gimmick, Briggs's is that she's recreating the journey of James Emerson Tennent, who himself wrote a popular travel book about Sri Lanka in the 1840s. Briggs's one big benefit is that she happened to be traveling in 2010, immediately after the ceasefire of the Sri Lankan civil war, making her the first outsider to visit some of these areas in decades. Overall it's a bit of a 101-level introduction to the country, but her writing is pleasant enough that it's worth reading. Recommended if you have a particular interest in the topic.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
March 3, 2015
This book motivated me to write a blog for our Asian trip. I read it while traveling. Glad I did.
July 4, 2024
As a Sri Lankan myself, I wasn't quite sure how I felt reading this book. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the details the author has carved into her narrative and appreciated the 'very local' way she has explored the country. I do not particularly remember what Sri Lanka was like soon after the war but I'm sure that the country perhaps did not have too much to offer to visitors as it does now.
On the other hand, the book was written in SUCH a negative tone; so negative that at certain times I felt like banging my head against the wall as I struggled to turn over to the next page! The summary of the book felt like "Well I didn't have a good time in Sri Lanka at all". Each and every experience the author explained throughout the book - I mean EACH and EVERY experience, even the littlest things like the smell of a room that she's lodged at one night during her travels- was a bad experience for her. If I were a foreigner reading this book for the first time, I'd not want to go to Sri Lanka, and that is unfortunate. It was personally disappointing when the author summarised that Kandy did not have much to offer as she had hoped it would, as I think Kandy is one of the most charming cities in the country.
Overall, it was quite a depressing experience to read through this book. Surely , somewhere down the road Sri Lanka must have offered nice experiences to the author and it would have been nice if she could have mentioned some of it too.
On the other hand, the book was written in SUCH a negative tone; so negative that at certain times I felt like banging my head against the wall as I struggled to turn over to the next page! The summary of the book felt like "Well I didn't have a good time in Sri Lanka at all". Each and every experience the author explained throughout the book - I mean EACH and EVERY experience, even the littlest things like the smell of a room that she's lodged at one night during her travels- was a bad experience for her. If I were a foreigner reading this book for the first time, I'd not want to go to Sri Lanka, and that is unfortunate. It was personally disappointing when the author summarised that Kandy did not have much to offer as she had hoped it would, as I think Kandy is one of the most charming cities in the country.
Overall, it was quite a depressing experience to read through this book. Surely , somewhere down the road Sri Lanka must have offered nice experiences to the author and it would have been nice if she could have mentioned some of it too.
June 14, 2018
The travel memoir is a new genre for me, and probably won’t be a go-to. Cherry spent time as a teacher in Sri Lanka following the end of the devastating civil war and explored the island with the path of a 19th century Brit as her guide. There were some interesting historical and current observations but I felt tossed around between past and present, her opinions and her research. It was a shadowy glimpse into what Sri Lanka is. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have an interest in that culture specifically.
September 28, 2021
A great story. The mix between the historic trajectory and book which the author follows, and today's Sri Lanka is smooth, dynamic, interesting, sometimes baffling. Great, critical insights, politically, socially, and many different angles. It made me wonder how I would write about Sri Lanka where we are going to live for a few years in a few weeks time. Great book, highly recommended.
October 17, 2019
Nothing in the style, nor the content really catches your attention. It's bland.
There are half-hearted attemps to introduce a twist at the end of a chapter...
There are half-hearted attemps to introduce a twist at the end of a chapter...
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March 6, 2020Not what I wanted to read. Just too non-fictional for me.
December 2, 2017
A good book to read while travelling through Sri Lanka.
November 25, 2020
‘We were once called “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, but what do they say about us now?’ He looked at the map and began to trace the route Tennent had taken across the island. ‘It would be interesting to follow his route now and see how much has changed,’ he said thoughtfully, moving his finger along the coastline and deep into the jungle interior. ‘We think we have changed so much, but I expect in many ways we have not changed at all.’
I really enjoyed The Teardrop Island. I thought it was a fantastic, fun, and interesting travel memoir. So many books on Sri Lanka are so heavy and only focused on the civil war. In this book, you get some actual culture!
I've read 2 travel books on Sri Lanka: this one and Elephant Complex. What I like about Cherry Briggs's book is that she takes public transportation and thus, gets to talk to ordinary Sri Lankans. Gimlette in Elephant Complex goes around by private car with a driver who annoys him the whole time.
I also love the fact that as a solo traveler who's also a teacher, I could relate to Briggs, who also traveled solo and who was a teacher.
You can read my complete review and a review of 19 other books that I've read on Sri Lanka at https://thebambootraveler.com/books-o....
I really enjoyed The Teardrop Island. I thought it was a fantastic, fun, and interesting travel memoir. So many books on Sri Lanka are so heavy and only focused on the civil war. In this book, you get some actual culture!
I've read 2 travel books on Sri Lanka: this one and Elephant Complex. What I like about Cherry Briggs's book is that she takes public transportation and thus, gets to talk to ordinary Sri Lankans. Gimlette in Elephant Complex goes around by private car with a driver who annoys him the whole time.
I also love the fact that as a solo traveler who's also a teacher, I could relate to Briggs, who also traveled solo and who was a teacher.
You can read my complete review and a review of 19 other books that I've read on Sri Lanka at https://thebambootraveler.com/books-o....
March 8, 2016
The author of this interesting book decided to follow the journey of an eccentric Victorian traveller, Sir James Emerson Tennent, around Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). I found that her experiences and reflections made for a fascinating read, shedding light on this beautiful country which has been blessed with so much natural beauty and abundant wildlife but has also suffered cruelly through long years of civil war, a devastating tsunami and political corruption.
If you're planning a trip to Sri Lanka or just want to know a bit more about the country which is, hopefully, putting the past behind it thanks to its people's remarkable resilience, do give this a try.
If you're planning a trip to Sri Lanka or just want to know a bit more about the country which is, hopefully, putting the past behind it thanks to its people's remarkable resilience, do give this a try.
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January 26, 2016Another interesting idea but not brilliantly written. It was a good companion to travelling around Sri Lanka though
July 9, 2016
A highly recommended read for those adventuring through Sri Lanka, with history, politics, and culture beautifully weaved into the author's own travels across the island.
January 17, 2016
An interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews