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Le vite segrete di Alexandra David-Neel
L'esistenza della più celebre viaggiatrice del Novecento fu un susseguirsi di avventure, troppo numerose per una sola vita. Dopo una giovinezza dedicata allo studio del buddismo e di altre filosofie orientali, Alexandra David-Neel soggiornò a lungo in India, in Cina e ai margini del Tibet, frequentando uomini politici e studiosi, maragià e monaci. Visse per due anni come eremita sulle pendici himalayane e per altri due nel monastero di Kum Bum. All'età di 55 anni si avventurò in pieno inverno attraverso i passi impervi dell'Himalaya, travestita da mendicante, riuscendo a raggiungere la "città proibita" di Lhasa. Era la prima donna europea che vi metteva piede, e il suo resoconto, pubblicato al suo rientro in Francia, le diede fama internazionale.
351 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Barbara M. Foster
5 booksBarbara M. Foster is assistant professor in the library department at Hunter College, City University of New York.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 13, 2012
Certainly Alexandra David-Neel was an amazing and interesting person, but this book doesn't do her much justice. In a nutshell, this plucky, well-educated French woman took it upon herself to travel to Tibet, particularly the capital Lhasa, and achieved that goal in 1924. She was an adept of many years study in Tibetan Buddhism, spent time as a disciple to powerful lamas, mastered many of the more esoteric practices of Buddhism, and managed to document many everyday rituals of the various tribes in Tibet whose cultures are rapidly disappearing.
The Fosters state at the outset that their purpose in writing this book is to countermand the works of some other authors, Jeanne Denys in particular, who claim that David-Neel never made it to Tibet and all of her later writings chronicling her 14 years in the Orient were entirely fictitious. Their writing style is plain, but the entire time you have the impression that they must prove that they have the definitive version of David-Neel's life. It's extremely off-putting, and they continually state that they lack access to her private papers, which led me to wonder how they became such experts.
The story of a woman crossing the Himalayas, learning Tibetan, begging for food, and finally achieving a site never before seen by a Western woman is fantastic. However, in the hands of these authors, you begin to doubt the journey, or how they assert David-Neel felt about her journey.
I will be looking to find some of David-Neel's own writings, and another biography in the future.
The Fosters state at the outset that their purpose in writing this book is to countermand the works of some other authors, Jeanne Denys in particular, who claim that David-Neel never made it to Tibet and all of her later writings chronicling her 14 years in the Orient were entirely fictitious. Their writing style is plain, but the entire time you have the impression that they must prove that they have the definitive version of David-Neel's life. It's extremely off-putting, and they continually state that they lack access to her private papers, which led me to wonder how they became such experts.
The story of a woman crossing the Himalayas, learning Tibetan, begging for food, and finally achieving a site never before seen by a Western woman is fantastic. However, in the hands of these authors, you begin to doubt the journey, or how they assert David-Neel felt about her journey.
I will be looking to find some of David-Neel's own writings, and another biography in the future.
January 24, 2018
De belofte van de auteurs dat we meer te weten komen over het leven van deze fascinerende vrouw voor ze naar Tibet trok wordt niet echt ingelost. Ok, ze was blijkbaar een tijdje operazangeres en ze reisde toen al wat af maar daar wordt niet echt diep op ingegaan. Het grote probleem met dit boek is dat ze teveel context proberen te geven, blijkbaar omdat hen de toegang tot haar archief is geweigerd waardoor ze niet over bijster veel informatie beschikten behalve de reeds gepubliceerde. En dus wordt het verhaal van haar reizen constant onderbroken door uitwijdingen over andere personen die niet eens altijd iets met haar verhaal te maken hadden. Wie meer wil weten over deze reizigster leest beter één van haar eigen boeken.
January 25, 2025
Impeccably and thoroughly researched and solidly sourced, this biography of an astounding woman explorer, stoic, and Buddhist provides a direct link to her life and work. The authors even managed to interview a few of the last living people to know Alexandra David-Neel directly. Without her work, coming as it did in the last days of the pre-modern era in Asia, our knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism would be only a shadow of what we have and know today. She and her works deserve to be better known, and this biography is certainly a sterling gateway to her life and accomplishments.
August 25, 2015
i'm on page 13 and this book is going to be a challenge. it is loaded with interesting information, but is so poorly written that i find myself highly irritated on virtually every page. note to self: find another biographer.
on page 65 now, and either i'm used to the writing, the facts matter more, or their editor finally got busy....
i'm on page 125 now. i can't tell anymore if the writing is good or not. the story is wonderful!
now on page 283, and once again frustrated by the writing. i am wondering how these authors divvied up the writing. also, once i read this sentence referring to Lama Yongden: YONGDEN LACKED THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES TO CREATE THIS DOGGED FIGHTER WHO, DESPITE HIS LOWLY ORIGIN, EVENTUALLY ASCENDS TO A HIGHER SPIRITUAL PLANE, I became interested in HIS biography. he reminds me of the unsung sherpas who make heroes out of mountaineers. no wonder he turned to drink. a scathing review is forthcoming.
an interesting, if at times a somewhat frustrating read. the authors could have used a better editor. that aside, no doubt about it, Alexandra David-Neel lived a remarkable life. Did she really make it to Lhasa? Maybe. Was she a tantric adept? Maybe. Did she travel and have adventures in a part of the world that interests me? Absolutely! Is my interest in Lama Yongden peaked? Absolutely. He carried her gear for heaven's sake, and was a tulku. My big question: did they practice tantric sex together? My hunch (altho the authors HUGELY sidestep their 40 year relationship) : a resounding yes.
on page 65 now, and either i'm used to the writing, the facts matter more, or their editor finally got busy....
i'm on page 125 now. i can't tell anymore if the writing is good or not. the story is wonderful!
now on page 283, and once again frustrated by the writing. i am wondering how these authors divvied up the writing. also, once i read this sentence referring to Lama Yongden: YONGDEN LACKED THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES TO CREATE THIS DOGGED FIGHTER WHO, DESPITE HIS LOWLY ORIGIN, EVENTUALLY ASCENDS TO A HIGHER SPIRITUAL PLANE, I became interested in HIS biography. he reminds me of the unsung sherpas who make heroes out of mountaineers. no wonder he turned to drink. a scathing review is forthcoming.
an interesting, if at times a somewhat frustrating read. the authors could have used a better editor. that aside, no doubt about it, Alexandra David-Neel lived a remarkable life. Did she really make it to Lhasa? Maybe. Was she a tantric adept? Maybe. Did she travel and have adventures in a part of the world that interests me? Absolutely! Is my interest in Lama Yongden peaked? Absolutely. He carried her gear for heaven's sake, and was a tulku. My big question: did they practice tantric sex together? My hunch (altho the authors HUGELY sidestep their 40 year relationship) : a resounding yes.
January 2, 2015
Poorly written account of a fascinating life. The authors didn't do their subject any justice.
May 15, 2018
This book was given to me by a friend to read. He thought the subject would be to my taste.
I honestly had not heard of David-Neel before reading this book. She seems to have been a very interesting character. She traveled to the heart of Tibet at a time when Tibet was still a land of mysticism.
The writing style of the book I am conflicted about. I appreciate the effort the authors made to give the text a conversational tone. However I found the commentary as a bit too familiar. Presumptuous perhaps?
If you are looking for an introduction into Buddhist mysticism, or perhaps just into early 20th century Asia, this may be an interesting way to start.
I honestly had not heard of David-Neel before reading this book. She seems to have been a very interesting character. She traveled to the heart of Tibet at a time when Tibet was still a land of mysticism.
The writing style of the book I am conflicted about. I appreciate the effort the authors made to give the text a conversational tone. However I found the commentary as a bit too familiar. Presumptuous perhaps?
If you are looking for an introduction into Buddhist mysticism, or perhaps just into early 20th century Asia, this may be an interesting way to start.
September 28, 2020
Una biografia affascinante e avventurosa, una donna temeraria e determinata, forse la più celebre viaggiatrice del Novecento, una vita intensa, romanzesca e la passione per il buddismo e altre filosofie orientali. La prima europea a raggiungere in incognito il Tibet, un viaggio alla scoperta di se stessa attraverso terre impervie e inospitali, tra mille pericoli e disagi e un unico sogno: Lhasa la città proibita...
August 19, 2020
Alexandra’s life is no doubt amazing, but the book is terribly written. The authors don’t give sources, they add a lot of useless and boring details, they “cannot” quote Alexandra’s writings... her figure would definitely deserve better biographers.
February 28, 2021
Fascinating, in depth biography of a mysterious woman who travelled throughout asia in the first decades of the 20th century, including the magical land of tibet...a traveller, a scholar, a seeker of knowledge...
December 27, 2024
well-written and meticulously documented biography of a half-forgotten explorer and feminist icon, whose main concern when she became a centenarian was to renew her passport.. highly recommended for anyone interested in Buddhism, Tibet and unorthodox traveling
February 15, 2025
For someone with such a fascinating story as Alexandra David-Néel, this book should have been amazing. Unfortunately, the writing doesn’t flow and feels disorganized, making it hard to stay engaged. I couldn’t even get past page 50 because it was so badly written.
October 19, 2022
Boringly told
March 22, 2019
Inspiring biography. Detailed and dispassionate view from the author.
April 1, 2013
A really fascinating book--oddly familiar until I realized the book Tulku by Peter Dickenson (which I read years ago)cribbed many notes from Alexandra's life! I am going to have to go back, read that and see if the author did base the character of Mrs. Jones (a fading actress/explorer on Madame David-Neel, a former opera star/explorer!
While I found her drive and journey fascinating, I often felt the woman herself and her charater remained elusive to me.
I read this because I came across a article that referred to her as a "dirtbag of the first order" for her "selfish" roamings across Tibet. While I think she may indeed have been quite self absorbed, I still found her more likeable than say, Livingston who had and abandoned several children. She did leave her husband, but the man continued to support her financially and emotionally, if from a distance. There must have been something in it for him on some level, but I'd have loved to know why he did support her even after 15 years abscence!
I also really wanted to know more about her adopted son Yongden, why he stayed with her, did depression and drinking cause his early death, and what part of "her" work was really "their" work. He remains a shadowy presence in the book, and for his importance in her life, I think he deserved to have been fleshed out a bit more in this.
I do wonder too how much the sickness of her late years was worsened by her attitude towards doctors and the dirty habits she seemed to have picked up in Tibet! I find it a bit funny she was so fastidious when she began exploring, but in old age was so uncaring about dust, dirt and mice in her home! (But I can certainly understand how those years must have changed her attitude towards hygiene!)
While I found her drive and journey fascinating, I often felt the woman herself and her charater remained elusive to me.
I read this because I came across a article that referred to her as a "dirtbag of the first order" for her "selfish" roamings across Tibet. While I think she may indeed have been quite self absorbed, I still found her more likeable than say, Livingston who had and abandoned several children. She did leave her husband, but the man continued to support her financially and emotionally, if from a distance. There must have been something in it for him on some level, but I'd have loved to know why he did support her even after 15 years abscence!
I also really wanted to know more about her adopted son Yongden, why he stayed with her, did depression and drinking cause his early death, and what part of "her" work was really "their" work. He remains a shadowy presence in the book, and for his importance in her life, I think he deserved to have been fleshed out a bit more in this.
I do wonder too how much the sickness of her late years was worsened by her attitude towards doctors and the dirty habits she seemed to have picked up in Tibet! I find it a bit funny she was so fastidious when she began exploring, but in old age was so uncaring about dust, dirt and mice in her home! (But I can certainly understand how those years must have changed her attitude towards hygiene!)
May 5, 2008
This high adventure biography of the famous French Buddhist woman traveler to Tibet (1924) covers her childhood and marriage, travels, and romance (tantric sex with a Maharajah) in Asia especially in Tibet and Sikkim. It includes research from the secret files of the India office in London, information from private letters by David-Neel, interviews of top political officials and personal accounts of David-Neel's estate and collection of Tibetan relics. Great for arm-chair travelers or anyone interested in esoteric Buddhism, magic and mystery.
February 1, 2013
Story of an incredible woman poorly written. The life of Alexandra David-Neel, the first white woman to enter Lhasa, Tibet, spiced by her knowledge of magic and mystery in Tibet is fascinating and the authors try to recreate it in this book, but lack of talent for biography mars the reading experience. Waiting for a good biography of her.
February 3, 2012
Alexandra David-Neel lead a wondrous life. She was the first European woman to go to Llasa and she was a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and wrote numerous books. I encountered her name in several books and I am glad to know more about her.
August 18, 2010
Fabulous! The first woman into Lhasa Tibet. And she did it with the help of just one other person. A Buddhist Lama adept, a scholar, and a feminist.
July 12, 2011
Fascinating biography of a very unusual and amazing woman.
April 8, 2013
Mysterious, fascinating, quite marvellous!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews