A Winter in Nepal

by John Morris

John Morris's travels to Nepal in the 1960s when few Westerners had journeyed there.

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads

Major Charles John Morris, CBE (1895–1980), known as John, was a British mountaineer, anthropologist and journalist, and controller of BBC Radio's Third Programme.

Reviews

[Jim Puskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been written back in 1964, the book is somewhat dated now, but that doesn't really matter; this is more or less an historical account. Nepal is no longer the remote, some would claim pristine backwater, unspoiled by exposure to the brutal influence of western "culture" and international political gerrymandering. The Nepal that Morris describes with such humanity and open-hearted relish no longer exists. But what a fascinating place it was!. I first encountered this book some 30 years ago, enjoyed it at the time and now still find it both entertaining and informative on re-reading. Morris was one of that breed of travel writers who were blessed with the ability to leave their prejudices and preconceived judgments behind, accept a previously unfamiliar people and their customs as they were, treasure the experience and tell the story in an engaging manner. Morris's British education didn't get in the way of his ability to observe, comprehend and record factually what he had seen.

[Subin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the rare books about Nepal, written in mid 20th century. Yes, it is not so long ago, but Nepal was a forbidden country until the 1940s and very few foreigners were allowed into the country back then. Even those were allowed were closely monitored just like in present-day North Korea. And when reading the book, it actually feels like very long time ago and conditions of people in remote villages were similar to what is it now in North Korea. Nepal has changed significantly since then and for good. Sure, some will bemoan the lost tranquility but lives of people have significantly improved which is what matter most in my opinion.
The book touches all the aspect of Nepal: socio-economics, politics, geography, religion etc. but the most surprising and interesting thing is that the author even describes sex life of Nepalese in the hills!
I really enjoyed reading this book, but as a Nepalese expatriate, I'm biased. However, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in socio-economy and history of Nepal.