So crazy to hear about how not much more than an escaped soldier turned vagabond became so intimately involved in the life of the Dalai Lama (Buddha incarnate). For such an amazing story the book read a little dry for my taste.

Enlightening...

I was torn between two and three stars. A very interesting story, written in a disjointed manner and a very slow read as a result.

'Seven Years in Tibet' is not a travel memoir, so do not call it one. This novel suffers from one of the greatest plagues in literature. It's placed in a genre, in a much too generalized subject, that it isn't admired for what it is.

How I came across this book is a long story, but needless to say it was on a whim and without recommendation. The first I heard about the possible plot of this text was when I had the chance to read the synopsis after bringing it home from the library. I was intrigued, and quite excited. What made this even more of an adventure was my lack of experience on Tibet, and then meant I'd learn something new.

The first half of this book is a bare-knuckle adventure story, with all the survival and foot-trekking you could possible imagine. The narrator and his companions are fleeing from a British internment camp during the second world war, and are roughed up by the elements and humans alike.

The second half of this book is the half that reached me as a reader and also as a person the most. Harrar's narrated interaction with the Tibetan people was inspiring. His ascension from poverty laden wanderer to what would soon become and influential player in the Dalai Lama and his court was what this novel truly should be admired for.

Far from being a travel memoir, this books is a testament of human beings. Tibetans are pr oven to be some of the most hospitable peoples in the world, and I was awe struck as to their complexity and depth. As a reader I saw this as an epic, something to be admired for it journey a well as its destination. As a person, a huge culture lover with an open mind, this is a favorite.

If you haven't read this, you should.

I read this while travelling in northern India - a poignant travelogue that provided welcome context for the lives of the Tibetan people I encountered in Dharmsala. I appreciated the careful detail about Tibet before Chinese occupation and the obvious love of the author for his adopted country. I also appreciated the detail about the early years of the Dalai Lama.

Un capolavoro del suo genere. Non è un libro per tutti, solo per appassionati o interessati a questo tipo di avventure. A volte la scrittura è un po' prolissa, retaggio del periodo in cui il libro è stato pubblicato; in alcune parti si sarebbe potuto benissimo tagliare senza perdere nulla. Quattro stelle per la scrittura, ma una stella in più per l'importanza del libro e delle storie raccontate. Non oso pensare che scempio ne hanno fatto nel film...

I didn't dislike this book, but I am not sure it would be interesting reading to anyone who wasn't interested in learning about other cultures, anyone who doesn't like reading a memoir told in the style of old, or anyone who's preparing for a trip to Tibet, as I was last year. Harrer really goes into the minutiae of his adventures, which can be a bit long-winded at times, and some of his comments about what he observes a bit ignorant. On the whole, it's one man's glimpse into a foreign culture, so take it or leave it as you will.

really good book. well worth the read. Made me open my eyes to the long forgotten past of Tibet and the hardships they are still enduring.