Book Reviews

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

by Willian Sutcliffe

Pack up your rucksack and get ready to take one hell of a journey. Best selling British author, William Sutcliffe, exposes a crazed segment the 20-something generation who endeaver to find themselves through the art of travel, in the hilarious novel, Are You Experienced?.

Dave and Liz are two British college students with nothing to do for their break. On Liz's prodding, they decide they might as well go to India. Of course, Dave isn't as interested in seeing the sights of India as he is in seeing the sights of Liz. Liz, on the other hand, adores India, its people and the other travelers and wants less and less to do with her traveling companion. This all makes for an extremely comical journey filled with reluctant romance, unlikely adventure, sore feet and beaucoup de drugs.

Sutcliffe pinpoints this generation well. Anyone who has ever considered herself a profesional traveller will appreciate the characters and situations that the author constructs. All of the travelers plan their trips to the places where they will meet up with other travellers and everyone carries "the book". "The book" is the Lonely Planet Guide to India which every tripper follows religiously.

Dave and Liz meet all kinds of unusual travelers. Karma-seeking young girls, whose favorite activity is washing patients in a Leper colony, horrify Dave but fascinate the impressionable Liz. One hippie traveler also inspires Liz to lose her shoes so that she can be more in touch with the earth. Dave detests most of these spiritual wonderers and makes connections with a rich South Londoner named Ranj. The two of them focus on what Dave thinks are the good parts of India: drugs and women.

Through the eyes of Dave, Sutcliffe takes us on a journey through baking climates, crowded busses that bruise the arse and a horrible bout of food poisoning. The author doesn't skimp on any unattractive parts of the journey throughout India. He gives an accurate depiction of a Westerner's perspective of this foreign land. From the beggars who mob foreigners as soon as they step off the plane to the less than comfy lodgings that are available.

Despite the focus on the negative, Sutcliffe also reveals much of the beauty of this magical land. He writes about white-sanded beaches and the snow-capped peaks of the Himilayas. He also didn't skimp when he was describing the wide distrubution and easy availability of various psychadelic drugs. In fact, Sutcliffe makes India sound like a very desirable place to visit, despite the downfalls.

This book entertained me from the first page. As an avid traveller, I realized I had actually met many of the characters in my real-life journeys. Sutcliffe has an amazing grasp on the young traveller's psyche. He makes me want to pack up my gear and buy a one way ticket to no where. If you've ever been stuck with someone you didn't like or in a place that you didn't understand, you'll love this book. It tells you all the logical reasons why you shouldn't travel, but then tempts you to do it anyway.

Not only is this book funny, it's also informative. I discovered at least five different places I want to go. If you can't get away from Western civilization in real life, this book is the second best bet for a great escape. So, when you're making your list of "what to bring" be sure to include Are You Experienced?.

A
--Elizabeth Beeson