The Hotel on the Roof of the World cover art

The Hotel on the Roof of the World

Five Years in Tibet

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Hotel on the Roof of the World

By: Alec Le Sueur
Narrated by: Steven Kynman
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.43

Buy Now for £13.43

Summary

The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over 10 feet.… This wasn’t just bad - there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens.

Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the Fawlty Towers of Lhasa.

Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.

©2003 Alec Le Sueur (P)2013 Audible Ltd Funny Witty Thought-Provoking Inspiring
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

“...offers lucid details about living in a place that westerners tend to misunderstand.” (Time Magazine)
“An hillarious account of a clash of cultures...a comparison with Fawlty Towers is inevitable, but this is funnier.” (Mail on Sunday)
“Imagine moving Faulty Towers from Torquay to Tibet...Le Sueur has distilled five years of real anecdotes into one hilarious volume...unbelievably true.” (Focus Magazine)
All stars
Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hotel on the Roof of the World to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version but always feel that a well read audio book stirs both the left and right side of the brain ... therefore making it way more alive and valuable. It's a hard person to find who doesn't enjoy a book being read to them! This book is very well read with great impersonations. I'll definitely listen to it a few times over.

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

It stands alone but if I had to compare it to a variety of travel books - or even books in the humurous category - I'd say it would come out tops.

What about Steven Kynman’s performance did you like?

His impersonations were excellent. He brings the characters to life with ease.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed quite a few times, and felt their frustrations a few times too.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book. Well worth listening to ... especially for travel readers who like to be taken to a lesser-known corner of the earth.

Imperfect people living interesting lives

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What made the experience of listening to The Hotel on the Roof of the World the most enjoyable?

This is a very witty and amusing book which depicts unusual characters in a way that makes you feel that you know them too. The enjoyment not judgement that the author conveys in his descriptions and stories around the clash of cultures is hugely entertaining.

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

The only other travel books I have read have been Bill Bryson's, whose humour is more gentle and whose journeys are not so far afield. I loved listening to the problems that arose due to the very different cultures mismatch of expectations - both staff & visitors.

What about Steven Kynman’s performance did you like?

His reading matched the style of the book and had just the right tone and inflection to maximise the comic moments.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very enjoyable but breaks were needed as I I felt I had to concentrate to take in all the information. No bad thing in any book.

Very entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I also worked in a hotel like Fawlty Towers so found this book funny and enjoyable and it brought back many memories.

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptions of the different characters that work in the hotel, and of course interesting facts about Tibet.

Humerous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - a really good read I would recommend to anyone. Very Funny

What other book might you compare The Hotel on the Roof of the World to, and why?

No read anything else - but would like to know if there is one

What does Steven Kynman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Well told and easy to identify the characters

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh out loud...lots

Any additional comments?

looking forward to listening again with my husband... and stay in the hotel.

Very funny story - well read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Although this book is written in a light-hearted style and certainly there are humerus moments, ultimately it is really depressing. I struggled to keep going. As a result of hearing this book, I am determined to never, ever visit China or Tibet. My heart bleeds for Tibet and its beautiful, gentle people and I dispise what the invading country's government has done to it. Nevertheless it is interesting, well written and superbly narrated.

A sad indictment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews