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Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure
In her twenties, journalist Sarah Macdonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.
But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.
Holy Cow is Macdonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.
But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.
Holy Cow is Macdonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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21394 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Macdonald
17 books77 followersSarah Macdonald (b. 1966) is an Australian journalist, author and radio presenter, and has been associated with several ABC radio programs, including Triple J and Radio National. She is also known for her book Holy Cow! An Indian Adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,343 reviews
September 21, 2015
I have to admit that I decided to read this book because it has a great cover. I should have peeked a bit inside, though, because the cliched chapter titles would have kept me away: Insane in the Membrane, Birds of a Feather Become Extinct Together, etc.
Basically, this is the memoir of a selfish Australian woman's year in India. She sees India as a filthy place full of disgusting people with intolerable cultural habits. And she spends her free time (while her husband is working in other cities or countries on news stories) traveling around India in search of religion. She seems to have a disdain for religion at the same time she seeks out religious celebrities and empty religious experiences.
Perhaps I have negative feelings about the author's view of India because, when I was in India, all I felt was compassion and sadness for the poor around me. What type of person sees poverty and is disgusted by it? I guess it's this type of selfishness that also keeps her from giving a face and a personality to her husband in her writings.
Edit: I much more prefer the attitude of the writer in this article concerning India: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150...
Basically, this is the memoir of a selfish Australian woman's year in India. She sees India as a filthy place full of disgusting people with intolerable cultural habits. And she spends her free time (while her husband is working in other cities or countries on news stories) traveling around India in search of religion. She seems to have a disdain for religion at the same time she seeks out religious celebrities and empty religious experiences.
Perhaps I have negative feelings about the author's view of India because, when I was in India, all I felt was compassion and sadness for the poor around me. What type of person sees poverty and is disgusted by it? I guess it's this type of selfishness that also keeps her from giving a face and a personality to her husband in her writings.
Edit: I much more prefer the attitude of the writer in this article concerning India: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150...
November 25, 2007
"Holy Cow" by Sarah Macdonald is the author's condescending account of time she spent in India. Her descriptions of what is actually a beautiful, rich, varied culture are narrow-minded and written in a tone that makes it clear she considers herself superior to India and Indian people. It's a shame that she didn't learn anything useful from her travels or absorb any of admirable values of Indian/Hindu culture such as acceptance, open-mindedness and respect for all beings.
Last but not least, the cover image of Lord Shiva clad in sunglasses epitomizes the racism and ignorance that fill this book.
Last but not least, the cover image of Lord Shiva clad in sunglasses epitomizes the racism and ignorance that fill this book.
October 8, 2015
India as a giant spiritual supermarket! Sarah Macdonald peruses the aisles and samples the product. Jainism here, Judaism there, Hindus, Parsis, Buddhists, Sufis and Christians she samples all their wares. And the book is just about as superficial as it sounds. It is not about these religions (although Sarah does try for some depth) but about her experiences of them with some rather wacky people. Both the 'magical' gurus and the hippie-types who sit at their feet and swoon.
Sarah, like the adventuresome Australian she is, backpacks to India, has a crap time, leaves but meets an ugly old soothsayer who tells her she will come back to India and find lurrrrve. And eleven years later she comes back with her boyfriend. He works in broadcasting and is always off covering the latest insurrection and massacre with the high point being Afghanistan. So to fill in the time she becomes a spiritual tourist shopping for the 'truth'.
Now this is the interesting part. She really does see India as it seems to be, a society of great contrasts. Whether it is between rich and poor, or the religions, the languages or the cultures everyone (apart from those involved in insurrections and massacres) meaning the ordinary people, just rub along together.
She goes to ashrams, temples, 'coffee shops' in Nepal and other places of worship and attempts to learn the path about who we are and where we are going. There isn't any universal path to be found, everyone has to make their own, or not bother (me, the apatheist). Quite a lot of these spiritual homes charge a lot of money for imposing fairly punishing regimes on Westerners who would seek the truth. Religion is quite an industry in India.
One of the funniest parts of the book is detailing the various people she meets. I would never have guessed that the stonedest least spiritual tourists around are the Israelis who are considerably less precious than the sort of hippie type travellers she meets in the Hindu ashrams (think Shantaram).
The most fanatical people are the Parsis, known as Zoroastrians in Iran, who are the most exclusive of exclusive types in the world. No one can convert and no child that doesn't have both parents from the Parsee community is accepted. The group she met saw the preservation of that exclusivity as the most important part of their culture and are willing to accept the problems of inbreeding that results from this. Their other preoccupation is breeding vultures - pollution seems to be killing them off - so that their dead can be eaten by them in their traditional funeral rites.
The book took me about six months to read. I just couldn't get into it. I kept it next to the stove in the kitchen and read a few pages when I had to stir something and as it went on it got more interesting. It helps that the author can write well. It helps that she has a very strong, somewhat bolshy, opinionated personality, very Australian, and it was more Sarah MacDonald, the author, who sucked me. I wanted to know what she would do next much more than I cared about 'the next'.
So three and a half stars rounded up to four because Sarah is just the sort of person you'd love to go out to lunch with and amid the chatter she would tell you about how these a-mazing people she met in India are coming to stay and would you like to meet them? How about dinner... Oh yes, you think, I'll bring a couple of bottles.
Sarah, like the adventuresome Australian she is, backpacks to India, has a crap time, leaves but meets an ugly old soothsayer who tells her she will come back to India and find lurrrrve. And eleven years later she comes back with her boyfriend. He works in broadcasting and is always off covering the latest insurrection and massacre with the high point being Afghanistan. So to fill in the time she becomes a spiritual tourist shopping for the 'truth'.
Now this is the interesting part. She really does see India as it seems to be, a society of great contrasts. Whether it is between rich and poor, or the religions, the languages or the cultures everyone (apart from those involved in insurrections and massacres) meaning the ordinary people, just rub along together.
She goes to ashrams, temples, 'coffee shops' in Nepal and other places of worship and attempts to learn the path about who we are and where we are going. There isn't any universal path to be found, everyone has to make their own, or not bother (me, the apatheist). Quite a lot of these spiritual homes charge a lot of money for imposing fairly punishing regimes on Westerners who would seek the truth. Religion is quite an industry in India.
One of the funniest parts of the book is detailing the various people she meets. I would never have guessed that the stonedest least spiritual tourists around are the Israelis who are considerably less precious than the sort of hippie type travellers she meets in the Hindu ashrams (think Shantaram).
The most fanatical people are the Parsis, known as Zoroastrians in Iran, who are the most exclusive of exclusive types in the world. No one can convert and no child that doesn't have both parents from the Parsee community is accepted. The group she met saw the preservation of that exclusivity as the most important part of their culture and are willing to accept the problems of inbreeding that results from this. Their other preoccupation is breeding vultures - pollution seems to be killing them off - so that their dead can be eaten by them in their traditional funeral rites.
The book took me about six months to read. I just couldn't get into it. I kept it next to the stove in the kitchen and read a few pages when I had to stir something and as it went on it got more interesting. It helps that the author can write well. It helps that she has a very strong, somewhat bolshy, opinionated personality, very Australian, and it was more Sarah MacDonald, the author, who sucked me. I wanted to know what she would do next much more than I cared about 'the next'.
So three and a half stars rounded up to four because Sarah is just the sort of person you'd love to go out to lunch with and amid the chatter she would tell you about how these a-mazing people she met in India are coming to stay and would you like to meet them? How about dinner... Oh yes, you think, I'll bring a couple of bottles.
January 3, 2013
I read the book while holidaying in Northern NSW. The reason I read this book was because it was on the bookshelf in the holiday home we had for the week. Also because it was supposed to talk about India from a Westerners perspective.
Let me put it out there: this book is not a travelogue. It is a miserable portrayal of a difficult to understand country by a selfish Australian woman. A lot of what she passes off in the book is exaggeration. In other words, fiction. Do NOT use this book as a decision-making tool for an Indian holiday. Describing the book in just one word: Patronising.
PS: You could be at the wrong place at the wrong time ANYWHERE in the world. I was mugged at a well lit train station in Westren Sydney.
Let me put it out there: this book is not a travelogue. It is a miserable portrayal of a difficult to understand country by a selfish Australian woman. A lot of what she passes off in the book is exaggeration. In other words, fiction. Do NOT use this book as a decision-making tool for an Indian holiday. Describing the book in just one word: Patronising.
PS: You could be at the wrong place at the wrong time ANYWHERE in the world. I was mugged at a well lit train station in Westren Sydney.
January 10, 2008
If I could give a book negative stars, it would be this one. This girl seemed to complain about everything she was experiencing in India. I think I yelled at the book every chapter, "GO HOME!" I read the whole thing hoping to witness her enlightenment and was highly disappointed. If you want a book which will give you more insight about India, read Motiba's Tattoos!
January 22, 2008
India with humor, the only way to take the country in stride. This book captured the heart and the essence of India and its vast array of religions and cultures, all from the outsiders perspective. I have read this book a few times and know I will read it again. But, for a bigger treat, check out the audiobook. A take on India and its many accents all with the drawl of an Australian accident. This book made me laugh so hard while driving to assignments that I nearly wet my pants.
Perfect read for anyone that has been to India or plans to visit.
Perfect read for anyone that has been to India or plans to visit.
December 15, 2008
A good book that no one should take too seriously. She actually starts off a selfish, egocentric woman aghast at the quality of Indian life and grows into a spiritual investigative journalist of sorts.
I traveled to India this past year and her accounts from a western perspective are accurate. But with time, the beauty of India reveals itself to travelers and she shares this with readers.
It's a funny memoir that gives a cursory background of the spiritual-religious forces existent in modern India.
I traveled to India this past year and her accounts from a western perspective are accurate. But with time, the beauty of India reveals itself to travelers and she shares this with readers.
It's a funny memoir that gives a cursory background of the spiritual-religious forces existent in modern India.
March 21, 2016
I wish I could give this book zero stars. What a condescending, racist piece of garbage. Why write about going to India if you didn't even like it? I saw this book sold in stores everywhere in India and I wish they would take it off the shelves. Sarah MacDonald is a peddler of lies about this truly phenomenal country. Please don't read it.
Read
July 31, 2014OK first up - I haven't read this book and neither do I intend to. The simple reason being that everything a westerner (or an easterner for that matter) had to say about the dichotomy of modern India, has been magnificently captured and related by
and any book by William Dalrymple.
That's it. Done. You won't need anything else.
But the reason why I am writing this "review" is just one : The issues Indians on this discussion board have with the book's cover.
What is so strange/weird/unacceptable about seeing our Gods from another perspective? I mean, he's wearing sunglasses for crying out loud! It's not like they showed him smoking weed (Which he smokes by the way..all the time..as per our own mythology) or brandishing an AK-47 or any other weapon (Oh..I see he has his ever present trident..never mind.)
I am an Indian and I am a Hindu and I am completely fed up of people trying to act like they are God's personal SWAT team. Hindu religion, just like every other religion, has had its fair share of unacceptable practices which have gradually been outlawed so please stop acting like everything has been picture perfect since the dawn of time. We need to start taking things a little less seriously (After all, religion is fiction isn't it? Yup! Deep down inside, somewhere in a a dark corner of your heart, you know there is no one out there...but that is another discussion) and stop treating anything religious as taboo and not to be meddled with.
Personally speaking, I would have loved to see him smoking weed. Would have made him look a lot cooler :-)
and any book by William Dalrymple. That's it. Done. You won't need anything else.
But the reason why I am writing this "review" is just one : The issues Indians on this discussion board have with the book's cover.
What is so strange/weird/unacceptable about seeing our Gods from another perspective? I mean, he's wearing sunglasses for crying out loud! It's not like they showed him smoking weed (Which he smokes by the way..all the time..as per our own mythology) or brandishing an AK-47 or any other weapon (Oh..I see he has his ever present trident..never mind.)
I am an Indian and I am a Hindu and I am completely fed up of people trying to act like they are God's personal SWAT team. Hindu religion, just like every other religion, has had its fair share of unacceptable practices which have gradually been outlawed so please stop acting like everything has been picture perfect since the dawn of time. We need to start taking things a little less seriously (After all, religion is fiction isn't it? Yup! Deep down inside, somewhere in a a dark corner of your heart, you know there is no one out there...but that is another discussion) and stop treating anything religious as taboo and not to be meddled with.
Personally speaking, I would have loved to see him smoking weed. Would have made him look a lot cooler :-)
March 12, 2013
I first read ‘Holy Cow’ in 2006 or 2007. It was interesting to look at Indian diversity and idiosyncrasies through the eyes of an outsider who wanted to make sense of the chaos. I loved it. But in order to appreciate this book, you must have the ability to laugh at India’s eccentricities. It is one of the very few books which I have re-read and enjoyed.
Sarah Macdonald, an Australian journalist, broadcaster and presenter, did not like India on her first visit and never wanted to return. But she returns to India after almost 11 years to be with her boyfriend Jonathan Haley. “Holy Cow” is more of a spiritual journey of the author which takes her through interesting experiences and people.
She writes right at the beginning: “India is Hotel California: you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”
In her early days, her cynical self only finds the problems: widespread poverty, no respect for time, no sense of space and privacy, people gawking at western women, dirt and filth, the unbearable heat, poor medical standards, etc., etc. But soon she decides to make the best of her stay in India, since Jonathan was away most of the time for long duration owing to wok commitments. Sarah’s experiences were diverse: finding anything but peace in the spiritual ‘market’ of Rishikesh, brushes with death in the forms of earthquake and double-pneumonia, making sense of the Indian marriage scene (its close connection with family and honour), cleansing of mind and finding inner peace through Vipassana, learning about Sikhs and meeting a unique group of white Sikhs, grim realities of a paradise lost in Kashmir, experiencing Jewish rituals, getting blessed by Mata Amritanandamayi, meeting film stars, exploring Christianity at our Lady of Velangiri, to name a few.
There are several such books by western travellers / journalists / explorers but Sarah Macdonald has a distinguished voice. Some may find a few of her observations or comments offensive, but you must remember while reading this book, or any such book, that this is a personal journey of the author. In this particular book, we find Sarah Macdonald transform from an atheist to someone who begins to enjoy the expansive spiritual roads India offers, its many religions. At the end of it, she is humbled by India’s accommodating culture, affectionate people, diversity and experiences. At the end, if you really read it with an open mind, there is not a thing to offend. She sounds a little conceited in the beginning but I think, it is purely to bring out the contrast in her transformation from someone not amused by the situation in India to someone who had begun to enjoy the “organised chaos”.
Few gems from the book:
About the Hindi she learnt from her teacher who scoffed at the use of street language:
When I thought I was asking a taxi driver to take me somewhere I was really saying, ‘Kind sir, would thou mind perhaps taking me on a journey to this shop and I would be offering you recompense of this many rupees to do so, thank you frightfully humbly.’ And I have been greeting filthy naked street urchins with, ‘Excuse me, o soul one, but I’m dreadfully sorry, I don’t appear to have any change, my most humble of apologies.’
These lines beautifully capture her thoughts on religion:
“I realise I don’t have to be a Christian who follows the church, or a Buddhist nun in robes, or a convert to Judaism or Islam or Sikhism. I can be a believer in something bigger than what I can touch. I can make a leap of faith to a higher power in a way that’s appropriate to my culture but not be imprisoned by it.”
She says about her trip to Pakistan:
“I feel like I’ve travelled between two divorced parents who are trying to outdo each other.”
About war against Afghanistan
This war has shattered my Great Australian Dream – the fantasy that I could be part of the world community with all its benefits but isolated enough to be safe and separate from its violence and brutality.”
And finally, her thoughts on India towards the end:
”India’s organised chaos has exuberance and optimism, a pride and a strong celebration of life. I truly love it. There’s no place like this home.”
It is an interesting book; and people who love to read about India, or Non Fiction in general or travel stories in particular will love it.
Review Book courtesy: http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/
More reviews from me here: http://recommendbooks.blogspot.in/
Sarah Macdonald, an Australian journalist, broadcaster and presenter, did not like India on her first visit and never wanted to return. But she returns to India after almost 11 years to be with her boyfriend Jonathan Haley. “Holy Cow” is more of a spiritual journey of the author which takes her through interesting experiences and people.
She writes right at the beginning: “India is Hotel California: you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”
In her early days, her cynical self only finds the problems: widespread poverty, no respect for time, no sense of space and privacy, people gawking at western women, dirt and filth, the unbearable heat, poor medical standards, etc., etc. But soon she decides to make the best of her stay in India, since Jonathan was away most of the time for long duration owing to wok commitments. Sarah’s experiences were diverse: finding anything but peace in the spiritual ‘market’ of Rishikesh, brushes with death in the forms of earthquake and double-pneumonia, making sense of the Indian marriage scene (its close connection with family and honour), cleansing of mind and finding inner peace through Vipassana, learning about Sikhs and meeting a unique group of white Sikhs, grim realities of a paradise lost in Kashmir, experiencing Jewish rituals, getting blessed by Mata Amritanandamayi, meeting film stars, exploring Christianity at our Lady of Velangiri, to name a few.
There are several such books by western travellers / journalists / explorers but Sarah Macdonald has a distinguished voice. Some may find a few of her observations or comments offensive, but you must remember while reading this book, or any such book, that this is a personal journey of the author. In this particular book, we find Sarah Macdonald transform from an atheist to someone who begins to enjoy the expansive spiritual roads India offers, its many religions. At the end of it, she is humbled by India’s accommodating culture, affectionate people, diversity and experiences. At the end, if you really read it with an open mind, there is not a thing to offend. She sounds a little conceited in the beginning but I think, it is purely to bring out the contrast in her transformation from someone not amused by the situation in India to someone who had begun to enjoy the “organised chaos”.
Few gems from the book:
About the Hindi she learnt from her teacher who scoffed at the use of street language:
When I thought I was asking a taxi driver to take me somewhere I was really saying, ‘Kind sir, would thou mind perhaps taking me on a journey to this shop and I would be offering you recompense of this many rupees to do so, thank you frightfully humbly.’ And I have been greeting filthy naked street urchins with, ‘Excuse me, o soul one, but I’m dreadfully sorry, I don’t appear to have any change, my most humble of apologies.’
These lines beautifully capture her thoughts on religion:
“I realise I don’t have to be a Christian who follows the church, or a Buddhist nun in robes, or a convert to Judaism or Islam or Sikhism. I can be a believer in something bigger than what I can touch. I can make a leap of faith to a higher power in a way that’s appropriate to my culture but not be imprisoned by it.”
She says about her trip to Pakistan:
“I feel like I’ve travelled between two divorced parents who are trying to outdo each other.”
About war against Afghanistan
This war has shattered my Great Australian Dream – the fantasy that I could be part of the world community with all its benefits but isolated enough to be safe and separate from its violence and brutality.”
And finally, her thoughts on India towards the end:
”India’s organised chaos has exuberance and optimism, a pride and a strong celebration of life. I truly love it. There’s no place like this home.”
It is an interesting book; and people who love to read about India, or Non Fiction in general or travel stories in particular will love it.
Review Book courtesy: http://www.mysmartprice.com/books/
More reviews from me here: http://recommendbooks.blogspot.in/
August 8, 2009
I enjoy books exploring the different cultures and customs of the world. I enjoy a well-written memoir exploring those discoveries, but I finally put this one aside about 3/4 of the way through it. I tried, I truly tried to finish it, but with so many wonderful books out there waiting to be read, I couldn't justify spending another minute listening to this poor, lost woman attempt to "find herself" or the meaning of life that she was so desperately seeking.
I had read reviews mentioning that there was a lot of "religion" here and knowing India's varied religious background, I was prepared for some of that. I was looking for a book that explored the people, the cultures and the sites of India from the perspective of an "outsider." While there was a bit of that, mostly this book became a tedious exploration, not of Indian sites, people and regions, but almost solely of one woman's attempt to find meaning in life through the various religious practices found there. When one didn't work, she'd jump to another and when that failed to bring peace, she'd try another group. Since I am at peace this endless jumping made me first of all sad for her that she is so obviously lost and unable to find her way and number 2 weary of the endless detailed speculations about hopeless religious practices.
I had read reviews mentioning that there was a lot of "religion" here and knowing India's varied religious background, I was prepared for some of that. I was looking for a book that explored the people, the cultures and the sites of India from the perspective of an "outsider." While there was a bit of that, mostly this book became a tedious exploration, not of Indian sites, people and regions, but almost solely of one woman's attempt to find meaning in life through the various religious practices found there. When one didn't work, she'd jump to another and when that failed to bring peace, she'd try another group. Since I am at peace this endless jumping made me first of all sad for her that she is so obviously lost and unable to find her way and number 2 weary of the endless detailed speculations about hopeless religious practices.
October 28, 2008
I'm actually surprised I disliked this book as much as I did! I expected an hilarious account of a girl travelling to India, a place where she'd been to previously but never wanted to return to. Well, she did and she did do some travelling but it wasn't hilarious by any stretch of the imagination... She used to be a radio host in Sydney, so I figured I'd really relate to her humour but hm, there just wasn't much of that.
Since I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, what I must credit to her was her ability to put on an Indian English accent! That was hilarious at first but, unfortunately, the funnyness of it wore off after a while.
Her openess and honesty to share her feelings and struggles relocating to India for her boyfriend's sake, later husband, was somewhat refreshing but at the same time I found her incredibly naive, not just about India but about the world in general. And her jumping to conclusions and from religion to religion felt superficial and without any real insight.
Her explorations of different religions felt like nothing more than someone dabbling in a bit of religious experience. She ultimately failed to really connect with any of them, and just returned to Australia and that was it. Again, her understanding of cross-cultural issues and religions was naive and shallow. If it had been hilarious, at least that would have made me laugh, and I might have been inclined to overlook the superficiality of her journey more generally.
I also didn't appreciate that she constantly harped on about how dirty India is - admittedly, I haven't been to India but I would expect it not to be as clean as Australia in any shape or form. Of course, it would be a culture shock but you'd think after a year or so she'd be used to it a bit, wouldn't you? but nah, she keeps going on about the filth and dirt...
Since I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, what I must credit to her was her ability to put on an Indian English accent! That was hilarious at first but, unfortunately, the funnyness of it wore off after a while.
Her openess and honesty to share her feelings and struggles relocating to India for her boyfriend's sake, later husband, was somewhat refreshing but at the same time I found her incredibly naive, not just about India but about the world in general. And her jumping to conclusions and from religion to religion felt superficial and without any real insight.
Her explorations of different religions felt like nothing more than someone dabbling in a bit of religious experience. She ultimately failed to really connect with any of them, and just returned to Australia and that was it. Again, her understanding of cross-cultural issues and religions was naive and shallow. If it had been hilarious, at least that would have made me laugh, and I might have been inclined to overlook the superficiality of her journey more generally.
I also didn't appreciate that she constantly harped on about how dirty India is - admittedly, I haven't been to India but I would expect it not to be as clean as Australia in any shape or form. Of course, it would be a culture shock but you'd think after a year or so she'd be used to it a bit, wouldn't you? but nah, she keeps going on about the filth and dirt...
February 19, 2012
After reading first chapter, I realized what I am heading to, but continued to read, as a bestseller should have some salt. And, indeed it was there, just in the name of crass Ozzie sense of humor she kept on rubbing on, Indian wounds.
Though her depiction of situation of civic situations in India and obscurity of religions is very true. But, when it becomes continuous ranting and predictable, it becomes derogatory and prejudiced. When she is deriding india she gets very detailed and elaborate, but when praising, she has no detail and language is diplomatic/open ended, you can feel it to be "Well if every one says it is great country then could have been". So she has all negative facts but none of the good ones. Where ever by mistake she said anything seemingly +ve, same sentence has some very -ve thing to turn overall impact to be a -ve one.
The final message she gave is, stay in India made me love Australia, and probably she loved India for this fact.
Last but not the least, in first chapter she said number Zero was not discovery of India but an Arabian country. This shows she is very strong on her convictions, so did not even try to validate history of Zero before making such an statement.
Due to same strong convictions/biases, her atheism got stronger on brush with con-god people and archaic religious acts, but she could not absorb more evolved conscious practices.
Though her depiction of situation of civic situations in India and obscurity of religions is very true. But, when it becomes continuous ranting and predictable, it becomes derogatory and prejudiced. When she is deriding india she gets very detailed and elaborate, but when praising, she has no detail and language is diplomatic/open ended, you can feel it to be "Well if every one says it is great country then could have been". So she has all negative facts but none of the good ones. Where ever by mistake she said anything seemingly +ve, same sentence has some very -ve thing to turn overall impact to be a -ve one.
The final message she gave is, stay in India made me love Australia, and probably she loved India for this fact.
Last but not the least, in first chapter she said number Zero was not discovery of India but an Arabian country. This shows she is very strong on her convictions, so did not even try to validate history of Zero before making such an statement.
Due to same strong convictions/biases, her atheism got stronger on brush with con-god people and archaic religious acts, but she could not absorb more evolved conscious practices.
July 9, 2011
Finished. 5 stars from me. Review to come.
So cold here at the moment I needed to read something about a warm place. India is on my list of places to visit before I die so till then I can't get enough books to whet my appetite. It was a pleasant surprise to find out Sarah Macdonald is Jonathan Harley's other half. He wrote "Lost in Transmission" which I liked tremendously. Harley writes about his time as ABC reporter in India & the east generally and Macdonald quit her job at Triple J & went over to him there as she was tired of their long distance relationship. It's interesting to see some of the events he described from her perspective. Not far into it yet...India is a rollercoaster of a place to describe and so far I'm feeling the pitching and lurching of the extremes possibly more so than what I felt reading Harley's book. I see the cover blurb mentions Sarah seeking spirituality, but so far it's nothing like that "Eat Pray Love" book- Sarah doesn't approach India with those kind of new age blinkers.
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bought today 1 of 12 books for $10 the lot.
So cold here at the moment I needed to read something about a warm place. India is on my list of places to visit before I die so till then I can't get enough books to whet my appetite. It was a pleasant surprise to find out Sarah Macdonald is Jonathan Harley's other half. He wrote "Lost in Transmission" which I liked tremendously. Harley writes about his time as ABC reporter in India & the east generally and Macdonald quit her job at Triple J & went over to him there as she was tired of their long distance relationship. It's interesting to see some of the events he described from her perspective. Not far into it yet...India is a rollercoaster of a place to describe and so far I'm feeling the pitching and lurching of the extremes possibly more so than what I felt reading Harley's book. I see the cover blurb mentions Sarah seeking spirituality, but so far it's nothing like that "Eat Pray Love" book- Sarah doesn't approach India with those kind of new age blinkers.
------------------------------------------------
bought today 1 of 12 books for $10 the lot.
December 20, 2013
As far as I could tell, this was supposed to be a true story. The problem started when some of Sarah's anecdotes were just too fantastic, and clearly written in such a way as to convince her audience of jaded Westerners that the possibility of magic still exists in India. Additionally, some events were reworked to increase their impact (I would run some passages by my Indian friends to see if such claims were possible, such as a toilet cleaner calling a palm reading a "hand job"; the unanimous answer was a resounding, "Nahin!" (No!).
The result of these creative additions was that I was no longer certain which stories were true, or partly true, or entirely invented. While how Sarah decides to tell her story is just that--her decision--I felt a bit let down. If her goal was just to entertain with her tale, that is one thing. But her purpose seemed to be more than that, to tell of her spiritual journey in India, the growth she experienced as a result of sampling a number of different religions. Unfortunately, accepting her growth also means accepting her storytelling, and I just couldn't do that. While the entire story isn't fiction (I had some unlikely events confirmed by the same Desi pals), and some of the descriptive language is quite vivid and imaginative, in the end, I can't give this book a strong recommendation. Aside from the dubious adventures, some of her friends seemed more like caricatures from Bollywood films than actual human beings with whom she had spent a good deal of time.
The result of these creative additions was that I was no longer certain which stories were true, or partly true, or entirely invented. While how Sarah decides to tell her story is just that--her decision--I felt a bit let down. If her goal was just to entertain with her tale, that is one thing. But her purpose seemed to be more than that, to tell of her spiritual journey in India, the growth she experienced as a result of sampling a number of different religions. Unfortunately, accepting her growth also means accepting her storytelling, and I just couldn't do that. While the entire story isn't fiction (I had some unlikely events confirmed by the same Desi pals), and some of the descriptive language is quite vivid and imaginative, in the end, I can't give this book a strong recommendation. Aside from the dubious adventures, some of her friends seemed more like caricatures from Bollywood films than actual human beings with whom she had spent a good deal of time.
September 24, 2014
The first third of the book is fantastical poverty porn and reads like slumdog Borat attends Ripley's! There are lepers begging at the airport, ash-smeared naked aghoris at traffic signals in central Delhi, earthquakes that claimed hundreds and yet 'hardly is in the news' because it's common in India, Apollo is 'the only good hospital in New Delhi' but is 'half a city away' and has a 'For Poor People' special entrance, her boyfriend has to stay with her in her hospital room since rapes are very common in Indian hospitals, hijackings, dead cows, dowry deaths, female infanticide, child marriage, girls not allowed into schools, vomit, urination, pollution, population, brown skin, phlegm, crowds, beggars, astrologers, green goo, paan, etc. Her "you know what, I am in a strange foreign land where everything is strange, so up your's" narrative is one where anything strange (and only strange) that may have happened is mentioned (a model shot dead in an illegal bar, a superstar hitting his actress girlfriend, a monkey causing panic in Delhi, etc). Crass, cheap, voyeuristic, patronising, and just plain fantasy.
The rest of the book, though better in terms of content, still suffers from her over-the-top recital. Every hotel she checks into is filthy and without water or power or both, trains and flights always seem like crashing; all Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians she meets seem to be unhappy with India and either want a separate state or join Pakistan or China. Indians are very shy about public displays of affection, the parental bond is very strong, social mores are very critical, the traditions are strange, there are festivals of colours and lights, wedding rituals and last rites, all of which seem very eccentric and queer.
It's called a different culture, goddammit!
As mentioned, the book does become better in terms of content once she starts actually living in India, as she transforms from tourist to resident, and as she starts trying to experience and understand the religions, the spirituality and the people. The hyper voiced news reporting morphs into some decent long-form narrative journalism. She visits, experiences, lives with and learns about Vipassana in Dharamsala, Sikhism in Amritsar, Islam in Kashmir, Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Buddhism in Dharamsala, Judaism with Israeli backpackers, Zoroastrianism with Parsis in Bombay, "Amma" Mata Amritanandamayi, Sathya Sai Baba, Our Lady of Velankanni, Mother ashram in Pondicherry, Sufism in Pakistan and some Jainism. She learns from Buddhism about controlling the mind, from Hinduism about respecting other paths, from Islam about surrender, from Jainism to make peace in all aspects of life, and from Sikhism about the importance of spiritual strength.
Sarah Macdonald does end the book with the expectedly patronising lines on how much she has changed as a person, how she's realised how much privileged she is, how much she's learnt and irrespective of how exasperating India is, she feels a force pulling her and somehow India feels like home for the soul. However cynical that may make one feel, one does get the feeling that she's really had a life changing transformative experience and the changing narrative of the book is a reflection of how she's actually growing as a person over the course of the book. And for just that, she gets an extra star.
The rest of the book, though better in terms of content, still suffers from her over-the-top recital. Every hotel she checks into is filthy and without water or power or both, trains and flights always seem like crashing; all Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians she meets seem to be unhappy with India and either want a separate state or join Pakistan or China. Indians are very shy about public displays of affection, the parental bond is very strong, social mores are very critical, the traditions are strange, there are festivals of colours and lights, wedding rituals and last rites, all of which seem very eccentric and queer.
It's called a different culture, goddammit!
As mentioned, the book does become better in terms of content once she starts actually living in India, as she transforms from tourist to resident, and as she starts trying to experience and understand the religions, the spirituality and the people. The hyper voiced news reporting morphs into some decent long-form narrative journalism. She visits, experiences, lives with and learns about Vipassana in Dharamsala, Sikhism in Amritsar, Islam in Kashmir, Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Buddhism in Dharamsala, Judaism with Israeli backpackers, Zoroastrianism with Parsis in Bombay, "Amma" Mata Amritanandamayi, Sathya Sai Baba, Our Lady of Velankanni, Mother ashram in Pondicherry, Sufism in Pakistan and some Jainism. She learns from Buddhism about controlling the mind, from Hinduism about respecting other paths, from Islam about surrender, from Jainism to make peace in all aspects of life, and from Sikhism about the importance of spiritual strength.
Sarah Macdonald does end the book with the expectedly patronising lines on how much she has changed as a person, how she's realised how much privileged she is, how much she's learnt and irrespective of how exasperating India is, she feels a force pulling her and somehow India feels like home for the soul. However cynical that may make one feel, one does get the feeling that she's really had a life changing transformative experience and the changing narrative of the book is a reflection of how she's actually growing as a person over the course of the book. And for just that, she gets an extra star.
February 9, 2016
As one might guess from the title, this Indian voyage is not for the serious-minded or those likely to take offense easily. For those with a sense of humor and adventure, however, this book is a delight. Australian Sarah Macdonald, backpacking the world at aged 21, could not wait to get out of a country beset by poverty, pollution, and chaos. At the airport, a beggar predicts that she will return to India one day for love.
Clearly, Macdonald had no intention of returning, yet 11 years later just as predicted, she found herself in love with a reporter stationed in New Delhi, and does indeed come back to India. While her journey begins with her attitude much as when she first left, gradually India takes hold of her.
Largely, she comes to see the country differently as most expats do, through friendships, love, and an exploration of just what it means to be Indian. In the case of Macdonald, she also begins exploring the nation through its many religions. Of course, India is a spiritual destination for many travelers, but Macdonald is different in that she casts a jaded eye, even while embracing all its varieties of religious worship.
During her two years as a Western journalist (on sabbatical) in India, she explores a wide variety of Indian religions: from silent meditation retreats to bathing in the Ganges to miracle healers to wild Christian celebrations, she dips her toes into a number of religious practices, giving her readers glimpses into the Indian worlds of Buddhists, Christians, Jainists, Jews, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, and Sufis.
Lots of interesting things happen to Macdonald that affect her experiences in India: She becomes extremely sick, she meets Bollywood actors, visits Indian nightclubs, attends weddings, loses great chunks of her hair in a culture that practically worships it, requests that a faith healer increase her breast size, and finds herself in the middle of 9-11, with her fiancé bound for Afghanistan.
Despite all the ups and downs of the two years Macdonald spent in India, she comes away with not only this book, but her relationship in tact. She was able to understand (and help her readers) with a little more clarity some of the baffling cultural notions that drive Indians to behave the way they do.
More than anything, she allows her jaded eye and darkly comic Aussie sense of humor infuse her storytelling with joy and pathos. This is truly one of the best travel books readers are likely to encounter. Macdonald enlightens even as she finds herself further and further away from "the answers."
She accurately depicts what it is like to be an expat, a "stranger in a strange land," and does it all with an astounding curiosity and a rousing sense of fun. What more could anyone ask for?
Clearly, Macdonald had no intention of returning, yet 11 years later just as predicted, she found herself in love with a reporter stationed in New Delhi, and does indeed come back to India. While her journey begins with her attitude much as when she first left, gradually India takes hold of her.
Largely, she comes to see the country differently as most expats do, through friendships, love, and an exploration of just what it means to be Indian. In the case of Macdonald, she also begins exploring the nation through its many religions. Of course, India is a spiritual destination for many travelers, but Macdonald is different in that she casts a jaded eye, even while embracing all its varieties of religious worship.
During her two years as a Western journalist (on sabbatical) in India, she explores a wide variety of Indian religions: from silent meditation retreats to bathing in the Ganges to miracle healers to wild Christian celebrations, she dips her toes into a number of religious practices, giving her readers glimpses into the Indian worlds of Buddhists, Christians, Jainists, Jews, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, and Sufis.
Lots of interesting things happen to Macdonald that affect her experiences in India: She becomes extremely sick, she meets Bollywood actors, visits Indian nightclubs, attends weddings, loses great chunks of her hair in a culture that practically worships it, requests that a faith healer increase her breast size, and finds herself in the middle of 9-11, with her fiancé bound for Afghanistan.
Despite all the ups and downs of the two years Macdonald spent in India, she comes away with not only this book, but her relationship in tact. She was able to understand (and help her readers) with a little more clarity some of the baffling cultural notions that drive Indians to behave the way they do.
More than anything, she allows her jaded eye and darkly comic Aussie sense of humor infuse her storytelling with joy and pathos. This is truly one of the best travel books readers are likely to encounter. Macdonald enlightens even as she finds herself further and further away from "the answers."
She accurately depicts what it is like to be an expat, a "stranger in a strange land," and does it all with an astounding curiosity and a rousing sense of fun. What more could anyone ask for?
September 3, 2016
While living in USA, I continuously miss my home country India; thus, I thought of reading a book based on India expecting it to refresh my memories. I opted for “A Holy Cow”, but soon I realized I have made a wrong choice. Her description of India is as if someone is visiting a poor’s house and making a mockery of his poverty. Since I’m an Indian my review might be considered a biased one, but my intention is just to be logical. After reading the initial few pages it appeared as if the writer is accusing Indians for our poor infrastructure and poverty, and being poor is some kind of a sin. Few instances in the book I couldn’t find any logic in:
1. Airplane incident:The air hostess not taking ANY action against the sexual assault: I could have accepted a leniency toward the accused but no action at all is bit too much to digest. This airline operates throughout the globe, flying international passengers. Had they been so lenient to such a crime, I’m sure they must have faced some serious consequences.
2. Air hostesses coming from very rich families through bribes, so that they can fly and stay in five star hotels: I couldn’t understand if they are really rich wouldn’t they be able to afford flights and hotels with their own money? Why would rich people allow their girls to do the kind of job that involves waitering? In fact, in India, an air hostess's job is still considered a sort of demeaning work even by middle class genera, forget about the riches.
3. People farting in the evenings: is it only the Indians who do so? Please! It’s a god’s mercy that he made all humans the same, otherwise farting could have been another sin on top of being poor.
4. The Driver Kuntee, asking the author to wait for one hour and not showing up until she herself looked out for him after 2-3 hours - I couldn’t understand the driver’s incentive behind it, he didn’t take the money in advance which could have left the passengers stuck to him alone. She could have easily taken another taxi instead of waiting for him.
Well! Reading all these illogical instances, I couldn’t force myself to read any further. There are books like SHANTARAM where author saw the beauty even in filthy Indian slums. Every country gives its traveler a cocktail of experiences, if you are determined to see only the bad nothing can please you ever.
1. Airplane incident:The air hostess not taking ANY action against the sexual assault: I could have accepted a leniency toward the accused but no action at all is bit too much to digest. This airline operates throughout the globe, flying international passengers. Had they been so lenient to such a crime, I’m sure they must have faced some serious consequences.
2. Air hostesses coming from very rich families through bribes, so that they can fly and stay in five star hotels: I couldn’t understand if they are really rich wouldn’t they be able to afford flights and hotels with their own money? Why would rich people allow their girls to do the kind of job that involves waitering? In fact, in India, an air hostess's job is still considered a sort of demeaning work even by middle class genera, forget about the riches.
3. People farting in the evenings: is it only the Indians who do so? Please! It’s a god’s mercy that he made all humans the same, otherwise farting could have been another sin on top of being poor.
4. The Driver Kuntee, asking the author to wait for one hour and not showing up until she herself looked out for him after 2-3 hours - I couldn’t understand the driver’s incentive behind it, he didn’t take the money in advance which could have left the passengers stuck to him alone. She could have easily taken another taxi instead of waiting for him.
Well! Reading all these illogical instances, I couldn’t force myself to read any further. There are books like SHANTARAM where author saw the beauty even in filthy Indian slums. Every country gives its traveler a cocktail of experiences, if you are determined to see only the bad nothing can please you ever.
August 20, 2019
Last winter, during my Rajasthan tour, I came across a small bookstore in Jaisalmer and, I kid you not, copies of this book were more than half of the total books that the store had to offer. Surprised I asked, "Why?" "Foreigners love this book, Sir. I sell 10-15 of this every month," was the smiling response from the seller. An interesting title, an attention grabbing cover and an excitement to read about my idiosyncratic country from a visiting foreigner's perspective motivated me to grab a copy myself.
But, now when I read it, disappointment, anger, sadness, pity hover my mind.
I am fine with the author's exaggeration of her painful experiences encountering a completely different culture than of her own (what is wrong with a bit of exaggeration if it can generate some laughs), but, what pains me that not only the author was myopic to the myriad diversities that India has to offer, but extremely shallow when it comes to understanding the nuances of Indian way of life. Complete disdain for a culture and superiority feeling were evident from every observation of hers. You might think I react so as she talks about something which is closer to me, my life. But, No. As a highly critical person myself who finds faults in most things in my country, however, I refuse to accept the evaluation of a civilization on superficial and condescending judgement of chance encounters.
It is not what India is.
I understand some of the foreigners, coming to India, would be dismayed by chaos and filth, that they haven't seen in their places in ages and could relate to some of the anecdotes in the book, but definitely, one needs to look deeper and find life in those chaos and filth.
I would definitely not recommend this book anyone. Not even for laughs.
But, now when I read it, disappointment, anger, sadness, pity hover my mind.
I am fine with the author's exaggeration of her painful experiences encountering a completely different culture than of her own (what is wrong with a bit of exaggeration if it can generate some laughs), but, what pains me that not only the author was myopic to the myriad diversities that India has to offer, but extremely shallow when it comes to understanding the nuances of Indian way of life. Complete disdain for a culture and superiority feeling were evident from every observation of hers. You might think I react so as she talks about something which is closer to me, my life. But, No. As a highly critical person myself who finds faults in most things in my country, however, I refuse to accept the evaluation of a civilization on superficial and condescending judgement of chance encounters.
It is not what India is.
I understand some of the foreigners, coming to India, would be dismayed by chaos and filth, that they haven't seen in their places in ages and could relate to some of the anecdotes in the book, but definitely, one needs to look deeper and find life in those chaos and filth.
I would definitely not recommend this book anyone. Not even for laughs.
May 4, 2011
I loved this book once I finished it; however, the cover, title and back cover are misleading.
I expected a humorous romp through India, but this book really explores serious themes and real-life situations, albeit with humor. I wanted a light-hearted introduction to India as I was headed there - what I got instead was a hard look at some of the good and not-so-good about India.
I found the beginning of the book hard to take, bordering on xenophobic; the tone changes as the author begins to "understand" India, and the book becomes very rewarding from this point. Overall, the book is a memoir of McDonald's visits to various regions of India in search of understanding of India's various religions.
I applaud Sarah McDonald for being honest in her writings, even self-deprecating at times. I also loved how, although a self-professed atheist, she approached each religion with great respect and a genuine desire to understand.
I've been in India a week now, at the time of writing this review, and I can say McDonald's book was a great primer to India. Highly recommended if you want a contemporary, Western perspective on India that's more about true understanding than poking fun at India's idiosyncrasies.
I expected a humorous romp through India, but this book really explores serious themes and real-life situations, albeit with humor. I wanted a light-hearted introduction to India as I was headed there - what I got instead was a hard look at some of the good and not-so-good about India.
I found the beginning of the book hard to take, bordering on xenophobic; the tone changes as the author begins to "understand" India, and the book becomes very rewarding from this point. Overall, the book is a memoir of McDonald's visits to various regions of India in search of understanding of India's various religions.
I applaud Sarah McDonald for being honest in her writings, even self-deprecating at times. I also loved how, although a self-professed atheist, she approached each religion with great respect and a genuine desire to understand.
I've been in India a week now, at the time of writing this review, and I can say McDonald's book was a great primer to India. Highly recommended if you want a contemporary, Western perspective on India that's more about true understanding than poking fun at India's idiosyncrasies.
might-read
June 24, 2021Not sure whether to read this lol. I don't know...the description is a bit questionable. I might give it a try some time though?
April 23, 2015
As an American who has been living in Delhi for the past 8 months, I thought this would be a fun book to read. Talking to other Westerners who live in India is always entertaining because we can complain and discuss things that the people living here are not bothered by. The first ten pages of this book were spot on, the book seemed funny and mentioned many of the things that bother all Westerners that live here. The further I read, however, I noticed that almost every event that took place in this book was a remarkable coincidence. Between Christmas and New Years, she seemed to have experienced every single negative circumstance possible in India. There is no way this book is even remotely true. Exaggerated would not even begin to describe how incorrect it is. All the characters and events are created simply to make India look as ridiculous, inefficient and dirty as possible. She complains about absolutely everything and finds fault with every single aspect about India. Good experiences are very briefly written about, while bad ones are described in unnecessary detail. As I am reading this book while riding the insanely over-crowded, noisy Delhi Metro Train, I will say that yes, there are certainly many things for Westerns to complain about when coming to India. It is truly a different world. But India is a fantastic country with incredibly friendly people, amazing culture and so much to experience. The author makes a mockery of India. This place is certainly not for everyone, but please do not believe the nonsense in this book. It was difficult for me to finish, as the book drags on, it becomes more and more a racist, self indulgent rant by a whiny woman who had too much time on her hands while she was living in India.
October 19, 2017
I've read some bad reviews of this book, and therefore have put it off. But I decided I should finally give it a go. And it started off as bad as I expected. An entitled, white, Australian heading to India and bitching and moaning the whole way.
I missed Sarah on radio, as I was at school while her program was on Triple J. So I caught every other show on radio, except the 9am-12pm slot. Maybe that would have endeared me to her before reading this book, because she needs all the help she can get to make it through those first chapters.
However, in a nod to character development, Sarah agrees, she's been a dick. I mean, she nearly dies to work it out. But props girl, you got there.
So she decides her way to get over India, is to learn about their religions (while doing sneaky ABC stories and name drops along the way). And fair enough, the place is dripping in fascinating religions. It is rare you can visit Zoroastrians, Hindus, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Jains, and Buddhists in the same country. And they are all fascinating.
Except if you have learnt bits about them before, and notice the factual inconsistencies. Which are sprinkled throughout the book. Along with ridiculous characters you don't want to hear more about, and the superficial dealings with those who sound like fascinating characters who are a little below the notice of our author.
Look, in the scheme of things, it wasn't terrible. I learnt things, which I will take with a grain of salt and research more. She grows as a character, which she needed to. It's a 2.5 star read. I just wish she had done the stereotypical Aussie week in Bali and saved us all the trouble.
I missed Sarah on radio, as I was at school while her program was on Triple J. So I caught every other show on radio, except the 9am-12pm slot. Maybe that would have endeared me to her before reading this book, because she needs all the help she can get to make it through those first chapters.
However, in a nod to character development, Sarah agrees, she's been a dick. I mean, she nearly dies to work it out. But props girl, you got there.
So she decides her way to get over India, is to learn about their religions (while doing sneaky ABC stories and name drops along the way). And fair enough, the place is dripping in fascinating religions. It is rare you can visit Zoroastrians, Hindus, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Jains, and Buddhists in the same country. And they are all fascinating.
Except if you have learnt bits about them before, and notice the factual inconsistencies. Which are sprinkled throughout the book. Along with ridiculous characters you don't want to hear more about, and the superficial dealings with those who sound like fascinating characters who are a little below the notice of our author.
Look, in the scheme of things, it wasn't terrible. I learnt things, which I will take with a grain of salt and research more. She grows as a character, which she needed to. It's a 2.5 star read. I just wish she had done the stereotypical Aussie week in Bali and saved us all the trouble.
April 19, 2022
Misguided, condescending, and whiny, with racist undertones. Everything you don’t want from a journalist, or any sort of travel based writer. I hated it when I read it in high school, and it has managed to age even more poorly.
Read
July 27, 2016There are no stars because it didn't deserve one!
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald
-1 ★'s
From The Book:
In her twenties, journalist Sarah MacDonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.
But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.
Holy Cow is MacDonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.
My Thoughts:
I read this to complete a challenge and the cover looked interesting. Both bad reasons to read a book. Shame on me! I found her entire approach to "investigating" the people and beliefs of this country to be obnoxious and condescending. No one forced her to return to India and I'm sure the people of India were more than happy to see her backside getting on the plane. The author's attitude toward India and Indians combines the worst of both the old and the new west by patronizingly sneering at a culture she doesn't understand and obviously has no desire to, much less offer any sign of respect. I guess I've read worse books but I can't remember when.
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald
-1 ★'s
From The Book:
In her twenties, journalist Sarah MacDonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.
But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.
Holy Cow is MacDonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.
My Thoughts:
I read this to complete a challenge and the cover looked interesting. Both bad reasons to read a book. Shame on me! I found her entire approach to "investigating" the people and beliefs of this country to be obnoxious and condescending. No one forced her to return to India and I'm sure the people of India were more than happy to see her backside getting on the plane. The author's attitude toward India and Indians combines the worst of both the old and the new west by patronizingly sneering at a culture she doesn't understand and obviously has no desire to, much less offer any sign of respect. I guess I've read worse books but I can't remember when.
January 6, 2013
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald
3.5 stars
'In India I’ve travelled a soul’s journey: from hedonism to sickness, from silence to song, from violence to peace and from learning to die to celebrating life.'
The above passage beautifully encapsulates this entertaining and thought-provoking travel memoir. I decided to read Holy Cow so I could kill two birds with one stone: to gain more knowledge about India before my upcoming trip, and to kick off the Australian Women Writers’ Challenge for 2013.
Holy Cow is Sarah Macdonald’s account of the two years she spent in India whilst her partner – a foreign correspondent – was based in Delhi. She wasn’t in the country long when a serious illness and identity crisis inspired her to learn more about Indian spirituality and culture, and to ultimately learn more about herself.
With a spirit of curiosity and adventure, the author (a journalist and radio commentator) embarked on a quest that took her all over the country. She enjoyed an audience with the Dalai Lama, bathed in the Ganges at the Hindu Kumbh Mela festival, celebrated Passover with a group of Israelis, visited a Parsi temple, joined a Catholic pilgrimage to Our Lady of Velangani, and found out more about the Islam and Sikh traditions. My favourite chapters were the ones in which she described her challenging ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat in the Himalayas, and her visit to the Kerala ashram of the ‘Hugging Saint’, Mata Amritanandamayi.
This could be an age thing, because I found Macdonald’s tone a bit too hip and flippant on occasion. But her powers of description are astounding. She captures the sights, sounds and scents of India with such vivid detail (almost too vivid at times), I felt like I was right there. Some reviewers have accused her of exaggeration – I guess I’ll find out when I get to India myself. But when I finished the book I came away feeling a lot of admiration for her resilience and humour, which stood her in good stead during her more difficult moments.
I highly recommend Holy Cow for people who enjoy memoirs that take them to exotic locations.
3.5 stars
'In India I’ve travelled a soul’s journey: from hedonism to sickness, from silence to song, from violence to peace and from learning to die to celebrating life.'
The above passage beautifully encapsulates this entertaining and thought-provoking travel memoir. I decided to read Holy Cow so I could kill two birds with one stone: to gain more knowledge about India before my upcoming trip, and to kick off the Australian Women Writers’ Challenge for 2013.
Holy Cow is Sarah Macdonald’s account of the two years she spent in India whilst her partner – a foreign correspondent – was based in Delhi. She wasn’t in the country long when a serious illness and identity crisis inspired her to learn more about Indian spirituality and culture, and to ultimately learn more about herself.
With a spirit of curiosity and adventure, the author (a journalist and radio commentator) embarked on a quest that took her all over the country. She enjoyed an audience with the Dalai Lama, bathed in the Ganges at the Hindu Kumbh Mela festival, celebrated Passover with a group of Israelis, visited a Parsi temple, joined a Catholic pilgrimage to Our Lady of Velangani, and found out more about the Islam and Sikh traditions. My favourite chapters were the ones in which she described her challenging ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat in the Himalayas, and her visit to the Kerala ashram of the ‘Hugging Saint’, Mata Amritanandamayi.
This could be an age thing, because I found Macdonald’s tone a bit too hip and flippant on occasion. But her powers of description are astounding. She captures the sights, sounds and scents of India with such vivid detail (almost too vivid at times), I felt like I was right there. Some reviewers have accused her of exaggeration – I guess I’ll find out when I get to India myself. But when I finished the book I came away feeling a lot of admiration for her resilience and humour, which stood her in good stead during her more difficult moments.
I highly recommend Holy Cow for people who enjoy memoirs that take them to exotic locations.
October 1, 2018
All the reviews that give this book a low rating makes me wonder if they're missing the point! This was a heart opening book aptly conveying the challenge of living within a culture that brings all of ones judgement, criticism and shadow side to the fore.
Kudos to the author for her ongoing quest in her development of compassion and the process of striving to bring more peace both to her life and others. The spiritual journey is always a contradiction as after all we are only human and she does such a great job of highlighting these contradictions which seem to prevail in India. The expectation of what it means to be spiritual and the disappointment the ego self encounters when things don't meet ones expectations is a theme that recurs over and over and is a lesson we all visit from time to time.
When I first started to read this book (this year) I was delighted to find that it was the same timeframe as when I was visiting in 2001 & recalled vividly all those events from the earthquake in Gurjurat, the big 12 year kumbmella event & the mass hysteria at the beginning of the monsoon that swept Delhi about the red eyed monster who was consistently seen at night jumping from rooftop to rooftop looking for victims. The papers were awash with headline news of this bizarre yeti like creature which morphed every day in character and intent. My point being that her book is rooted in fact that takes you on a journey through the beautiful the bizarre and the ugly, touching on topics from the multitud of different faiths that coexist, through to the issues that females still face today. I loved it
Kudos to the author for her ongoing quest in her development of compassion and the process of striving to bring more peace both to her life and others. The spiritual journey is always a contradiction as after all we are only human and she does such a great job of highlighting these contradictions which seem to prevail in India. The expectation of what it means to be spiritual and the disappointment the ego self encounters when things don't meet ones expectations is a theme that recurs over and over and is a lesson we all visit from time to time.
When I first started to read this book (this year) I was delighted to find that it was the same timeframe as when I was visiting in 2001 & recalled vividly all those events from the earthquake in Gurjurat, the big 12 year kumbmella event & the mass hysteria at the beginning of the monsoon that swept Delhi about the red eyed monster who was consistently seen at night jumping from rooftop to rooftop looking for victims. The papers were awash with headline news of this bizarre yeti like creature which morphed every day in character and intent. My point being that her book is rooted in fact that takes you on a journey through the beautiful the bizarre and the ugly, touching on topics from the multitud of different faiths that coexist, through to the issues that females still face today. I loved it
August 20, 2018
I loved it! And I am definitely biased towards books about India and Indians. I loved it because the author loved India, indians and Indian-ness..
The author spends a good two years in India and falls in love - definitely not at first sight. It was a lot about her spiritual journey and how India welcomes all - from all faith and all religions and from all corners of the world... India embraces them and makes them her own. Hilarious at times - because the situations are so relatable.
The author had experiences to share from different faiths she encountered and her key takeaways. It felt good to know how someone feels about India, provided they come here with an open mind and an open heart.
The author spends a good two years in India and falls in love - definitely not at first sight. It was a lot about her spiritual journey and how India welcomes all - from all faith and all religions and from all corners of the world... India embraces them and makes them her own. Hilarious at times - because the situations are so relatable.
The author had experiences to share from different faiths she encountered and her key takeaways. It felt good to know how someone feels about India, provided they come here with an open mind and an open heart.
October 6, 2008
Macdonald was a TV journalist in Australia. She leaves the comforts of home for true love, joining her boyfriend, also a reporter, in India. This book recounts her experiences and observations there as she attempts to sample the many forms of religion that India has to offer, including Christianity and Judaism. She is a young woman, without a strong background in religious study, so functions as an everyman, or in this case, an everywoman. She describes her experiences in an engaging manner, noting lessons to be learned from her experience of the sundry belief systems.
October 20, 2009
If you do a quick backpacking trip through India or if you sit at home and think about what it would be like to travel through India, then some of what Macdonald says might rub you the wrong way. If you come here and try to settle down and live for a couple of years, you will find yourself going through the same learning curve Macdonald went through. Especially if you live in Delhi like she did. This book helped me know I am not alone! India is a really tough place to live unless you want to just hide away in a gated community and visit only private clubs and malls via chauffered cars. If you try to actually go out and live in India, it's tough- and Macdonald learned to do it.
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