The Asiatics
A Novel
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ISBN10: 0374529248
ISBN13: 9780374529246
Trade Paperback
384 Pages
$25.00
CA$34.00
Rich with the fascination of far-off lands, vibrant with a diversity of characters ranging from thieves to rajas, graphic in its description of luxury and beauty, poverty, and ugliness, The Asiatics is a modern classic of remarkable adventure in ancient lands. First published in 1935, this extraordinary novel tells the story of a young American who hitchhikes his way across the continent of Asia—from Beirut to the border of China—living off the land and the hospitality of the people he meets along the road. As Pico Iyer writes in his introduction, Prokosch "catches the peculiar logic that makes travel a kind of alternative reality, a foreign state in itself that is an intoxication."
Reviews
Praise for The Asiatics
"An astonishing feat of the imagination . . . An authentic masterpiece."—Andre Gide
"The Asiatics is original in its conception, beautiful in its execution. It belongs with the most notable modern American books."—Carl Van Doren
"Prokosch has invented what might be called the geographical novel, in which he mingles sensuality with irony, lucidity with mystery. He conveys a fatalistic sense of life half-hidden beneath a rich animal energy. He is a master of moods and undertones, a virtuoso in the feeling of place, and he writes in a style of supple elegance."—Albert Camus