One of the effects of comedy is that it takes way from the romance of travel. (You could argue that there's little romance left in travel in China, but remember this author has subjected Spain and New Zealand to the same treatment). It is possible, though, to combine the two. Examples of the fusion of comedy and the evocation of the marvels of natural landscape are Redmond O'Hanlon's books (Congo Journey, for instance) and Eric Newby's classic A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, still very well worth reading 50 years and more after publication. I doubt if Fried Eggs with Chop-sticks will be read very extensively in 2055.
This author is not ill-informed, however. Her list of published sources is short but meaty (though possibly hastily compiled -- she lists one author as W.H. Aulden, rather than W.H. Auden, and there are no dates for any of the publications). In addition, she has a Cambridge University degree in Modern Languages and worked as a journalist in Hong Kong.
What has happened, I imagine, is that Evans has discovered she has a salable ability to write travel accounts that make a lot of people laugh. That they might make the judicious grieve is just, in the circumstances, unfortunate.
I can hear this author's fans protesting that I've missed the whole point. The comedy is meant to be farcical, they'll argue, and to expect dry wit is out of place. China, in particular, is a place -- gross, hyper-real, uncomfortable and at the same time absurdly over-the-top -- that demands such treatment. Evans' approach, in these circumstances, is ideal. Well, maybe. If you're unsure whether to risk your cash on this volume, take a look at her Web site (www.pollyevans.com) and decide for yourself whether your view of life sufficiently coincides with hers.
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