About the Book
Uzbekistan
is a strange and complicated place, writes Tom Bissell. On
the one hand, it has Islamic traditions dating back to the
origins of the religion; on the other, it is extremely secular.
On the one hand, it is very Asian; on the other, it’s
particularly Russian. This bilingual, bi-traditional reality
makes for one of the most interesting countries in the world;
and one that most Americans know nothing about. Tom Bissell
sets out to change this with Chasing the Sea: Lost Among
the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia.
In the
mid-1990s, Bissell served as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Uzbekistan, but after a few miserable months, he returned
home. Haunted by his “failure,” Bissell decided
in 2001 to revisit Uzbekistan—this time to investigate
the devastating Aral Sea whose rivers were diverted and
drained to fertilize the Central Asian desert in order to
grow cotton. What he found was astonishing. The world’s
fourth largest lake in 1960, the Aral Sea is quite possibly
the worst man-made ecological catastrophe today. Recently
The Economist highlighted how “it is modern
engineering that has made possible irrigation disasters
on a massive scale. The saddest is the tale of the Aral
Sea.” As American environmental protections are eased
and discarded here in the States, Bissell uncovers some
extremely troubling evidence on the other side of the globe
that ecologies are finite and fragile when forced to withstand
economic expansion.
En route
to the Aral Sea, Bissell journeys through the ancient cities
of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara with his young guide
and translator—a hilarious Uzbek named Rustam. Slipping
more than once through the clutches of the Uzbek police,
the two become close friends and confidants as they travel
around Rustam’s homeland viewing the mosques and the
squares, secretly transporting money to the wife on an imprisoned
journalist, attending a funeral in the mountains, and being
mistaken for heroin smugglers. Bissell describes the people
of Uzbekistan with depth and empathy, and his intelligent
meditations on the area’s often violent history brings
to life historical figures such as Genghis Khan, Tamerlane,
Sir Alexander Burnes, as well as the modern-day terrorist
Juma Namangani.
Bissell’s
narrative unfolds in vividly observant, self-deprecating,
and often humorous prose, shaped by his passionate interest
in the Uzbeks—their region’s history of invasion
and violence, their vibrant and varied culture, and the
ever-increasing, tragic hole at the heart of their land.
Critics
/ Reviews
"If
you don’t think you want to read a book about Uzbekistan,
think again. Line by line, Chasing the Sea is as
smart and funny and entertaining a travel book as you’ll
find anywhere. Give yourself a treat and read him."
—Jonathan Franzen
"Bissell
seamlessly weaves in historical insights and cultural references,
making his tale a well-rounded snapshot of Uzbekistan, seen
from western eyes…. A fine and elaborate mosaic in
the purest of Central Asian traditions."
—The Economist
"First-rate
in every regard."
—Kirkus Reviews
"The
humor and poignancy in this blend of memoir, reportage and
history mark the author as a front-runner in the next generation
of travel writers."
—Publishers Weekly
