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  • Around the World in 80 Trains

  • A 45,000-Mile Adventure
  • By: Monisha Rajesh
  • Narrated by: Monisha Rajesh
  • Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (294 ratings)
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Around the World in 80 Trains cover art

Around the World in 80 Trains

By: Monisha Rajesh
Narrated by: Monisha Rajesh
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Summary

Bloomsbury presents Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh, read by Monisha Rajesh.  

Winner of the National Geographic Traveller Award for Best Travel Book.  

Shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award.

When Monisha Rajesh announced plans to circumnavigate the globe in 80 train journeys, she was met with wide-eyed disbelief. But it wasn’t long before she was carefully plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles - almost twice the circumference of the earth - coasting along the world’s most remarkable railways; from the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet’s Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.    

Packing up her rucksack - and her fiancé, Jem, Monisha embarks on an unforgettable adventure that will take her from London’s St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan and beyond. The ensuing journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strikes up friendships and swaps stories with the hilarious, irksome and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, all while taking in some of the earth’s most breathtaking views.    

From the author of Around India in 80 Trains comes another witty and irreverent look at the world and a celebration of the glory of train travel. Rajesh offers a wonderfully vivid account of life, history and culture in an audiobook that will make you laugh out loud - and reflect on what it means to be a global citizen - as you whirl around the world listening to it.

©2019 Monisha Rajesh (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride." (Michael Palin)

What listeners say about Around the World in 80 Trains

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting but obnoxious

An interesting journey however written in a myopic and obnoxious form. I don't tend to write many reviews but I felt compelled to do so. Whilst I vicariously tried living many of the journeys through the writers words and who coincidently in this production is the narrator, there are many moments where they demonstrate elitist, obnoxious pre conceptions of places and experiences they've not yet had. Considering this is a book about new experiences I baulked at that and found it a little sad. Namely, the perception of going on cruises, the the general perception of Eastern and western travellers behaviour, their rose tinted view of a specific type of traveller and what felt like a guide trip for a very middle class, privileged yet shielded couple. It could have done better, been more open minded and down to earth. This sounds like it was written by Judith Chalmers.

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29 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

Overall, an enjoyable listen that has flashes of brilliance. However, the final few chapters are almost ruined by Monisha's insistence on using her terrible Scottish accent to read the dialogue of Mark, one of her travel companions. I had to turn it off/fast forward at times because of this.

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this fantastic book. Not travelling this year because of the virus but now I've listened to this book I feel like I have! The author brings every place she visits to life. Really wish Around India in 80 trains was also available on Audible.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Stick with it

Like others, I struggled to get into this in the early chapters, but am very glad I stuck with it.

The author's early experiences and narrative in Europe didn't warm me to her as a traveller - she comes across as simultaneously smug and naive. It improved though as she moved out of the familiar, and focused more on describing the train journeys rather than the city breaks in between. Then it became really very enjoyable.

And once it reaches that stage this is very much a book about travelling the world by train. The focus is on the train journeys, and the encounters and train adventures along the way. After the initial European stage there is very little about the places encountered in between. And that focus is what makes it a great book.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A very enjoyable summer listen.

having the author as the narrator was a fantastic move. you can really here the passion for the story and being Scottish myself love her attempt at her friends accent.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Very enjoyable.

An very enjoyable, personal account of an interesting journey. I didn't know what to expect beforehand... but it was a lovely travelogue. Full of personal and observational details. Very well written and read by the author.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A fantastic book, perfect for lockdown!

This is the PERFECT escape from our current situation! The locations, the encounters and the experiences are so well described (and performed) they are almost palpable. Pack your bags, are you are about to travel around the world!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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10/10 Great adventure

A great adventure story. Monisha read it perfectly. Would listen again, Definitely given me the bug to go traveling by train again!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Young Traveler’s Must Read

Just about to head off travelling around the world and haven’t put much thought into trains. Save to say that has now changed. Thank you

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A great listen for inspiring adventures

I picked this up with a view to get inspired for my own adventures and it’s certainly done that. Monisha is great at observation and recreating Mark’s accent.

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1 person found this helpful