Bhutan: A Splendid Isolation

BHUTAN

A Splendid Isolation

by Madeline Drexler

As a fledgling practitioner of yoga and meditation, I have a deep interest in the little country of Bhutan and its focus on Buddhism as a way of life.  But there sure isn’t much fiction set in what seems to me might be a fascinating setting for a novel with themes of grief and loss, soul-searching, identity, spirituality, recovery from tragedy, or even a little intrigue.  I picked up one novel about a woman whose sister takes an international job and then disappears, either in Bhutan or is later found in Bhutan.  Can’t remember.  The story didn’t grab me and I gave up after about 50 pages.  There didn’t seem to be anything else that was calling my name.

So I turned to memoir, my next favorite genre, and decided I would try to see Bhutan through the eyes of someone traveling or living there temporarily.  A Splendid Isolation, by Madeline Drexler, seemed to fit the bill, so I ordered it from Amazon and waited anxiously, armchair traveler style, for its arrival.  I was surprised to find, upon receipt, a very slim volume that is essentially an essay, maybe a travelogue, but not really a memoir.  The writing lacked the introspection and the ultimate moment of enlightenment (pun intended) that I usually find so inspirational in a good memoir.  Instead, it was more of a long description and critique of the writer’s observations of the Bhutanese people, way of life, government, and ideologies.  I found that my assumptions and happy illusions of Bhutan were somewhat shattered by this book’s focus on rampant alcoholism, lack of spirituality, and burgeoning materialism among the Bhutanese the author met. 

Having hoped for inspiration, I was rather discouraged and frankly, glad that I could wrap it up quickly and move on to the next country on my list.  Other readers gave the essay high marks on Goodreads.com, so I'm sure that my experience of it has much to do with my own expectations, which were not met or satisfied.  I don't think I really wanted to know the downside of a political philosophy that sounds as delightful and appealing as Bhutan's Gross National Happiness, which apparently (like so many things) is not all that it's cracked up to be. 

Bhutan has been tough, blog-wise.

I will say that, having not satisfied my curiosity about my perception that Bhutan has a lot to do with Buddhism, I’ve decided to re-read Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha and to reinvigorate my efforts to learn more about the spiritual practices behind the yoga that I do twice a week just because it feels so good. So at least there’s that.

I’ve also decided to return to the original plan for this blog and read books set in countries by alphabetical order.  My departure from that interfered with my enjoyment of this endeavor, and I think it made me a lazier reader.  I just wish there was a better way to identify the kind of book I’d like to read for the smaller countries, like Bhutan, or those without their national literary works available in English translation. 

Bolivia is next … any suggestions?