Road to Heaven: Encounters With Chinese Hermits

by Bill Porter, Steven R. Johnson

Release Date: June, 1993

Edition: Paperback

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Uniquely Beautiful and Insightful...

Bill Porter's account of his forays in the mountains of China is simply wonderful. It is a perfect blend of travelogue, local history, and interviews with hermits of the region (who are making a comeback in numbers after the Cultural Revolution). If you are looking for this sort of blend, rather than simply one of these focuses, then this is the book for you. Porter writes with an informed and deep appreciation for his subject. The real jewel of this book, however (and in my own opinion,) is the collection of interviews with people you would only meet if you went there. Hermits tend not to travel. And their insights into the spiritual life are very, very deep--even if they sound simple on the surface. This is *the* book I would take with me if I knew I'd be stranded on a desert island. And I work in a bookstore.

Very interesting examination of Chinese hermits

For the most part I found this book to be an excellent rendition of the author's and photographer's trips through China, visiting with Taoist and Buddhist monks. The photographs blend in well with the text, and the two combine to give quite a good sense of the places and the people encountered. My only complaint was that the narrative seemed a bit rushed at time, almost as if the author had a quota of hermits to hook up with in a certain number of days - so no time to hang around. I think an in depth examination of the lives of 2 or 3 hermits might be another approach that could possibly yield more depth, as opposed to the greater breadth of this book.

Anyway - a very enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in religion, China, Buddhism, or Taoism.