‘I of the Sun’: An Adventure in South East Asia

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t the age of twenty-two, Cambridge-born Richard Arthur took a one-way ticket to Malaysia. He set out for a year of travelling around Southeast Asia, following “the crazy, impossible dream to go everywhere, meet everyone and do everything” that many people harbour.

He experienced a host of different cultures: from the wild, inventive city of Bangkok to the quiet terrains of Cambodia, meeting many people and experiencing highs and lows along the way. The voyage had such a profound influence over him that he could not ignore his  desire to write down what he had seen. As a result, he began to document his travels in the form of a book. Three and a half years later, I of the Sun was completed, appearing on bookshelves in the UK last September.

What he produced was an autobiographical travel book with riveting twists and turns which kept my eyes glued to the page. Travel writing would not normally be my choice of an easy holiday read in amongst studying for exams, but this was full of juicy encounters with alcohol, drugs, sex and all-night parties as well as interludes which explore the fundamental questions of life, dipping into the debate between free will and determinism. As I devoured the book, I often forgot that it was non-fiction, deceived by its rich, descriptive language and rapid pace which left no time to feel bored.

Arthur takes us on a physical journey through the exotic plains of Malaysia, the rowdy streets of Thailand and the peaceful, desolate Cambodia, as well as experiencing Laos and Vietnam. Here he lives up to his name as a travel writer, providing detailed descriptions and opinions of the places he visits. He tells us of his relentless addiction to Bangkok as “the centre of Thailand, of Southeast Asia, of my new world, the black hole at the beating heart of this Universe from which I had no intention of escape”. It is a crazy, dangerous, mystical place full of back-street bars, wild parties, alcohol, drugs and cheap sex which would appeal to any young party-animal keen to push themselves to the limit.

I of the Sun also paints a beautiful picture of some of the more remote places he visited, such as “the untouched forests of Laos” with its “eddies, whirlpools, currents and hidden rocks of the oozing, earthy-red Mekong, logs and vines popping up and down through the water like mysterious underwater denizens”. This book is equally appealing to someone interested in taking a more cultural journey through Southeast Asia.

No secrets are left out of Arthur’s experience. We learn about his emotional roller-coaster of a journey as he grows up and finds himself. The book is also a kind of bildungsroman as Arthur sets off on his travels with the aim of discovering who he is as a person, and so we get a glimpse of his high and low points. Amongst his best times are when he gets a job in a tourist nightclub in Ko Phi Phi as well as the lifelong friends he meets on his journey. We also watch as he endures horrific hangovers, heartbreak, loneliness and depression, and the book explores the full spectrum of human emotion.

There is potential for criticism – a large proportion of the book is focused on Arthur’s indulgence in alcohol, drugs and women. These activities could be done anywhere, and so they do not really fulfil the reader’s thirst for knowledge about Thailand and its surrounding countries. Also, some may frown upon him giving in to desire when he meets beautiful, exotic Thai women. Whilst this is the case, he does make it clear that he is disgusted at the way women are used for business in places like Bangkok and so does show sympathy for their situation.

It is not all hedonistic indulgences, and there is a great deal of philosophy behind Arthur’s work.[/pullquote] The book begins by asking the fundamental question “every moment of our lives we are always necessarily doing something. And so the question is – why do you do what you do?” His year abroad saw him gain the freedom he had never had before, and so he begins to ask himself why, as humans, we make the choices that we do in our lives. This opens up the debate between free-will and determinism. Arthur falls on the pro-freewill side since he concludes “you can choose your own path in life”. We are also provided with a mixture between a science and history lesson as the book looks into the causes and creation of the Universe in search of answers to this fundamental question.

Accurately described as “funny, thought-provoking, absorbing and refreshingly provocative” by the South East Asia Backpacker Magazine, Arthur’s I of the Sun was a captivating read. Having never dipped into travel writing before I was not sure what to expect. I am thoroughly glad to have read it and definitely recommend it to others. Whether you are doing serious research into a year abroad in Southeast Asia or you just want a funny, interesting book to read, it is worth looking at.

I of the Sun left me aching to travel the world, as well as providing me with inspirational life lessons. The book rounds off with the simple but powerful “the road is long, but life is short. Seize the day”. It also proves that travel writing does not have to be dry – it can be lively and fun for the writer as well as the reader. I think Arthur’s book is an inspiration to all travel writers, demonstrating that you can turn your experiences on the road into something many people could enjoy reading.

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Check out Nicole Davies’ interview with Richard Arthur, author of I of the Sun, here.