Dervla MURPHY

Ireland to India on a Bicycle

Full Tilt

Dervla Murphy

Ireland to India with a Bicycle

Kavana Anklekar 

This isn’t really a book- more like a collection of letters you’d receive from a crazy friend who goes on all sorts of bewildering adventures. As someone who is currently fascinated by Ireland, when I saw the cover on amazon, I thought this book would provide a more detailed glimpse into the two nations mentioned in the title- India and Ireland. Nope, nope, nope. Neither of them make any appearances, sparing a few pages. 

The experiences that Dervla has as she cycles her way through the mountains and valleys are fascinating. Through all of the challenges she faces, there’s an upbeat optimism to her that never fades. At one point I was tempted to pick up my cycle and set of for some far away country, only to recall that I can’t even ride a bicycle on the cemented roads of my city. And the last time I checked, my cycle had a flat tire which still hasn’t been repaired. 

As this book is essentially a collection of letters she wrote during her journey, she is unabashedly honest. She speaks her mind and doesn’t censor her observations. This is a good thing, but it made the reading experience a tad bit difficult because almost all the time I was in disagreement with her. 

Overall it’s an interesting read.
So 3 stars for Dervla and Roz (her bicycle)

Full Tilt Ireland to India on a Bicycle

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