The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East John Rutherford The teenage girl is powerless

The teenage girl is powerless to refuse when this strange and unusual man with a sinister air directs her to perform strange and uncomfortable tasks

healing and above all

Max Lawton’s translation of Blue Lard

During lockdown

but no sooner have they left home and walked into the hills than the sun disappears behind the clouds

The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East John Rutherford The teenage girl is powerlessThis rich and enjoyable book by the acclaimed author of Japan Story explores the many ways in which Asia has influenced Europe and North America over centuries of tangled, dynamic encounters From the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most part of outrageous tales of strange beasts and monsters, of silk and spices shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far