Rud annamh i litríocht na Gaeilge is ea an leabhar taistil, agus sa leabhar seo insítear scéal aistear Gabriel agus a bhean go Dubai, an India, Hong Cong, an tSeapáin, an Astráil, an tSile agus na Stáit Aontaithe. Tá an-ghreann ag baint le cuid mhór de na heachtraí-mar shampla, an scéal faoin fhear díolta seodra agus a aimitis álainn, miúil a chuireann crúb ina bhás fhéin agus 39 milliún déithe Mhumbai. Tugann sé le fios dúinn go ndéanfaidh mún asail maitheas dóibh siúd a bhfuil galar meabhrach orthu, fiafraíonn sé dínn an treise an badhró ná an khanjar (miodóg fhada ghéar) agus cuireann sé síos ar mhuc ardnósach in Mumbai a shíleann gur bó bheannaithe í!
Mar aon leis an ghreann, tá codanna den leabhar atá fealsúnach agus fileata. Maíonn an t-údar go gcaithfear soiscéal na síochána a scaipeadh, agus ní dhéanann a thuras go Hiroshima ach an creideamh sin a áiteamh air a thuilleadh. Déantar machnamh chomh maith ar an chomparáid idir cultúr na hÉireann agus cultúir na dtíortha eile atá faoi chaibidil, go háirithe na cosúlachtaí idir cultúr na hIndia agus cultúr na tíre seo.
‘Bhínn mar thráchtaire fadó ar chlár Gherrit van Gelderen, To the Waters and the Wild. Bhíodh daoine in éad liom, á shamhlú go raibh an domhan feicthe agam. Ní raibh, ar ndóigh. Ach, sa deireadh, fuaireamar deis taistil. Bhí mo bhean chéile, Eithne, an-tógtha le Gangotri, sna Himiléithe. Kerala i ndeisceart na hIndia, is mó a chuaigh i bhfeidhm ormsa, an mhuintir, an tírdhreach, an cultúr…’ – Gabriel Rosenstock
Tá neart dánta Haiku a scríobh Rosenstock le linn an turais le léamh sa leabhar, mar aon le smaointe an lae agus tagairtí do litríocht agus do stair na dtíortha a dtugtar cuairt orthu. Lón léitheoireachta atá in Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis.
This travel book follows the author and his wife on their travels through Dubai, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Chile and the US, charting both a physical and spiritual journey. Rosenstock regales us with hilarious tales of persistent Indian sales men, suicidal mules in the Himalayas and the 39 million gods resident in Mumbai. He extols the healing properties of the urine of different animals (!), he ponders whether his biro might be mightier than the khanjar (a type of dagger), and wonders if a haughty pig in the streets of Mumbai might believe that she is in fact a sacred cow!
As well as being witty, the book is philosophical and reflective at times. The author’s strong pacifist philosophy is constantly referred to, a philosophy that is strengthened by his visit to Hiroshima. Rosenstock also strives to point out to his readers the similarities between our culture and those he encounters, encouraging us to see kinship where we would usually only see differences. Rosenstock is a practitioner of Japanese Haiku poetry, and the book includes many of these three-line poems inspired by his travels, as well as several thoughts for the day.
‘Years ago I used to narrate Gerrit van Gelderen’s programme, To the Waters and the Wild. People used to envy me, thinking I had been on location in exotic spots. I hadn’t, in fact. But finally I got to see the world. My wife, Eithne, loved Gangotri in the Himalayas; the highlight for me was Kerala in Southern India. The people, the landscape, the culture…’ -Gabriel Rosenstock
Peppered with references to the literature and history of the countries in question, Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis is far more than a traditional travel book. It will give its readers plenty of food for thought, educating and entertaining them.
