Rating: 
Summary: A Well Executed Fraud
Review: How can anyone who has read the book not be amused at these reviews lauding her as a "strong woman?" She spends most of the narrative begging men to babysit her around Vietnam and when they inevitably tire of her company, she pouts like a petulant little girl. Muller's increasing sense of "ownership" of the country over the course of the travelogue reaches its nauseating nadir when she subjects the Northern Hill Tribes to her gawking false commiseration; she too knows what it is too suffer: you see, that selfish Jay decided to pursue his own vacation rather than act as her own personal rickshaw driver. What a foul piece of self-aggrandizing fiction; nicely targeted at the Oprah Book of The Month Club dimwits. Let me suggest Devla Murphy to you if you'd like to read a travelogue from a woman with guts.
Rating: 
Summary: Left a Sour Taste in My Mouth
Review: I am not sure what it was, but after finishing this book I have a bad taste in my mouth. I applaud the intentions of the author and the subject matter is irresistibly interesting. However, it was hard for me to get into at first because the book kind of rambles and it takes a while to get into her style. The style ended up suiting the journey very well as it was a slow and haphazard journey through the various aspects of Vietnam. Karin suffered many difficulties on her travels and I got very frustrated for her. She made it seem so difficult to travel around Vietnam (and she speaks Vietnamese!) that I am not sure that I want to go anymore. She experienced horrible guides that only wanted to squeeze as much money out of her as possible and a motorcycle that I was frustrated with and would have ditched long before she ever did! After reading some of the other reviews, I can now see why others would say that she is arrogant and haughty. It is almost as if she tries so hard to say that she isnt, that she comes across as being so... It was hard to get a feeling for her relationship with other people. She was an excellent observer and I really enjoyed her colorful metaphors and descriptions, but was frustrated because I was unable to grasp her feelings for Jay and her Mom. She has a strange journey with Jay and I couldn't quite figure out how they interacted together. Also, she talks about her Mom incessantly, but never really discusses her Dad. I was also very frustrated with her attempt to rescue some endangered species. She decided to support the illegal black market trade in endangered species because she felt that she could save a few animals. I was very disappointed with the reception that she received from the nature reserve, but am not really sure how she could have resolved the situation any better. Karin has an interesting writing style, although it may seem forced at times, and I was impressed that she did not romanticize her trip. She provides an honest portrayal of her backpacking experience and I definitely want to check out her documentary and the website to gain a more accurate portrayal of her journey and who she is.
Rating:
Summary: Left a Sour Taste in My Mouth
Review: I am not sure what it was, but after finishing this book I have a bad taste in my mouth. I applaud the intentions of the author and the subject matter is irresistibly interesting. However, it was hard for me to get into at first because the book kind of rambles and it takes a while to get into her style. The style ended up suiting the journey very well as it was a slow and haphazard journey through the various aspects of Vietnam. Karin suffered many difficulties on her travels and I got very frustrated for her. She made it seem so difficult to travel around Vietnam (and she speaks Vietnamese!) that I am not sure that I want to go anymore. She experienced horrible guides that only wanted to squeeze as much money out of her as possible and a motorcycle that I was frustrated with and would have ditched long before she ever did! After reading some of the other reviews, I can now see why others would say that she is arrogant and haughty. It is almost as if she tries so hard to say that she isnt, that she comes across as being so... It was hard to get a feeling for her relationship with other people. She was an excellent observer and I really enjoyed her colorful metaphors and descriptions, but was frustrated because I was unable to grasp her feelings for Jay and her Mom. She has a strange journey with Jay and I couldn't quite figure out how they interacted together. Also, she talks about her Mom incessantly, but never really discusses her Dad. I was also very frustrated with her attempt to rescue some endangered species. She decided to support the illegal black market trade in endangered species because she felt that she could save a few animals. I was very disappointed with the reception that she received from the nature reserve, but am not really sure how she could have resolved the situation any better. Karin has an interesting writing style, although it may seem forced at times, and I was impressed that she did not romanticize her trip. She provides an honest portrayal of her backpacking experience and I definitely want to check out her documentary and the website to gain a more accurate portrayal of her journey and who she is.
Rating: 
Summary: Down and Dirty Vietnam
Review: I did like this book. It is not one of the best gonzo travelogues that I've read, but it made its mark for a number of reasons: -Karin did most of the travel on her own - I think that a woman traveling alone has more fears to confront than a man, and in this case, she handles them extremely well; -She went native - eating the food her hosts ate, sleeping in their huts, suffering the same parasites, and learning their language; -She kept her sense of humor; And most importantly, her writing style was very "approachable" and fresh - a style which mirrors the subject of her affection (Vietnam) well.
Rating: 
Summary: Modern Vietnam through Western eyes.
Review: I first got turned onto Karin Muller's trip by her PBS website, http://www.pbs.org/hitchhikingvietnam/ Her story was engrossing and I think that I read every page on the site. I picked up the book a few days later and saw her film footage on PBS shortly after that. One needs to look at all three to get the complete picture. The book is good and stands out by itself, but the film and website add so much flavor and texture to the story. Karin Muller spent seven months in Vietnam as a simple vagabonding tourist. She experienced broken down motorcycles, breathtaking farmland, sketchy border crossings, scurvy, fields of rubies, saving leopard cubs at an animal market, arrests and planting rice with rural farmers. So does dwell a bit on the negative aspects of the "New Vietnam" and the book leaves a lot of the story out. Again, read the book, watch the movie and visit the website (in that order) for the entire experience.
Rating:
Summary: A decent first-time effort from a new writer
Review: I read this book for research for my own trip to Vietnam this summer. Although it's not the best travel book I've read, it's helpful by giving readers insight into Vietnamese everyday life. Although Muller sounds sort of whiny at times, her writing isn't cursed with the naive wide-eyed wonderment typical of a lot of travel writers. The book is both interesting, but at times unsettling...I couldn't help feeling at times that the entire nation of Vietnam existed solely to rip off foreigners. But, maybe I took it too personally because I'm half Vietnamese. Her advice on bargaining is something I haven't found in any of my guide books--most tell you simply to do it, but they don't explain HOW to do it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is planning their first trip to Vietnam, but I would hate for someone to base their opinion of the Vietnamese people solely on Muller's observations.
Rating: 
Summary: Colorful!
Review: I was really looking forward to reading this book after seeing it featured on the pbs.org website. My friend had it on her bookshelf so I asked to borrow it. She does write very well and is easy to follow but that is the only positive I saw. It felt like she wrote more about her negative experiences and I kept reading on thinking it would get better but alas never did. It seems to me she had a horrible time and would probably never return again. I also went out and checked out the film version from the library. Besides the title it didn't even look like it was based on her book. Her travel campanion, Jay, wasn't even in it although she was nice enough to acknoledge him in the credits. The book was bland and the film was even worse. I returned the book to my friend and told her to keep it at the bottom of the stack. Read "Catfish and Mandala" for a better travelogue.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling Tale
Review: Karin Writes incredibly well -- her thumbnail sketches of the people she meets along the way are priceless. She learns the language, takes her time and makes a lot of (local) friends. This is what travel writing really should be. A page-turner from start to finish. She is non-judgemental, gutsy and obviously genuinely interested in the country and its people.
Rating:
Summary: Colorful!
Review: not sure how I got this book, but it is one of my favorites. I enjoyed Karin's style of writing and her sense of humor a lot. Not sure how reflective her experience is of the current life in Vietnam but to me it sounded real and specific. I found her details of everyday vietnamese life rather enjoyable and down to earth. Her attitude towards the country is objective and even when she is poking fun at unusal issues or happenings true to Vietnam it is done with a warm and interested attitude. Great book. I'm looking forward to reading her future books.
Rating:
Summary: Seven Months in Vietnam
Review: Usually I read customer reviews after I've read the book. This being the case w/ Hitchhiking Vietnam, I am surprised by the strongly held negative reviews by some (many!) readers. With or without Jay, she was pretty much "solo." And whatta adventure! Not one I'd like to experience, but lots of fun to read about on a rainy California afternoon. I liked Karen and found her revelations honest and modest. I'd read her latest book on the Incas. If you like travel books, read Hitchhiking. But don't pay attention to the cover. Actually, it makes no sense!
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