Blinding Light, A Novel  •  Paul Theroux LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 438 PAGES In this sly novel, the prolific Theroux sends his protagonist Slade Steadman, a travel writer, off to the Ecuadorian Amazon with his ex-girlfriend in search of inspiration and the wonders of Datura, a hallucinogen. Steadman puts up with temporary blindness (hence the title) in addition to other indignities (and pleasures, like enhanced memory and libido) (EDR21, $14.95)
Dark Star Safari, Overland from Cairo to Cape Town  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 472 PAGES Theroux sets his sights on Africa in his latest travelogue. By means of local buses, cattle trucks, hitched rides, trains and canoes, Theroux makes his way across the length of the continent. Revisiting this land of his youth -- he worked there in the 1960s -- on the eve of his 60th birthday, Theroux finds a land more decrepit and downtrodden than when he left. Although it is a sobering look at modern Africa (and he has very little good to say about tourists), Theroux maintains his trademark wit as he recounts meetings with missionaries, aid workers, tourists and natives. (AFR131, $15.95)
The Great Railway Bazaar, By Train through Asia  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Theroux's vintage 1970s journeys across Asia by Train, displaying all his talent for portraiture, ego and the dismissive aside. It's great fun. He takes every two-bit train he can find from London across Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, India, Japan and China, returning home via the Trans-Siberian Express. (ASA40, $14.95)
The Happy Isles of Oceania, Paddling the Pacific  •  Paul Theroux EXPLORATION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES • FAVORITE Here's Theroux at his best: wickedly funny, open-minded and enormously well informed. In this best-selling book, he flies off to Australia with a kayak and ends up exploring much of Melanesia and Polynesia as well. This book is a terrific introduction to the region, combining history, anecdote and acutely observed detail on people and place. (PAC03, $15.95)
Hotel Honolulu  •  Paul Theroux LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES A satirical novel from the irrepressible travel writer Paul Theroux. Set in his part-time home of Hawaii, Theroux's novel features a full cast of eccentrics who reside in and visit a fleabag hotel on the coast of Oahu. (HWI72, $14.00)
Kingdom by the Sea  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 361 PAGES Before decamping after a decade in London, Theroux traveled around the British Isles on a coastal journey in 1982 -- and chatted up the natives in his inimitable, humorous, opinionated, perceptive way. This insightful book displays Theroux's occasional ill temper along with his celebrated ability to combine social history and the good old-fashioned traveler's tale. (GBR09, $14.95)
Kowloon Tong, A Novel of Hong Kong  •  Paul Theroux LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES Betty Mullard, representing the old guard in Hong Kong, receives an offer from Mr. Hung on his family business. With its strong sense of place and contemporary setting in Hong Kong at a time of transition, this fast-paced novel is an illuminating and imaginative look at the city. (HKG12, $13.95)
The Mosquito Coast  •  Paul Theroux LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A taught psychological tale of a man who abandons civilization for the wilds of Honduras (much better than the movie!). Allie Fox defeats the mosquitoes, tames the river and swamp, and sets out to build an iceberg -- mostly as a monument to himself. (CAM34, $14.95)
The Old Patagonian Express  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 404 PAGES A delightful narrative of Paul Theroux's journey from Boston to Patagonia by rail, plane and truck. He starts out aboard the subway in Boston -- and ends up many months later at the end of the world, a bit worse for the wear. Along the way he encounters the elderly, nearly blind author Jorge Luis Borges and a cast of other fascinating characters. (PAT08, $15.95)
Pillars of Hercules  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 509 PAGES Known for his wry wit, Theroux seems to have had an exceptionally good time on his tour of the Mediterranean. He sets off from Gibraltar by foot, horseback, train and boat along the coast of Spain to the French Riviera, Sardinia, Sicily and beyond. This masterful book combines anecdote, history and observation into a revealing portrait of place. He ends his journey at the other pillar, Jebel Musa, just across the Straits outside Ceuta in North Africa. (MED20, $17.00)
Riding the Iron Rooster, By Train Through China  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES An account of utterly exhausting, exasperating travels mostly by rail throughout China for an entire year. Not surprisingly, this is one of Mr. Theroux's testier books. He does, however, travel to every corner of the huge country, including memorable passages on Mongolia, Xinjiang, Manchuria and Tibet (where he ended his journey). Theroux combines offhand observation, telling detail, interviews and snatches of history. Once you get past the lack of heat and hygiene, seedy hotels and Theroux's grumbling, this book is a finely detailed portrait of the diversity of Chinese landscapes and people. (CHN133, $15.95)