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Figures in a Landscape: People and Places
Paperback
Biographies GeneralLetters & EssaysTravel Writing
Publisher Price: $17.99
ISBN13: 9781328592781
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: May 14 2019
Pages: 416
Weight: 0.65
Height: 1.30 Width: 5.20 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
A portrait of an optimist with curiosity and affection for humanity in all its forms.--The New York Times Book Review
Theroux is at the top of his game with his third collection of essays, a magisterial grouping of intimate remembrances, globe-trotting adventures, and incisive literary critiques.--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Theroux's observations are so keen and writerly skills so sharp that he butter-slices narratives with a razor-thin surgeon's scalpel, masterfully serving up both the world's dark underbelly and its gloriously uplifting sustenance of love, longing and wonder-lust. --Forbes
Paul Theroux's latest collection of essays applies his signature searching curiosity to a life lived as much in reading as on the road. This writerly tour-de-force features a satisfyingly varied selection of topics. Travel essays take us to Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Hawaii, to name a few. Gems of literary criticism reveal fascinating depth in the work of Henry David Thoreau, Muriel Spark, Joseph Conrad, and Hunter Thompson. And in a series of breathtakingly personal profiles, we take a helicopter ride with Elizabeth Taylor, go diagnosing with Oliver Sacks, eavesdrop on the day-to-day life of a Manhattan dominatrix, and explore New York with Robin Williams.
An extended meditation on the craft of writing binds together this wide-ranging collection, along with Theroux's constant quest for the authentic in a person or in a place.
This remarkable collection explores the intersection of life, literature, and travel:
- Literary Criticism: Deep dives into the works and lives of giants like Joseph Conrad, Henry David Thoreau, and Hunter S. Thompson.
- Celebrity Encounters: A helicopter ride with Elizabeth Taylor over Neverland, a walk through New York with Robin Williams, and a firsthand look at Oliver Sacks's 'street neurology.'
- Travel Essays: Unforgettable journeys from a search for Ayahuasca in Ecuador to the backroads of Zimbabwe and the islands of Hawaii.
- The Craft of Writing: A masterclass on the life of a freelance writer, bound together by an extended meditation on what it means to write truthfully about the world.
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