Paul Theroux Criticism
Paul Theroux, an American novelist, travel writer, short story writer, critic, and poet born in 1941, has garnered attention for his diverse literary contributions that blend vivid descriptions with sharp critiques. His works often delve into the tension between romantic idealism and harsh reality, frequently set in exotic locations such as Africa, Malaysia, and South America. This thematic exploration of cultural conflict and alienation is central to novels like Jungle Lovers and Girls at Play, where characters navigate the complexities of Western influence, echoed in the cultural collisions of The Mosquito Coast.
Theroux's travel writings, including The Great Railway Bazaar and The Kingdom by the Sea, are celebrated for their insightful observations and vivid landscapes, establishing him as a pivotal figure in travel literature. However, his approach has also been critiqued for its sometimes harsh depictions, as seen in Riding the Iron Rooster, which divided critics like Jim Mann and Timothy Tung. His novel My Secret History similarly elicited varied responses, with Andrew Jaffe praising its detail and David Profumo critiquing its emotional resonance.
Theroux's narratives are enriched by his time in the Peace Corps in Africa, a period that significantly shaped his literary voice. His fiction draws comparisons to Graham Greene for its examination of decaying societies and the duality of human nature, as seen in works like The Picture Palace, which Maureen Howard discusses in terms of ambition and self-perception. The novel's departure from his usual themes to focus on art and introspection is noted by critics such as Anne Tyler and Nicholas Guild.
While Theroux's writing often captivates with its wit and insight into modern society, critics like Michael Irwin and Anthony Burgess have pointed out issues of thematic cohesion and character depth. In contrast, Paul Bailey and William H. Pritchard offer diverse views on his narrative execution. Despite these varied assessments, Theroux’s ability to portray the complexities of cultural and personal encounters remains a hallmark of his work, making him a significant figure in contemporary literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Theroux, Paul (Vol. 159)
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A Trip to China that Stopped Being a Trip
(summary)
In the following review, Mann praises the detail and honesty of Theroux's description of China in Riding the Iron Rooster, stating that it is probably the best portrait of how China looks and feels to a foreigner in the 1980s.
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Travails of a Tireless Traveler
(summary)
In the following review of Riding the Iron Rooster, Tung objects to Theroux's negative portrayal of China, which the critic finds only partially justified.
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Theroux in China
(summary)
In the following review, Wright offers a generally positive assessment of Riding the Iron Rooster, highlighting Paul Theroux's unburdened perspective while traveling in China.
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From Inside the Cavity
(summary)
In the following review, Johnston offers a negative assessment of My Secret History.
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Leavable Loves
(summary)
In the following review, Jaffe praises the evocative descriptions and attention to detail in My Secret History.
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Going on about Sex
(summary)
In the following negative review, Profumo criticizes the lack of emotion in My Secret History.
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Me, Myself, and I
(summary)
In the following review, Krist analyzes the relationship between character and theme in My Secret History. My Secret History, an enormous book of over 500 pages, belongs to an increasingly familiar genre of American fiction—the novel by a rich and famous writer about the life and loves of a similarly rich and famous writer. Such books have apparently become required rites of passage for many of our major authors on the road to serious celebrity. But Paul Theroux, in his 18th book of fiction, has managed to avoid most of the pitfalls of the genre. My Secret History is neither a self-congratulatory account of the tribulations of success nor a study of the writer as victim of his demanding, bovine public. Rather, it's what autobiographical fiction ought to be: a writer's stratagem for getting at the larger issues raised by his own life. The fact that Theroux's life involves plenty of interesting sex in exotic foreign climes ensures that this novel, like everything he writes, entertains even as it gathers weight.
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Various Pairs
(summary)
In the following negative excerpt, Wilhelmus objects to the protagonist, plot, and tone of My Secret History.
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… And Dangerous to Know
(summary)
In the following review, Brookner argues that Chicago Loop represents “a clinical tour de force” for its relentlessly dispassionate portrayal of the psychopathic mind.
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Travels by Kayak, Pony, and Plane
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Marien compares Theroux's mental state during his Pacific tour to his descriptions of the scenery in The Happy Isles of Oceania.
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Curmudgeon in a Canoe
(summary)
In the following positive review, Frater praises the insights, accessibility, and humor of The Happy Isles of Oceania.
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Having His Kayak and Beating It
(summary)
In the following review, Wright compliments the authentic details and candid tone of The Happy Isles of Oceania, praising it as one of Theroux's best works.
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Regular Guy
(summary)
In the following review, Kennedy offers a positive assessment of Millroy the Magician.
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Suspiciously Wholesome
(summary)
In the following negative review, Shone argues that Millroy the Magician is inferior to Theroux's earlier novel The Mosquito Coast.
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Paul Theroux: This Time around, the Protean Writer Pens a Novel with a Vegetarian Protagonist
(summary)
In the following essay, Staggs provides an overview of Theroux's life and career upon the publication of Millroy the Magician, incorporating Theroux's comments on his travel writing and publishing history.
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The Bible as Radical Diet Plan
(summary)
In the following review, Williams offers a generally positive assessment of Millroy the Magician, but finds the novel's imagery and style overbearing.
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What the Imagination Knows: Paul Theroux's Search for the Second Self
(summary)
In the following essay, Wheeler provides an overview of Theroux's travel writing and fiction, drawing attention to recurring themes and preoccupations that link his work in both genres, including his use of fictional doubles.
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Impersonations
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Flower offers a mixed assessment of Millroy the Magician, citing shortcomings in the passive characterization of Jilly.
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Review of Millroy the Magician
(summary)
In the following negative review, Curran asserts that Jilly's characterization and the narrative of Millroy the Magician are underdeveloped.
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Unsentimental Journey
(summary)
In the following review, Hopkins evaluates the strengths of The Pillars of Hercules, after confessing his initial apprehension about reading the work.
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Fly-Blown Odyssey
(summary)
In the following review, Urquhart offers a mixed assessment of The Pillars of Hercules, which he concludes is “an uneasy book” despite its “many delights.”
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Through the Grinder
(summary)
In the following review, Coster contrasts the autobiographical aspects of The Pillars of Hercules with those of Theroux's fiction.
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An Author and His Egos
(summary)
In the following review, Leader examines the imaginary and the real-life incidents in My Other Life, distinguishing the significance of the difference between the two.
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Following the Grumbling Theroux
(summary)
In the following review, Mortimer offers a generally positive assessment of The Pillars of Hercules.
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Masquerading as Fiction
(summary)
In the following review of My Other Life, Rubin commends Theroux's skillful prose and lively characterizations, but finds shortcomings in his efforts to probe the psyche of his alter-ego.
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Strangers and a Brother
(summary)
In the following review, Sexton offers a positive assessment of The Collected Stories and comments on the difficulty of assessing Theroux's overall literary achievement.
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Scrutinizing the Self
(summary)
In the following review of The Collected Stories, Tandon commends Theroux's satires on cross-cultural blunders, but concludes that much of his fiction is marred by a sense of self-indulgence.
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Handing It Over—and Afterwards
(summary)
In the following positive review, Mirsky praises Theroux's attention to sensual details in Kowloon Tong.
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Review of My Other Life
(summary)
In the following review, Powers offers a mixed assessment of My Other Life, which she judges to be alternately “funny” and “off-putting.”
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Actual Fiction
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Pritchard praises the culinary aspects of the prose in Kowloon Tong.
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Not a Very Jolly Lot
(summary)
In the following review of The Collected Short Novels, Crane argues that Theroux's short fiction, while highly competent, is formulaic and unrelentingly morose when viewed cumulatively.
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Kowloon Tong
(summary)
In the following review, Knudsen offers a mixed assessment of Kowloon Tong, which he finds excessively “dreary,” but redeemed in part by Theroux's observational skill.
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The Big Chill
(summary)
In the following review, Eder describes Sir Vidia's Shadow as fascinating yet deeply flawed by Theroux's recriminations against Naipaul.
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Shadow Boxing
(summary)
In the following review, Bowman asserts that Sir Vidia's Shadow is an interesting memoir, but a poor display of Theroux's self-pity and anger.
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Biting the Hand That Rarely Paid for Lunch
(summary)
In the following review, Raphael offers a positive assessment of Sir Vidia's Shadow.
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Sorcerers' Apprentices
(summary)
In the following negative excerpt, Allen expresses contempt for what she sees as the hostility, jealousy, and hypocrisy in Sir Vidia's Shadow.
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Sir Vidia's Shadow
(summary)
In the following review, King focuses on Theroux's descriptions of V. S. Naipaul as a man and as a writer in Sir Vidia's Shadow. Sir Vidia's Shadow is subtitled A Friendship Across Five Continents and concerns Paul Theroux's relationship with V. S. Naipaul since 1966, when Theroux, a university lecturer in Uganda, met Naipaul, who had been sent by an American foundation as a visiting professor, writer, or intellectual—which is not clear, as Naipaul refused to teach and used the time for his own writing, finishing The Mimic Men (1967).
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Going Native
(summary)
In the following review, Wilson describes Sir Vidia's Shadow as an engrossing, if unflattering, portrait of literary jealousy and resentment.
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The Wanderer
(summary)
In the following review, Sylge offers a positive assessment of Fresh Air Fiend, highlighting Paul Theroux's adventurous life and reflections on his early career.
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Paul Theroux Approaches Sixty
(summary)
In the following review of Fresh Air Fiend, Cussen examines Theroux's attitudes toward aging, his commentaries on other noted travel writers, and his problematic postcolonial views.
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Around the World in 15 Years
(summary)
In the following review, Rose offers a positive assessment of Fresh Air Fiend, but notes the uneven quality of the work's diverse selections.
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On the Wrong Side of the Frontier
(summary)
In the following review, Stewart offers an unfavorable assessment of Fresh Air Fiend, describing it as an odd, disjointed book that reveals Paul Theroux to be a more sympathetic and vulnerable character than previously supposed. While acknowledging Theroux's competence and prolific output, Stewart criticizes his novels for leaving a sour taste and his travel writing for seeming mean-spirited.
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A Honolulu Hotel for Fringe Sad Sacks
(summary)
In the following review, McAlpin offers a positive assessment of Hotel Honolulu, calling Theroux a “sharp, unblinking storyteller.”
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The Voyeur's Tale
(summary)
In the following review of Hotel Honolulu, Newton finds Theroux's preoccupation with sexual indulgence tiresome, but appreciates his larger interest in the significance of literary culture.
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Travelling without Making Progress
(summary)
In the following negative review, Mirsky criticizes the plot, characterization, and dialogue of Hotel Honolulu.
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Novel of the Week
(summary)
In the following review, Feehily provides an overview of the narration and themes in Hotel Honolulu.
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A Trip to China that Stopped Being a Trip
(summary)
- Theroux, Paul (Vol. 5)
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Theroux, Paul (Vol. 28)
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Waldo
(summary)
In the following essay, Roderick Cook examines Paul Theroux's novel Waldo, highlighting its humor, wit, and surreal elements as it follows the protagonist's rise to fame, while cautioning that Theroux's talent for dialogue and vivid scenes could lead him to mimic his character's trajectory into commercial entertainment.
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Waldo
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic examines Paul Theroux's Waldo as a narrative marked by a passive protagonist and a Dadaist influence, characterized by a series of symbolic settings and flat declarative sentences that ultimately contribute to its ambiguous conclusion.
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A review of "Girls at Play"
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic explores how Paul Theroux's novel Girls at Play uses East Africa as a significant and detrimental setting, emphasizing themes of decay, tension, and inevitable violence, while depicting a grim portrayal of both the characters and their environment.
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Terror and Cruelty, Dressed in Wit and Irony
(summary)
In the following essay, Laurence Lafore examines Paul Theroux's novel "Girls at Play," arguing that it is a meticulously constructed horror story that explores themes of cultural collision and the destructive potential of idealism, set in an African girls' school where isolated characters face the brutal consequences of their actions.
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Strangers in Africa
(summary)
In the following essay, Shane Stevens argues that Paul Theroux's novel "Girls at Play" revisits and expands upon Joseph Conrad's themes of isolation and moral collapse faced by Westerners in Africa, portraying the continent as a place that challenges and ultimately overwhelms the Western psyche.
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Jungle Book
(summary)
In the following essay, Susan Hill compares Paul Theroux's Jungle Lovers to the works of Graham Greene, highlighting the novel's assured, mature, and compassionate style, its vivid depiction of life's complexities, and its powerful characterization, particularly of its protagonist, Mullet, despite occasional stylistic fuzziness.
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New Out of Africa
(summary)
The critic examines Paul Theroux's novel Jungle Lovers, highlighting its satirical and documentary elements in depicting Malawi, emphasizing the complex relationships and the dissolution of ideals between characters, while noting the novel's precise portrayal of post-colonial culture and its narrative circularity that, despite feeling contrived, contributes to its success.
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In One of the Dark Places of the Earth
(summary)
In the following essay, L. J. Davis contends that Paul Theroux's Jungle Lovers is a bold narrative that parallels Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, offering a nuanced exploration of colonial legacies in Malawi, which results in a compelling cross-cultural fiction marked by insightful sociopolitical commentary and echoes of Conrad's thematic depth.
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Mordecai Richler
(summary)
In the following essay, Mordecai Richler critiques Paul Theroux's "Jungle Lovers" as a novel that, while rich with perceptive insights and a compelling narrative style, ultimately suffers from an inconsistent viewpoint and a forced ideological construct, rendering it unsatisfying despite its many virtues.
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Englishmen & Americans
(summary)
In the following essay, Benjamin DeMott critiques Paul Theroux's collection "World's End" for its overwhelming focus on uprooted characters, contrasting it with the thematic diversity and vibrant narrative energy found in Theroux's longer works.
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First-Rate
(summary)
In the following essay, Alan Hollinghurst argues that Paul Theroux's short stories excel in their comedic brevity and critique of superficiality, whereas his attempts at longer, serious narratives in World's Fair are less convincing, with his strengths lying in vivid depictions of places and satirical portrayals of literary and diplomatic worlds.
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Theroux's Wonderful, Bottomless Novel
(summary)
In the following essay, Jonathan Raban examines Paul Theroux's novel "The Mosquito Coast," praising its intricate narrative and thematic depth, particularly highlighting how Theroux's portrayal of the protagonist Allie Fox mirrors the creative and potentially perilous imagination of the author himself, thus offering a complex exploration of creation and divinity.
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Dr. Faustus in the Jungle
(summary)
In the following essay, Frederick Busch critiques Paul Theroux's The Mosquito Coast, arguing that while it employs gothic elements and offers sharp critiques of America through its character Allie Fox, it lacks the depth and tragic substance needed to truly succeed as a gothic novel.
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The Mosquito Coast
(summary)
In the following essay, Jack Beatty explores the dual perspectives in Paul Theroux's The Mosquito Coast, highlighting its structural complexity, narrative voice, and the profound themes of civilization, authority, and familial dynamics beneath its adventurous plot.
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Moby-Dad
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Towers critiques Paul Theroux's The Mosquito Coast for its overwhelming focus on the protagonist, which detracts from the development of other characters, ultimately suggesting that the novel is a grand yet somewhat unbalanced display of Theroux's literary prowess.
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Passing Theroux
(summary)
In the following essay, Stanley Reynolds contends that Paul Theroux's The London Embassy transforms the familiar city of London into an intriguing and foreign landscape through a collection of interconnected short stories, reflecting Theroux's unique perspective as an American who perceives the ordinary with fresh eyes.
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The Kingdom by the Sea
(summary)
In the following essay, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt examines The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Theroux, highlighting the evocative and insightful depiction of Britain's coast, juxtaposed with the melancholy of its economic decline, while ultimately appreciating the book's ability to inspire and educate despite its somber observations.
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Waldo
(summary)
- Theroux, Paul (Vol. 8)
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Theroux, Paul (Vol. 11)
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The Maugham the Merrier
(summary)
In the following essay, Michael Irwin commends the entertaining variety and writing style of Paul Theroux's The Consul's File while criticizing its lack of cohesion and inadequate integration of local context, ultimately finding the collection less effective as a unified work due to insufficient development of recurring characters and thematic continuity.
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Anthony Burgess
(summary)
In the following essay, Anthony Burgess praises Paul Theroux's "The Consul's File" for its vivid portrayal of Malaysia, highlighting Theroux's ability to capture the exotic charm and complexity of the region through the perspective of an American consul, while comparing his work favorably to that of earlier writers like Somerset Maugham and Henri Fauconnier.
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Donald Davie
(summary)
In the following essay, Donald Davie critiques Paul Theroux's The Consul's File as both a compelling read and a potentially disheartening portrayal of post-Imperial British society, suggesting that Theroux's narratives may perpetuate cultural pessimism and undermine English and American morale.
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The Artist as an Old Photographer
(summary)
In the following essay, Anne Tyler explores how Paul Theroux's "Picture Palace" deviates from his usual exotic settings by focusing on internal character development and the relationship between art and the artist through the lens of the protagonist Maude Coffin Pratt, despite the contrived theme of incestuous fixation.
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Portraits of a Lady
(summary)
In the following essay, Nicholas Guild commends Paul Theroux's novel Picture Palace for its elegant control and convincing portrayal of the relationship between art and life, despite minor comedic overplays, praising Theroux's style, pace, and the novel's narrative complexity that avoids common pitfalls in its genre.
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Images of a Lifetime
(summary)
In the following essay, Vicki Goldberg argues that while Paul Theroux's Picture Palace offers a compelling metaphor for vision and blindness through the character Maude, it falters in its portrayal of Maude as a woman, yet succeeds due to Theroux's engaging style and insightful exploration of photography.
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Karl Miller
(summary)
In the following essay, Karl Miller analyzes Paul Theroux's Picture Palace, highlighting its exploration of the artist's personal and artistic dichotomies, its literary allusions, and its critique of the art and history of photography, while examining the narrative's romantic and androgynous themes.
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That There
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Bailey critiques Paul Theroux's novel Picture Palace for its portrayal of its protagonist, Maude Coffin Pratt, as lacking emotional depth and genuine character interaction, drawing a parallel to Theroux's own detached narrative style.
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William H. Pritchard
(summary)
In the following essay, William H. Pritchard praises Paul Theroux's Picture Palace for its bold narrative and complex exploration of themes such as vision and insight, commending its entertainment value and linguistic vibrancy, and asserting Theroux's significance as a masterful and essential American writer.
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The Maugham the Merrier
(summary)
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Theroux, Paul (Vol. 15)
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Eight Recent Novels
(summary)
In the following essay, Maureen Howard argues that Paul Theroux's "The Picture Palace" deftly combines lively narrative with themes of ambition and self-perception, while exploring the irony of a once-celebrated photographer's unraveling legend through vivid imagery and Maude Pratt's cynical commentary on modern culture.
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On the Go Again
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Fussell critiques Paul Theroux's "The Old Patagonian Express" as lacking the delight of its predecessor due to the monotonous and uninspired backdrop of Latin America, although it features engaging narrative and dialogue, especially in the climactic encounter with Jorge Luis Borges.
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The Perils of Paul
(summary)
In the following essay, Patrick Breslin critiques Paul Theroux's The Old Patagonian Express as a travel narrative predominantly focused on the author's discomforts and mundane complaints, overshadowing more compelling aspects of the journey and resulting in a narrative lacking in significant incidents or engaging reflections.
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Books and the Arts: 'The Old Patagonian Express'
(summary)
In the following essay, Jack Beatty examines Paul Theroux's "The Old Patagonian Express," highlighting its somber tone compared to "The Great Railway Bazaar," and emphasizing Theroux's acute eye for irony and the morally complex contrasts between human suffering and the artful rendition of such experiences.
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Mad Dogs and Railwaymen
(summary)
In the following essay, Oswell Blakeston argues that while The Old Patagonian Express lacks the allure of Theroux's earlier work, The Great Railway Bazaar, it still showcases his detailed observations, though sometimes relying on mundane experiences and trivial interactions to fill the narrative.
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Books in Brief: 'The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas'
(summary)
In the following essay, Rhoda Koenig critiques Paul Theroux's travel narrative, The Old Patagonian Express, arguing that while Theroux occasionally delivers vivid and insightful observations, his work is overly marred by a pervasive petulance and self-congratulatory cynicism, overshadowing the journey with trivial complaints.
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The Great Railway Endurance Test
(summary)
In the following essay, Patrick Marnham examines The Old Patagonian Express, identifying it as a narrative focused on Paul Theroux's tenacious train journey from Boston to Patagonia, highlighting encounters with political landscapes and cultural reflections, culminating in a symbolic meeting with Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires.
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Eight Recent Novels
(summary)
- Further Reading