I usually dislike books that are a collection of unrelated essays but Paul Theroux’s newest book, Figures in a Landscape: People and Places, is an exception.
When writers compile their essays it’s a sign that they:
- Are lazy.
- Have nothing new to say (e.g., writer’s block).
- Need money.
Many who reviewed Tim Ferriss’s book, Tribe of Mentors, called it a “money grab.” It’s when a popular author wants some quick cash so he pumps out garbage knowing that his fans will eat whatever crap he spews out.
I expected Theroux’s latest book to be just like that. I was ready to skip chapter after chapter. However, I rarely skipped.
The chapters are pulled from his articles in The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, the Guardian, the Smithsonian, New York Times Magazine, and others.
Naturally, many chapters are travel essays. Several cover Africa but others discuss Ecuador and Hawaii. He critiques Henry David Thoreau, Joseph Conrad, and others.
Some of the best parts were the most unexpected: his interviews with Elizabeth Taylor, Robin Williams, and a Manhattan dominatrix.
He ends with a chapter about his dad and why he wants to thwart his future biographers (which is a bit conceited to believe that someone will write his biography).
If you’re a Paul Theroux fan and/or you like travel writing, you’ll enjoy Theroux’s latest, which you can pre-order now. It comes out May 8, 2018.
VERDICT: 8/10 stars.
Disclosure: I received a free advanced copy from the publisher to review.
