Main page

Editions

My Other Life

by Paul Theroux

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations
229	2	26,054	(3.6)	2

Add to your library

Add to wishlist

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

kmiller1966, whiskerpudding, rolandperkins, yvonnemurakami, brazosriver, Parks09, Lonsing, Disie35, cherilove, Russell44

numbers

show all

▾Tags

20th century (1) 20th century fiction (2) africa (2) alternative history (1) american (5) american fiction (1) american literature (4) autobiographical fiction (1) autobiography (7) biographical (1) biography (4) ESL (1) fantasy (2) fiction (41) fictional memoir (1) literary fiction (1) London (2) memoir (2) non-fiction (4) novel (6) read (4) romance (1) singapore (1) Theroux (2) travel (10) travel essay (1) travel writers (1) unread (4) usa (1) writing (1)

▾Will you like it?

won't like will probably not like will probably like will like will love

▾Member reviews

date ▼ | votes

Showing 2 of 2

I didn't want to like this book because I'd heard/read unpleasant things about Paul Theroux (but couldn't remember what). I grabbed it off my shelves when nothing else appealed and I needed something to read. It surprised me. I've really enjoyed his writing style - a mixture of internal voice and reflection and external description and ability to evoke a place. However, as I read more I beginning to really dislike the main character - whether you believe this book is some what autobiographical or purely fiction, I'm to the point where I don't know if I can finish it because I'm finding "Paul" an unpleasant person to spend time with. Maybe that's a sign of good writing, but just don't like him.

(Read June 2008) (

)

sistersticks | Jul 26, 2008 |

I found myself totally immersed in the first section about the time in the leper village as a Peace Corp volunteer. I was, of course, utterly convinced that it was autobiographical, and remain convinced about the rest of this "novel". A travel writer reveals so much about himself in other works, why not this one?
If this is not his "secret life", but rather his "other life", then this is the stuff that is no secret!

Beautifully written, whatever the truth is, with a control of language that manages to evoke the dry dustiness of African savanna, or the dripping humidity of equatorial Asia, or the brittleness of London society matrons.

If you like Theroux's travel writing, you will like this. (

)

saliero | Jun 24, 2007 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 2 of 2

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Canonical Title

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0395877520, Paperback)

Prolific and popular writer Paul Theroux turns himself on his ear in My Other Life, the "story of a life I could have lived had things been different," as told by another Paul Theroux. The book, arranged in sections that resemble stories more than chapters, traces a life that at times looks quite a bit like Theroux's real one; at other times not at all. He treads the familiar ground of his Peace Corps days in Africa that some readers will recall from My Secret History. The story then careens through Singapore, London, marriage, writing, family, and divorce. And it is not only Theroux who is a walking contradiction in this work; other characters explore the notion of two lives, giving the sections a unifying subject and a resounding theme.

(retrieved from Amazon Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:21:24 -0500)

(see all 3 descriptions)

▾Open Shelves Classification

The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.