My Other Life

After Riding the Iron Rooster and My Secret History I would like to find time to read more of Theroux. If I find it in a 2nd hand store I will snap it up. Till then sits in my wishlist

When I first picked up this book, I had never read any of Paul Theroux's work, but I heard him interviewed and was intrigued by his description of the book. It is a fascinating examination of his life, and what it could have looked like at several junctures had things been different. This is an entertaining and unique work... definitely give it a try! ( )

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) ( )

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. ( )