Figures in a Landscape: People and Places

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-tro... Read more

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.
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