I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have moved to the Boston area only a year ago, and this book has helped me learn a lot about the life in and around Cape Cod since 1621. The characters seem almost real with all the trials and tribulations they have had to suffer. I highly recommned it to any reader who enjoys historical novels (the best!).

You will forget about the outside world when you read this; nothing but sand, wind, and water. Plus some natural history, local folklore, a few shipwreck tales. Typical Thoreau; he finds beauty, interest, detail in the wilderness. The desolate landscape will help to clear your mind. Highly recommended.

Each year, in preparation for a week's retreat to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I go in search of a book that would be perfect for a sojourn on a desert island. Of course, the Outer Banks are hardly deserted--the locals have printed up Wege's infamous photograph of a packed stretch of Coney Island with the caption "Nags Head, circa 2000 A.D."--but there we are on an island for seven days, my husband experiencing near death in the waves while I read. Sometimes we stop these pursuits and prowl the beach. Mostly we live as if we're the last two people on earth (which is easier in the off-peak season). I've learned that not every book is right for this way of life. The perfect desert island book has to celebrate the place you are in, not transport you. It should offer a tinge of society, because, after all, a human is a social animal, but it should not make you yearn achingly for what has been left behind nor should you be so repelled by it that you will never fit in again when you leave the island (you always leave the island). It should have some narrative sweep to withstand the competition of the seascape. It should make you think, at least a little: you want the stress to wash out to sea, not the little grey cells. Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau is the benchmark by which I've chosen beach material for several years. it is the quintessential celebration of littoral life. If you are on the beach, you appreciate it all the more; if you are not, well, at least you know vividly what you are missing. There is drama, as in the specter of villagers racing to the shore at the news of a shipwreck. There is information, as in what part of the clam not to eat, how the Indians trapped gulls for food, how a lighthouse really works. There is Thoreau's contagious respect for solitude, his occasional crankiness, and that magic trick of his that can suck in high school sophomores and get them through his books without so much as a whimper. There is one flaw to Cape Cod: brevity. It lasts about a day and a half on the Robinson Crusoe plan. This is not to say that it does not withstand re-reading, it does, but at some point after you have committed it to memory, you may wish for the collected works of Shakespeare and move onto the Bard's beach play, The Tempest.

My schedule doesn't permit a lot of free time for reading so I randomly picked up Theroux's collected stories from the local library and I must say that the storylines are intriguing and the characters are so believable, you may very well find yourself empathizing with them.

This is a fantastic collection of stories if you have a long commute and need a break from the rubbish on the airwaves.

This is one of the best short story collections I've ever read. Paul Theroux is expert at making the reader actually feel "there". The landscape descriptions and characterizations are first rate, and I enjoyed the "plot twists." Theroux excels in creating difficult and often unlikeable but always memorable characters ( read The Mosquito Coast, Millroy The Magician or The Black House if you want further proof. ) These stories are frightening, sad and funny. Highly recommended.

Paul Theroux is the kind of writer who is not afraid to go out on a limb. His literary output over the last twenty-five years or so is as diverse and inspired as any other American writer working today. And I'm pleased to say that in this handsome paperback re-issue he seldom disappoints. Take, for example, the almost hallucinogenic vigor of "Dengue Fever". I challenge anyone to read this story once through in a quiet setting and not be haunted by its shadowy, sinuous images a week, a month, or even a year after the initial experience. It is Theroux's turgid depictions of fever, deftly mixed with the not implausible elements of the supernatural, that make this tale a breath-taking excursion into the horrific realm of the subconscious.

Then there is the creepy, nocturnal brilliance of "World's End," in which the narrator of the story becomes the not so subtle victim of his own vanity. The suspense never lets up while steadily building toward a sat! isfying, even shocking ending. Is his wife having an affair while the narrator smugly entertains yet another road trip? The narrator's son, shrewd and tight-lipped, is a wonderfully nuanced portrait of silent anguish and controlled fear, while the timorous image of a kite and the ironic metaphor of "play" are cleverly juxtaposed by Theroux who knows well the value of a ripe Joycean symbol.

I am very glad I found this paperback at the library and took a chance on it. The first novel, Fong and the Indians, concerns a hapless petty merchant in East Africa. It is delighfully politically incorrect while maintaining a sympathetic opinion of the underlying humanity of all the characters. The third, Jungle Lovers, could have been written by a heavy drinker attracted to African women, because, well, the protagonist has these characteristics. It is also well-paced and mixes politics, plot, and character quite well. I am currently reading the "second" placed novel and it is also delightfully juicy and descriptive. Overall, these books made me want to read more novels set in Africa, by Africans as well as visitors.

This is actually a compilation of three previously-published novels, set in sub-Saharan Africa. To the best of my knowledge, all three are out of print, so the publisher has done the reader a service by re-printing all three in this volume.

Each of the novels in this volume has certain merits, and all three are worth your time. As a whole, they serve to encapsulate the experience of being a foreigner in Africa, in the 1970s. By foreigner I don't just mean Caucasian; the stories are told from diverse points of view. My personal favorite is the one about a group of women running a boarding school in upcountry Uganda, but anyone who either likes the writings of Paul Theroux or has an interest in Africa, would find that all three stories are worth his while.

This is a wonderful collection for fans of Theroux and writers who want to study the craft of essay writing. The range of topics is wide, covering everything from travel (of course) to politics (Nixon) to Tarzan-as-expatriate. It's also a great window into Theroux's development as a writer as it spans two and a half decades of his career.

I had the pleasure of reading these when I was in the Peace Corps myself, stationed in the Nepal highlands. Thanks for the fun and inspiration, Paul!

Even without taking my copy of this down from the shelf, a mental vision of the cover conjures up brief mnemonic wisps of mental perfume: sailing on Cape Cod, his memories of Africa, the tale of the unironed shirt and the burrowing mites, the essay on extended family that has always made me wistful for the experience or at least envious to have a doctor and lawyer available for free consultations. Influential stuff from a more or less acerbic personality.

A few days before Christmas nine-year-old Marcel and his family are driving to their new house--an old farm deep in the snowy woods, then get lost. Luckily they find an old hotel which at first seemed to be closed. Marcel is fascinated by their quaint but kindly host, Pappy, who promises to provide them with directions to their destination the next day.

But the man mysteriously disappears, leaving them only an unsigned, unaddressed Christmas card, which has no words--just a curious sketch of the woods. Marcel gradually realizes that this card is a kind of map to their new home, yet it is much more than that. It is a Magic card, which changes to reflect conditions of the real world outside--of time, light and location.

Still Marcel experiences alternating fear and peace in the days preceding the Christian holiday, as a result of the card's shifting hints. The family of four is confused by the mysterious fire glowing in the old cabin; did they just stumble upon a meeting and inadvertantly drive the people away? Secular and sacred connotations combine to make a fascinating, enjoy-in-one-sitting read. Will Marcel ever see his beloved Pappy again--just who and what is he anyway? A literary chiaroscuro where the Light combats the Darkness and a young boy tries to choose the right path and make the best "trade."

Paul Theroux takes a close look at the places and people he visits. He is very discriptive, but yet manages to entertain and capture the reader. Once I started the book, I did not want to put it down. It's a must for everybody who wants to travel to the South Pacific.

This book is about Patagonia, the southern part of South America. Windswept, cool, rainy or dry, depending on one's location, Patagonia is the uttermost realm of the Earth. This book, out of many, is the best I have ever seen on the area.

The writers, Paul Theroux, and the late Bruce Chatwin, are both very well acquainted with the region, Each writer has a differing style, and each writer's commentary therefore varies. Yet, both harmoniously intertwine into a fascinating mesh. In addition to each capturing the essence of the land and the harsh climate in his own way, both writers present fascinating vignettes on Patagonian history, culture, and people.

You will learn about the origin of Patagonia's name, its role in Shakespeare's plays, its history of sheltering Welsh nationalism, its ground sloth fossils, Butch Cassidy staying in hiding there, its glaciers and fiords, etc., etc., etc.

All of this is superbly complimented by Fred Hirschmann's stunning color photography. In four-color format, these photographs form the most excellent composite for a book since Eliot Porter's masterpiece on the lost Glen Canyon. Again and again, I return to these photos for their inspiration and beauty.

Most of us will never visit Patagonia and taste the local calafate berry. But if we can't, this book is the next best thing. I prize this book very much and recommend it to the hilt.

I READ THIS BOOK AFTER VISITING SE ASIA FOR A THIRD TIME IN 1988. AT AGE 14 I LIVED IN KL AND SAW A GOOD DEAL OF THE OLD CITY AND TRADITIONS GIVE WAY TO THE MODERN. THIS BOOK SHOWS WHAT THE REAL SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, AND BANGKOK WAS LIKE IN THE LATE 1950'S TO EARLY 1970'S BEFORE THE BULLDOZERS CAME. THIS BOOK HAD A CERTAIN SIGNIFIGANCE TO ME AND WILL TO ANYONE WHO LIVED IN THE REGION AS A FOND FAREWELL.

For a book written in the early 1990's, much of what Mr. Diaz has to say about evaluating the different manufacturers & models still applies. Being in the market for a folding boat, I've found this book very helpful. Although I think the author is little too zealous about the virtues of folding boats vs. the hard shells. If you're looking for a boat about whitewater kayaking or river boating, skip this one. The focus is on sea kayaks. Does this mean that folding boats aren't suitable for the river? Couldn't tell you after reading this book.

The author, Ralph Diaz, has for a number of years published a slim but tremendously valuable newletter for folding kayak enthusiasts, and this book is essentially the information collected by Ralph and his readers over the years, updated, corrected and expanded, together with new information collected for the book. The result is a unique and absolutely invaluable reference volume for owners (and prospective owners) of folding kayaks. Ralph is no dillitante how-to author; he's a fanatic evangelical for folders, knows everyone in the business, and has helped countless people to select the kayak that's best for them. He also knows, and is know by, everyone in the folding kayak business. Ralph takes you on a tour of the history of the folding kayak, the benifits and drawbacks of folders, a tour of the various manufacturers and models available from each, and walks you through basic kayak technique. He tells you about modifications that owners have made and tested, and where to get parts and repairs for out of production boats. I have been enamored of folders since I saw my first one on Isle Royale back in 1968. As we talked, a young fellow not much older than I assembled a boat from two small suitcases that was far more seaworthy than the heavy aluminum canoes my compatriots and I were paddling. As a 14 year old I didn't have the wherewithall to buy one, and put the notion aside for a number of years. Last year, with Ralph's help, I found the folder of my dreams, a Folboat Greenland II. If you're contemplating purchase of a non-whitewater kayak, you must read this book- even if you hadn't been contemplating a folding boat.

I live in Japan, where space is at a premium, but I also love kayaking. All the hardshell kayaks I looked at were reasonably priced but at lenghts of 17 feet or more I could hardly keep them in the tatami rooms of my house. Ralph Diaz reminded me that a folding kayak was the practical and intelligent answer to my needs. So today, I own a Klepper double which collapses into two canvas bags, which, when I'm not exploring the coastline of Japan, or other distant places, stays in a closet in my office. This book furthermore covers every aspect of the seemingly endless features and benefits of folding kayaks, and reviews all the major manufacturers products as well. The well-written introduction by Paul Theroux alone is worth the price of this little gem ("Paddling in Hawaii in the winter, it is not unusual to see whales, But only the paddler is able to leap into the water and hear the whales singing..."). Highly recomeneded reading for anyone seriously contemplating seakayaking anywhere in the world.