I have passively avoided Paul Theroux for years. Not for any reason, just that his books seemed like such an obvious choice. Also, I have always invented a false rivalry between Theroux and Bruce Chatwin, a similarly big-hit commercial travel writer who also wrote prolifically for magazines. I had such a soft spot for Chatwin and his strangely debonair lifestyle that I couldn't imagine falling for Theroux the same way. Theroux's books were more commercial, I felt, never having read them. They always showed up at the airport. I hadn't been impressed for the occasional Theroux New Yorker article, though I'd only skimmed them. I was judging, as I often do, without much evidence.When my own travel book came out, Dr. Sheryl St. Germaine, a good friend and mentor, compared the manuscript (and my very writing abilities) to Theroux's. Still I waffled for more than a year, until I finally relented and read "Sunrise."Now I regret ever hesitating. Theroux is exactly my kind of writer, not to mention my kind of personality. He's a fellow New Englander, a fellow arts critic, a fellow lover of trains and locomotion, and similarly obsessed with small watercraft that require lots of patience and no skill. This collection is particularly enjoyable, because it was published when I was about four years old; I recognize his reference points, but enough time has passed to render his descriptions historical. His New York City subway, for example, is incredibly dated, but I still remember climbing aboard those subterranean trains when their grit and danger where mythic. He describes the Orient Express as a dying system, on the cusp of closure; I encountered an "Orient Express" in Germany in 1996, not realizing that the private company had only borrowed the name for cache. I remember John MacEnroe as a veritable icon of bad behavior and poor sportsmanship. To read about him as a young upstart was mind-boggling.I look forward to future volumes. Chatwin captured my early imagination, but Theroux may fuel middle-age.
This book is absolutely a random favourite. I found this book lying unnoticed during a University free shop, and whoever left this book I must thank him/her for it is an absolute beauty in terms of the perspective which is termed "Retro". The articles in the book just take you back into the 70's and 80's when the world and it's countries were a different scenario all together. The author and his travel experience just pumps you with exuberance and makes you realize that there was definitely a Vintage charm during the era in which the author shares his experiences. Nevertheless, it still inspires you to peek into the keyhole of the Present state and weigh the difference, subtle or a paradigm or observable shift and makes you want to experience a different dimension completely. Thank you to whom so ever owned this book and decided to spread this joy with a special one.
What do You think about Sunrise With Seamonsters (1986)?
This is the first I have read by PT. He is a really good writer. It is remarkable how clearly he writes even while discussing the shockingly personal and almost a stream of consciousness. At the end of each piece I felt that I really knew Paul, what sort of man he is and what motivates him. Some of the pieces involve current events from decades ago -- I lack so much context that I couldn't enjoy them as much as I am sure others have. Mostly though, he writes about characters in his life, literature, and what it means to feel. I can't wait to read his travel writing, which -- I've been told -- is where he really shines.
—Tucker
