Figures in a Landscape

A portrait of an optimist with curiosity and affection for humanity in all its forms.<strong>--</strong><em><strong>The New York Times Book Review</strong></em> <p/> 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.<strong>--</strong><em><strong>Publishers Weekly Starred Review</strong></em> <p/><em><strong></strong></em>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 <em>wonder</em>-lust. <strong>--</strong><em><strong>Forbes</strong></em> <p/> 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. <p/> 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. <br>