To the Ends of the Earth [Mass Market Paperback]

Paul Theroux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 1994

"Travel writing at its best."
THE HOUSTON POST
Author and travel writer Paul Theroux does what no one else can: he travels to the isolated, unusual, and fascinating spots of the world, and creates an elegy to them that makes readers feel they are traveling with him. Evocative, breathtaking, intriguing, here is the armchair traveler's guide to the sites of the world he makes us feel we know.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Travel writing at its best."
THE HOUSTON POST
Author and travel writer Paul Theroux does what no one else can: he travels to the isolated, unusual, and fascinating spots of the world, and creates an elegy to them that makes readers feel they are traveling with him. Evocative, breathtaking, intriguing, here is the armchair traveler's guide to the sites of the world he makes us feel we know.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (April 2, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804111227
• ISBN-13: 978-0804111225
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Adventure > General
  • #32 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Reference
  • #36 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Essays & Travelogues

More About the Author

Paul Theroux's highly acclaimed novels include Blinding Light, Hotel Honolulu, My Other Life, Kowloon Tong, and The Mosquito Coast. His renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Dark Star Safari, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, and The Happy Isles of Oceania. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best in Travel Writing, April 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: To the Ends of the Earth (Mass Market Paperback)

In his Introduction Paul Theroux writes, "When something human is recorded, good travel writing happens." Theroux always records the human aspects of countries and people he meets along the way. He records the scene outside the train window or porthole like no one else. Close to poetic in some sections.

I have read almost all of Theroux's books and when I picked up this one I was afraid it would just be excerpts from his travels and might be less than satisfying, the tales taken out of conntext. I was wrong. These stories are gems in their own right, timeless, and may inspire you to read more of his books, fiction and nonfiction.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Globetrotting Non-Tourist, May 17, 2003

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: To the Ends of the Earth (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a collection of episodes, usually not connected, from six previous Theroux books published in the 70's and 80's. His travels in five different continents are highlighted here with varying degrees of detail. Since his other books describe distinct journeys from beginning to end, Theroux explains in the intro here that this book is meant more as a celebration of the art of traveling itself. He also has some snide insights into the art of travel writing, especially annoying authors who give only a tourist's eye view of the destination but don't bother to say how they got there. Getting there is Theroux's passion and the fragments in this volume usually show him encountering all kinds of intriguing characters and situations around the world, all while on his way somewhere else. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly - and describing all of these with equal insight is Theroux's greatest strength as a globetrotting non-tourist.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Irritatingly wonderful, December 28, 2005

By 

Hoke (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To the Ends of the Earth: The Selected Travels of Paul Theroux (Hardcover)

I write that as my intro because this is a collection of selected works from several of the author's travels. Just as he is pulling you into one adventure the book moves on to another. You definitely will want to read the full books if you have any interest whatsoever in travel.

This author takes you on a round the world trip. You get to visit "guesthouses" with frozen feces and vomit in the stairway. You will meet possibly the worst driver ever. You wil have the chance to see if he exchanges a radio for sex with a woman before her husband gets home. Even though one vhinese woman says "don't get your hopes up", along with a lot of other English phrases, you definitely can have high hopes with this one.