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Figures in a Landscape

People and Places

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Figures in a Landscape

By: Paul Theroux
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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About this listen

Drawing together a fascinating body of writing from over 14 years of work, Figures in a Landscape ranges from profiles of cultural icons (Oliver Sacks, Elizabeth Taylor, Robin Williams) to intimate personal remembrances, from thrilling adventures in Africa to literary writings from Theroux's rich and expansive personal reading.

Collectively these pieces offer a fascinating portrait of the author himself, his extraordinary life and his restless and ever-curious mind. Figures in a Landscape is an essential addition to the wide-ranging Theroux canon, bound together by an extended mediation on the craft of writing itself and driven by Theroux's constant quest for the authentic in a person or in a place.

©2018 Paul Theroux (P)2018 Recorded Books Inc Art & Literature Authors Essays Travel Writing & Commentary Nonfiction

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Sublime collection covering his own life & that of many other authors as well as a ragtag collection of public figures. Insightful, often pithy & deliciously curated, this is a magnificent addition to any bookshelf.

Archetypal Theroux

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I went into this book only knowing of Mr. Theroux by name. We are taken on a long journey of a man with wonderful insight, criticism, admiration and openmindedness to the world, and hearing him interact with and analyze many people, some obscure, some historical figures, authors, friends, even celebrities like Michael Jackson and Robin Williams, and his own father to an extend. Gripping, in-depth analysis of people you may not know but suddenly feel you do. Paul is not shy from taking his time with what he is passionate about and believe in his heart, and expressing it to the world. I was not prepared for what I was walking into, but I was wonderfully surprised.

Surprising, in the best way.

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I'm a big fan of Paul Theroux. He consistently 'tells it as it is', so his observations come across as both genuine and original - without being muddled up with the author's ego.

This book has escaped my attention until recently. The collection of anecdotes about people famous and less famous who have crossed paths with Theroux are really easy listening. They also offer a quite remarkable insight into some characters that you may already think you know from the press.

Personally, I found the chapters about Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson - and their close, confident relationship - really fascinating, despite not being especially drawn to celebrity biographies.

A great book from start to finish, so a solid recommendation.

A surprise favourite

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I pedantically removed one star for the narrator’s performance for his embarrassing pronunciation of “Tsvangirai” in one of the chapters about Zimbabwe, and one other place where an attemped accent jarred a little but it was otherwise very well narrated.

Paul Theroux’s book covering a wide variety of topics, reminiscences and opinions was excellent. Some chapters were scholarly and sounded so, others were light and entertaining, some regarding for example his hitch-hike to Amherst was very well told and had a number of nice twists. The chapter about his family and his father was very interesting and despite the light touch, carried a lot of emotional power. That’s what I thought anyway. I have read many of Mr. Theroux’s books, often like he says of his days in Malawi, serendipitously finding then in second hand shops or leave one-take one bookshelves in a café in Maputo, feeling they were left there, sent there for me. Once I left one almost finished on the bus from Blantyre to Harare. Mr. Theroux’s talk of Africa rings true (I arrived twenty years after he did) and his opinions and insights on literature are engrossing and thought-provoking. I was very glad I bought it.

Great variety of topics.... mostly very interesting

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