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| In recounting his forays from Cape Cod to China, Paul Theroux shows that the best travel writing arises not from common spectacles and tourist traps but from “ordinary” places and people. In this 461-page wander, Theroux latches onto people and places under the radar. Rather than gazing at the splendorous but obvious Great Wall, he stands aghast at a Chinese gadget fair where he witnesses the sweatshop economy in action. Instead of lounging on pretty beaches, he engages the ocean directly from the seat of his kayak. In doing so, Theroux gears the travel narrative to an important purpose: recognizing the implications and complexity of the humdrum, in order to understand how ‘out there’ is often right here in front of us. If you are looking to stay dry at Cape Cod or to hear another tale of getting Delhi belly at the Taj Mahal, you will not find it in this book. Theroux has other things on his mind.
— Reviewed by Chris Ammon |
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