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A review by lauracbest
Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux
4.0
I'm really enjoying this and the more I read, the more I would like to have a drink with the author. I love Paul Theroux's writing (enjoy his novels, too) and this book just makes me want to pack my backpack and wander off. I am particularly looking forward to the chapter on Singapore....even better, I can read this along with my other books at the moment - although its very well written, it's easy to pick up and put down, especially at the end of a long day..
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yeah! i finally finished it! Really enjoyed all 500 pages....love Theroux's writing style, so descriptive and inventive. There is a great line in the book where he is talking about people who love reading and how, if we've reached that part of the book, he knows we're one of "those" readers (i.e. to be admired!) because we've persisted in getting there- it was a great line because sometimes this book, although enjoyable, is a marathon... you have to be committed to it, to finish it. Much like a journey of any sort really. While I liked the Singapore and Burma chapters, for me, his Vietman chapter was most affecting, as he revisits the war zones he went to on his original trip in the 1970s - obviously much has changed but it's a fascinating insight into how much damage America did to the country (all for nowt), but how well the Vietnamese have rebuilt.
I've now moved onto one of his earlier works, "World's End' which is a collection of short stories....enjoying them so far...
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yeah! i finally finished it! Really enjoyed all 500 pages....love Theroux's writing style, so descriptive and inventive. There is a great line in the book where he is talking about people who love reading and how, if we've reached that part of the book, he knows we're one of "those" readers (i.e. to be admired!) because we've persisted in getting there- it was a great line because sometimes this book, although enjoyable, is a marathon... you have to be committed to it, to finish it. Much like a journey of any sort really. While I liked the Singapore and Burma chapters, for me, his Vietman chapter was most affecting, as he revisits the war zones he went to on his original trip in the 1970s - obviously much has changed but it's a fascinating insight into how much damage America did to the country (all for nowt), but how well the Vietnamese have rebuilt.
I've now moved onto one of his earlier works, "World's End' which is a collection of short stories....enjoying them so far...