A review by ahsimlibrarian
Blinding Light by Paul Theroux

3.0

Library Journal: Slade Steadman's first book, an edgy travel memoir called Trespassing , showcased his daring world travels as he crossed borders while evading passport checkpoints. It catapulted him into cult status, spawning countless fans, a TV show, and even a line of travel gear. Twenty years later, Slade suffers writer's block as he continues struggling to write the follow-up. He is disheartened by those who say he's become a brand—that he needn't bother writing ever again. Finally, Slade goes on a drug trip to Ecuador with an ex-girlfriend in search of a psychedelic muse à la William Burroughs. Slade finds a drug that provides almost prophetic insight—at the price of his being blinded. But periodic blindness seems a small price to pay in his arrogant pursuit of a novel of interior travel and sexual confession. What's more, his blindness puts him back in the literary limelight, where he even occasionally rubs elbows with President Clinton. Theroux (The Stranger at the Palazzo d'Oro ) writes with assurance here as he captures his narcissistic protagonist's heedless spiral into addiction and delusions of grandeur. Slade's descent serves as a guided tour of the heaven and hell that accompany writers who achieve fame and try to reclaim it. Recommended for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/05.]—MishaStone, Seattle P.L. --MishaStone (Reviewed April 1, 2005) (Library Journal, vol 130, issue 6, p83)