Rating: 
Summary: Spot On
Review: When the car radio/player went dead on my journey through Britain, Scotland, my companion and I opted to read aloud this brilliant book during fog stops. I purchased it along with a slew of walking tours and B&B guides not knowing what a jewel we had found. We laughed so hard and paused stopped by something profound hitting us right in the gut - This man is so intelligent and observant, most people would likely miss the world for photos, postcards and tshirts. As we'd approach a new town or village, we did with his keen eye ringing in our ears. After Scotland, we flew to Ireland and rented a car and didn't even bother to see if the radio worked. I'd wave the book and shriek, "he's right! he's soooo right!" - especially where he spoke of the punks riding the train to Margate. Jeez...Mr. Theroux picks through the social garbage of a country and finds the key to its heart, even if partially troubled. This aspects of culture or personality can be "hard to read" or not pleasant or downright insane- he points this out beautifully. There is the great animal sadness to be found in those enigmatic places, especially for the traveler with his bag and notebook - connecting to our times - our own particular darknesses - Mr. Theroux is especially sensitive to this - next to Evelyn Waugh and all those greats, he's one of my favorite writer-writers. He's one of those writers you want to call up and thank.
Rating:
Summary: A Writer's Writer
Review: When the car radio/player went dead on my journey through Britain, Scotland, my companion and I opted to read aloud this brilliant book during fog stops. I purchased it along with a slew of walking tours and B&B guides not knowing what a jewel we had found. We laughed so hard and paused stopped by something profound hitting us right in the gut - This man is so intelligent and observant, most people would likely miss the world for photos, postcards and tshirts. As we'd approach a new town or village, we did with his keen eye ringing in our ears. After Scotland, we flew to Ireland and rented a car and didn't even bother to see if the radio worked. I'd wave the book and shriek, "he's right! he's soooo right!" - especially where he spoke of the punks riding the train to Margate. Jeez...Mr. Theroux picks through the social garbage of a country and finds the key to its heart, even if partially troubled. This aspects of culture or personality can be "hard to read" or not pleasant or downright insane- he points this out beautifully. There is the great animal sadness to be found in those enigmatic places, especially for the traveler with his bag and notebook - connecting to our times - our own particular darknesses - Mr. Theroux is especially sensitive to this - next to Evelyn Waugh and all those greats, he's one of my favorite writer-writers. He's one of those writers you want to call up and thank.
Rating:
Summary: an accurate description of the people and the time
Review: While many would find this book and it's author depressing, it very accurately describes Great Britain at the beginning of the 1980's. It appears drab because it was. This is not the same England of the 1990's because the country has changed radically since 1980. It is important to remember that this time was the nadir of a slump that began after WWII ended. The air of pessimism and drearyness has now been replaced with unbridled sophistication and optimism. The people are still eccentric and uniquely English but probably a lot better off. For anyone who is English (I am), this book is hysterial, poignant and above all an extremely accurate description of a time and a place. Buy it if you want to avoid the cliches of british life.
| 
