{"product_id":"figures-in-a-landscape-people-and-places-isbn-9781328592781","title":"Figures In A Landscape: People and Places","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A portrait of an optimist with curiosity and affection for humanity in all its forms.\"—The New York Times Book Review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Theroux is at the top of his game with his third collection of essays, a magisterial grouping of intimate remembrances, globe-trotting adventures, and incisive literary critiques.\"—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Theroux's observations are so keen and writerly skills so sharp that he butter-slices narratives with a razor-thin surgeon's scalpel, masterfully serving up both the world's dark underbelly and its gloriously uplifting sustenance of love, longing and wonder-lust.\" —Forbes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaul Theroux’s latest collection of essays applies his signature searching curiosity to a life lived as much in reading as on the road. This writerly tour-de-force features a satisfyingly varied selection of topics. Travel essays take us to Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Hawaii, to name a few. Gems of literary criticism reveal fascinating depth in the work of Henry David Thoreau, Muriel Spark, Joseph Conrad, and Hunter Thompson. And in a series of breathtakingly personal profiles, we take a helicopter ride with Elizabeth Taylor, go diagnosing with Oliver Sacks, eavesdrop on the day-to-day life of a Manhattan dominatrix, and explore New York with Robin Williams.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn extended meditation on the craft of writing binds together this wide-ranging collection, along with Theroux’s constant quest for the authentic in a person or in a place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis remarkable collection explores the intersection of life, literature, and travel:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLiterary Criticism:\u003c\/b\u003e Deep dives into the works and lives of giants like Joseph Conrad, Henry David Thoreau, and Hunter S. Thompson.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCelebrity Encounters:\u003c\/b\u003e A helicopter ride with Elizabeth Taylor over Neverland, a walk through New York with Robin Williams, and a firsthand look at Oliver Sacks's 'street neurology.'\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eTravel Essays:\u003c\/b\u003e Unforgettable journeys from a search for Ayahuasca in Ecuador to the backroads of Zimbabwe and the islands of Hawaii.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Craft of Writing:\u003c\/b\u003e A masterclass on the life of a freelance writer, bound together by an extended meditation on what it means to write truthfully about the world.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"A portrait of an optimist with curiosity and affection for humanity in all its forms, as well as a ravenous appetite for the literary efforts of others . . . Theroux’s sweet spot happens to be spinning a convincing narrative through wandering conversations with any citizens who cross his path . . . Emotionally affective.\"\u003cstrong\u003e —\u003cem\u003e New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e   \"Novelist and travel writer Theroux is at the top of his game with his third collection of essays, a magisterial grouping of intimate remembrances, globe-trotting adventures, and incisive literary critiques . . . A highly versatile, appealing writer, Theroux casts a wide net with pleasing and entertaining results.\" \u003cstrong\u003e— \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly, starred review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e   “[Theroux’s] stories are less travelogues than well-curated meditations on some of the places, people, and moments he has experienced in a lifetime of rambles . . . His spare, unhurried prose style, which is rarely long-winded, betrays a novelist's relish for illuminating details and devastating turns of phrase . . . A masterfully simple and satisfying collection.” — \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e   \"Those who’ve missed these thirty pieces where previously published will be impressed by the breadth of his interests, the depth of his research, and the scrupulousness of his prose. A profile of Elizabeth Taylor . . . works a miracle, allowing us to view the icon with unjaded eyes. A lengthy profile of a dominatrix . . . offers genuine insight into both spanker and spanked. Appreciations of Conrad, Greene, Maugham, and Simenon show how book introductions ought to be done. And the closing, more personal pieces . . . add emotional heft and shape to this wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and eminently browsable collection.\" — \u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e   \"Theroux's observations are so keen and writerly skills so sharp that he butter-slices narratives with a razor-thin surgeon's scalpel, masterfully serving up both the world's dark underbelly and its gloriously uplifting sustenance of love, longing and \u003cem\u003ewonder\u003c\/em\u003e-lust.\" — \u003cem\u003eForbes\u003c\/em\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIn short, there is something for everyone . . . His talky, big-hearted book will make a heavenly companion at the beach.\" \u003cem\u003e— Honolulu Star-Advertiser\u003c\/em\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eHis new collection of essays, like its illustrious author, is full of surprises\u003cem\u003e.\"\u003c\/em\u003e— Forbes.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890261061861,"sku":"NP9781328592781","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781328592781.jpg?v=1730232892","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/figures-in-a-landscape-people-and-places-isbn-9781328592781","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}