The Last Train to Zona Verde: Overland from Cape Town to Angola - Softcover

Theroux, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141029595 ISBN 13: 9780141029597

Publisher: Penguin, 2014

Synopsis

The Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux's compelling account of his final African journey.

Heading north from Cape Town, through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola, Paul Theroux makes a final journey along Africa's western edge. The end of the line is the Congo but Theroux discovers that his trip's pleasures are tempered by a growing sense that the Africa which so long ago helped form him has vanished, along with the hopes of many of its people. Yet after 2,500 miles Theroux finds that though this will be his ultimate African adventure there are still surprises to be found by the traveller prepared to step off the beaten track.

'A melancholic, farewell journey . . . Theroux does all this inimitably, and more, getting better the more detours he takes' Evening Standard

'Hard to put down, brutal honesty. Theroux proves himself a sharp observer of human foibles and a master of pithy description. The book he has crafted out of his experiences packs plenty of bang' Spectator

'As we worry about the future of the continent, there could be no better guide than Theroux . . . his sense that this is his final journey adds to the power' GQ

'Excellent, barbed reportage' Independent

'Probably the most important travel writer of his generation' Sunday Times

Paul Theroux's books include Dark Star Safari, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Elephanta Suite, A Dead Hand, The Tao of Travel and The Lower River. The Mosquito Coast and Dr Slaughter have both been made into successful films. Paul Theroux divides his time between Cape Cod and the Hawaiian islands.

About this title

Review:

"Emotionally and intellectually honest. . . . Theroux reveals himself as a superior journalist and engaged observer." --Montreal "Gazette" "A rich story . . . the work of a keen observer." --"New York Journal of Books" "[Theroux's] finest work." --"The Boston Globe" "Always a terrific teller of tales and conjurer of exotic locales, [Theroux] writes lean prose that lopes along at a compelling pace." --The "Sunday Times" ""The Last Train to Zona Verde" is a riveting, chilling read, one that outlines a reality that sometimes seems more like the apocalyptic fiction of writers such as Cormac McCarthy." --"The Observer" "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." --"San Francisco Chronicle" "[Theroux's] ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." --"Booklist", starred"Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." --"Publishers Weekly", starred"In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations . . . Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." --"Kirkus", starred"Theroux is a real-world traveler: He drops you smack into the dirt and desires of a land and its people. . . . Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." --Charleston "Post and Courier"

From the Back Cover:

"Theroux is at his best when he tells [people s] stories, happy and sad . . . Theroux s great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself and thus, to challenge us." Boston Globe
A decade ago, Paul Theroux s best-selling Dark Star Safari chronicled his epic overland voyage from Cairo to Cape Town, providing an insider s look at modern Africa. Now, with The Last Train to Zona Verde, he returns to discover how both he and Africa have changed in the ensuing years.
Traveling alone, Theroux sets out from Cape Town, going north through South Africa, Namibia, then into Angola, encountering a world increasingly removed from tourists itineraries and the hopes of postcolonial independence movements. After covering nearly 2,500 arduous miles, he cuts short his journey, a decision he chronicles with unsparing honesty in a chapter titled What Am I Doing Here? Vivid, witty, and beautifully evocative, The Last Train to Zona Verde is a fitting final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers.
"Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux s latest travel book not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes . . . His readers can only be grateful." Seattle Times
If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements . . . Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history. San Francisco Chronicle
[AU PHOTO] PAUL THEROUX s renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Dark Star Safari, and The Great Railway Bazaar. His acclaimed novels include The Mosquito Coast, Hotel Honolulu, and The Lower River.

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About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0141029595
• ISBN 13: 9780141029597
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368