My only disappointment in rereading this book is that I wasn't able to read it aboard a train. I did occasionally try to read it while in motion, but alas the MBTA is not exactly the Trans-Siberian Express. This is one of my favorite books, and I'm not entirely sure why. For a book about such a long trip, not all that much happened. At times, Theroux barely got off the train, but it was still captivating. I shouldn't really be fascinated with all the strange conversation he had with fellow train travelers, but I was just about every time.
Theroux has written a sequel to this called "Ghost Train to the Eastern Star" in which he retraces his original route thirty years later. That's the main reason I decided to pick this up again. I also was lucky enough to see him at a reading earlier this week, though "reading" might be a little strong. It was mostly an entertaining though rambling talk by Theroux, with a little bit of reading at the end to justify the name of the event.
Theroux has written many travel books beyond this one. He says he tries to write them all while traveling. The idea is that just as he finishes his trip, he's also finishing the book. It's a wonderful idea, although I've never been able to make it work myself, even on a small scale. He says he carries a small notebook around with him and takes notes all day long. He then transfers the notes into a much bigger notebook at the end of the day.
It's all very orderly and makes me really think I should have taken notes while reading this book. In that case, I might have had more to say here.
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