On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Road Trip

(Paperback)

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Description

Master travel writer Paul Theroux immerses himself in the fascinating, rich and troubled culture of modern Mexico Nogales is a border town caught between Mexico and the United States of America. A 40-foot steel fence runs through its centre, separating the prosperous US side from the impoverished Mexican side. It is a fascinating site of tension, now more than ever, as the town fills with hopeful border crossers and the deportees who have been caught and brought back. And it is here that Paul Theroux will begin his journey into the culturally rich but troubled heart of modern Mexico. Mexico is a country that has captured literary imaginations from D. H. Lawrence and Graham Greene to Aldous Huxley. Now Paul Theroux, master of travel writing, immerses himself, attending local language and culinary schools, driving through the country, getting under its skin.

Reviews

Filled with compassion and wit, this is a warm and insightful account of contemporary Mexican culture, politics and everyday life. * Sunday Times *
Theroux's work remains the standard by which other travel writing must be judged * Observer *
[Theroux's] ability to sum up a people or a city in a few lines is undiminished * Daily Telegraph on 'Deep South' *
The world's most perceptive travel writer * Daily Mail *
[A] dark-edged but ultimately hopeful travelogue... Armchair travelers will find an astute, familiar guide in Theroux * Publisher's Weekly *
Countless lovely descriptions of Mexico's landscapes and insights into the country's history and literature... Illuminating, literate, and timely-a must-read for those interested in what's going on inside Mexico * Kirkus *

Author Bio

Paul Theroux has written many works of fiction and travel writing, including the modern classics The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, My Secret History and The Mosquito Coast. He won the Edward Stanford Award for Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing 2020. Paul Theroux divides his time between Cape Cod and the Hawaiian islands.