The Pillars of Hercules: A Grand Tour of the Mediterranean - Couverture rigide

Theroux, Paul

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0241135044 ISBN 13 : 9780241135044

Editeur : Hamish Hamilton, 1995

Synopsis

An account of the author's voyage from Gibraltar, one of the Pillars of Hercules, to the southern Pillar. Instead of crossing the straits, he chose to travel the long way, up the coast of Spain along the Riviera, and by ferry to Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and beyond, through the near-anarchy of Albania and onto a ship through the Levant with a hundred Turks. On this journey, Theroux remains earthbound, using trains, ferries and cruise ships to discover a coastline as wild in places as anything he discovered in China or Peru. Along the way, he discovers another Mediterranean, that of low-season depression, of urban sprawl, of seldom-visited, unchanged places such as the antique villages in southern Italy.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

"DAZZLING."
--Time
"[THEROUX'S] WORK IS DISTINGUISHED BY A SPLENDID EYE FOR DETAIL AND THE TELLING GESTURE; a storyteller's sense of pacing and gift for granting closure to the most subtle progression of events; and the graceful use of language. . . . We are delighted, along with Theroux, by the politeness of the Turks, amazed by the mountainous highlands in Syria, touched by the gesture of an Albanian waitress who will not let him pay for his modest meal. . . . The Pillars of Hercules [is] engrossing and enlightening from start (a damning account of tourists annoying the apes of Gibraltar) to finish (an utterly captivating visit with Paul Bowles in Tangier, worth the price of the book all by itself)."
--Chicago Tribune
"ENTERTAINING READING . . . WHEN YOU READ THEROUX, YOU'RE TRULY ON A TRIP."
--The Boston Sunday Globe
"HIS PICARESQUE NARRATIVE IS STUDDED WITH SCENES THAT STICK IN THE MIND. He looks at strangers with a novelist's eye, and his portraits are pleasantly tinged with malice."
--The Washington Post Book World
"THEROUX AT HIS BEST . . . An armchair trip with Theroux is sometimes dark, but always a delight."
--Playboy
"AS SATISFYING AS A GLASS OF COOL WINE ON A DUSTY CALABRIAN AFTERNOON . . . With his effortless writing style, observant eye, and take-no-prisoners approach, Theroux is in top form chronicling this 18-month circuit of the Mediterranean."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Présentation de l'éditeur

At the gateway to the Mediterranean lie the two Pillars of Hercules: Gibraltar and Ceuta, in Morocco. Paul Theroux decided to travel from one to the other – but taking the long way round. His grand tour of the Mediterranean begins in Gibraltar and takes him through Spain, the French Riviera, Italy, Greece, Istanbul and beyond. He travels by any means necessary - including dilapidated taxi, smoke-filled bus, bicycle and even a cruise-liner. And he encounters bullfights, bazaars and British tourists, discovers pockets of humanity in war-torn Slovenia and Croatia, is astounded by the urban developments on the Costa del Sol and marvels at the ancient wonders of Delphi. Told with Theroux's inimitable wit and style, this lively and eventful tour evokes the essence of Mediterranean life.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Hamish Hamilton
• Date d'édition: 1995
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0241135044
• ISBN 13: 9780241135044
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 544
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible