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

Theroux, Paul

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 024114597X ISBN 13 : 9780241145975

Editeur : Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 2013

Synopsis

Happy again, back in the kingdom of light,' writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on a new journey though the continent he knows and loves best. Having travelled down the right-hand side of Africa in Dark Star Safari, he sets out this time from Cape Town, heading northwards in a new direction, up the left-hand side, through South Africa and Namibia, to Botswana, then on into Angola, heading for the Congo, in search of the end of the line. Journeying alone through the greenest continent in what he feels will be his last African journey, Theroux encounters a world increasingly removed from both the intineraries of tourists and the hopes of post-colonial independence movements. Leaving the Cape Town townships, traversing the Namibian bush, passing the browsing cattle of the great sunbaked heartland of the savannah, Theroux crosses 'the Red Line' into a different Africa: 'the improvised, slapped-together Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fires, of mud and thatch', of heat and poverty, and of roadblocks, mobs and anarchy.Counterpointing the brutalized landscapes of Angola, where no wild animals survive and the population is overwhelmingly destitute, with the joyful endurance and resourcefulness of the San People of northeastern Namibia, the author finds an Africa altered for the worse but still capable, in its peoples and its landscapes, of inspiring feelings of happiness and even hope. But finally, after 2500 arduous miles through the bush, Theroux comes to the end of his journey in more ways than one, a decision he chronicles with typical irascible honesty in a chapter called 'What Am I Doing Here?' A final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers, The Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux's ultimate safari.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Following the success of the acclaimed Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and The Great Railway Bazaar, The Last Train to Zona Verde is an ode to the last African journey of the world's most celebrated travel writer, Paul Theroux. 'Happy again, back in the kingdom of light,' writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on a new journey though the continent he knows and loves best. Having travelled down the right-hand side of Africa in Dark Star Safari, he sets out this time from Cape Town, heading northwards in a new direction, up the left-hand side, through South Africa and Namibia, to Botswana, then on into Angola, heading for the Congo, in search of the end of the line.Journeying alone through the greenest continent in what he feels will be his last African journey, Theroux encounters a world increasingly removed from both the intineraries of tourists and the hopes of post-colonial independence movements. Leaving the Cape Town townships, traversing the Namibian bush, passing the browsing cattle of the great sunbaked heartland of the savannah, Theroux crosses "the Red Line" into a different Africa: "the improvised, slapped-together Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fires, of mud and thatch", of heat and poverty, and of roadblocks, mobs and anarchy.A final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers, The Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux's ultimate safari.Praise for Paul Theroux:'Always a terrific teller of tales and conjurer of exotic locales, he writes lean prose that lopes along at a compelling pace' Sunday Times'One needs energy to keep up with the extraordinary, productive restlessness of Paul Theroux ... [He is] the most gifted, most prodigal writer of his generation' Jonathan Raban'His ability to sum up a city or a people in a few lines is undiminished' Daily TelegraphPaul 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.

Revue de presse :

Starred reviews from all the trades.  "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging."—Entertainment Weekly  "Theroux is at his best when he tells their 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  "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  "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished."—Booklist, STARRED review  "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 review  "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 Reviews, STARRED review

 

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Hamish Hamilton Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2013
• ISBN 10: 024114597X
• ISBN 13: 9780241145975
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 368