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Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American travel writer and novelist. He was born in Medford, Massachusetts.After he finished his university education, Theroux joined the Peace Corps and taught in Malawi. After he helped a political opponent of Hastings Banda escape to Uganda, he was expelled from Malawi and thrown out of the Peace Corps, and he moved to Uganda to teach at Makerere University there. When Uganda under Idi Amin became an unpleasant place to live, he moved again to Singapore.
His first novel, Waldo, was published during his time in Uganda, and was moderately successful. He published several more novels over the next few years, including Fong and the Indians and Jungle Lovers.
He moved to LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri in 19721972 is a leap year starting on Saturday (click link for calendar). Events January events January 2 the Pierre Hotel Heist Six men rob the safety deposit boxes of the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Loot is at least $4 million January 5 President of the Un, and the following year set off on an epic journey by train from Great BritainGreat Britain (often abbreviated as Britain is an island lying off the western coast of Europe, comprising the main territory of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is also used as a political term describing the combination of England, Scotland, and Wales, to JapanJapan (, Nippon/Nihon literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated on a chain of islands east of the Asian continent on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands are, from north to south, Hokkaido , Honsh. His account of this journey was published as The Great Railway Bazaar , which revolutionised travel writing and became perhaps his best known work. He has since undertaken several more intrepid journeys, including from Boston to Argentina by train (The Old Patagonian Express), around China (Riding the Iron Rooster), and from Cairo to Cape Town (Dark Star Safari). All these writings were highly critically acclaimed.
As a traveller he is noted for his highly perceptive descriptions of people and places, laced with a heavy streak of misanthropyMisanthropy is a general dislike of the human race. It is not dislike of individual human beings, but rather dislike of the features shared by all humanity throughout place and time, including oneself. Misanthropy has been ascribed to a number of writers. For example, when a fellow train traveller tries to engage him in conversation on a train leaving Boston on a winter's evening by saying it's like the Trans-Siberian Railway, Theroux simply replies, 'No it's not'.
His novel Doctor Slaughter was made into a film, Half Moon Street ( 19861986 is a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January January 1 Spain and Portugal enter the European Community January 1 Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles. January 9 After losing a pa), starring Michael CaineMichael Caine (born March 14, 1933) is a British film actor. He was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite in Rotherhithe, South London and grew up in nearby Camberwell. During the Second World War he was evacuated to Norfolk. When Michael Caine first became an and Sigourney Weaver, which received bad reviews from film critics. The Mosquito Coast was also made into a film of the same name (1986), directed by Peter Weir, and starring Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and River Phoenix. It received a more positive reception.
Theroux has two sons by his first wife. They are the writer and television presenter Marcel Theroux , and the television presenter Louis Theroux. Theroux currently lives in Hawaii.
