“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they’ve gone.” – Paul Theroux
About Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best-known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975). He has published numerous works of fiction, some of which were adapted as feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel The Mosquito Coast, which was adapted for the 1986 movie of the same name.
He is the father of British authors and documentary filmmakers Marcel Theroux and Louis Theroux, the brother of authors Alexander Theroux and Peter Theroux, and uncle of the American actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux.
Theroux published his first novel, Waldo (1967), during his time in Uganda; it was moderately successful. He published several more novels over the next few years, including Fong and the Indians, Jungle Lovers and “The Mosquito Coast (novel)” . On his return to Malawi many years later, he found that this latter novel, which was set in that country, was still banned. He recounted that in his book Dark Star Safari (2002).
After moving to London in 1972, Theroux set off on an epic journey by train from Great Britain to Japan and back. His account of this journey was published as The Great Railway Bazaar, his first major success as a travel writer and now a classic in the genre.
He is noted for his rich descriptions of people and places, laced with a heavy streak of irony, or even misanthropy.
(Source – Wikipedia)