Good Books!
The Lower River & Figures In A Landscape, both by Paul Theroux.
In 2012, my daughter headed off to Zambia as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I read Paul Theroux’s fictional book, The Lower River, soon after she left and was consumed with dread, so convincingly did the narrative speak to me. In a nutshell, The Lower River tells the story of a disillusioned, middle aged American Peace Corps Volunteer who returns to Malawi, his place of service 4 decades earlier. Tellingly, before the main character even leaves the US, he hears about a woman in a nearby town who takes her pet python to sleep with her, and how, lately, the snake has been acting strangely…flattening itself beside its owner and stretching out to its full length beside her. He knows, from his time living in Africa, that the snake is preparing to eat her. What he doesn’t know at the time, is this is an omen of what will happen to him, metaphorically, when he returns to the place that looms so large in his mind. After an arduous trip back to the village he where he lived and taught school for 3 years in the 60s, he finds he is indeed remembered by some, but there is an underlying decay and unease. As time passes, the protagonist realizes that the only contribution he can make is financial and that is soon depleted. If fact, ominously, when he first arrives, a woman he visits who he knew well during his Peace Corp days tells him, “They will eat your money, and when your money is gone, they will eat you.” After several weeks it becomes clear that there is no way he can physically leave, and although he is free, there isn’t a way out of the village - he has become a hostage. There are so many analogies on both a general and deeply personal level in The Lower River- how the reality of memories often become dystopic when you revisit places that once were full of optimism in your youth.
Theroux is a prolific writer of many acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. Last week, while perusing the new book section of the local library, I came across his most recent, Figures In A Landscape. This compilation consists of 30 independent essays which span his decades of exploration as well as personal interviews with writers, entertainers, and other luminaries including Liz Taylor, Oliver Sacks and Hunter Thompson to name a few. As always, his writing is straightforward and he’s unafraid to be judgmental when calling out BS. (He roundly condemns Bono’s championing of debt forgiveness for Africa as being patronizing and misguided). I’d recommend this read…it can be done in manageable chapters if small chunks are appealing although I spent an enjoyable weekend reading it form cover to cover. Kirkus Review call Figures In A Landscape, "A masterfully simple and satisfying collection."
