Title: Not Bad for Theroux Fiction
Review: I am a great fan of Theroux's travel books, as his journey and perspective is always amusing, educational, smart, and insightful. His fiction, however, can be overly self-absorbed, constricted, and sometimes just plain dull.This one is slightly better than that -- he seems to have taken time to actually write a whole novel, as opposed to a good idea written poorly. Here, both the idea of the book is great, a stalled writer opened by taking a mind-altering drug, then blinded and redeemed by the visions unleashed, but the execution is also interesting and the pacing strong. Miles above his last Hawaii book, this one has interesting interludes with Clinton, copious sex, and lots of drug use and abuse. Right up my alley! Seriously, though, if you have given up on Theroux's fiction, you may want to reconsider and give it a try. There's plenty of the good Theroux lurking in this book, and it was a pleasure to read and enjoy.
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