Praise for The Lower River (2012) What we have finally is a relentless tale of suspense adroitly presented. Theroux's practiced hand in the matter of dialogue and scene-making is strongly in evidence. No one will nod off reading The Lower River ...It's a particular kind of frightening fun to watch evil flexing and spreading its leathery wings, and really feel it. The Lower River gives the reader just that. -- The New York Review of Books The Lower River is riveting in its storytelling and provocative in its depiction of this African backwater, infusing both with undertones of slavery and cannibalism, savagery and disease. Theroux exposes paternalism in Hock's Peace Corps nostalgia, his 'sense of responsibility, almost a conceit of ownership.' That sense of responsibility, and Hock's modest contribution to the welfare of a people he was once genuinely fond of, has been replaced by a harsher mode of operation, run by coldhearted contractors living apart in impregnable compounds. 'I have to leave,' Hock pleads. 'I'm going home.' To which the village headman replies, with chilling menace, 'This is your home, father.' -- New York Times Book Review Praise for A Dead Hand (2010) No one writes with Theroux's head-on intensity and raptness.-- Pico Iyer The real pleasure is Theroux's talent for rendering place and his irreverent comments on everything from the British royals to pop culture, aging, and yes, the venerable Mother Teresa.- Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Elephanta Suite (2008) Thought-provoking . . . beautifully paced, by turns moving, sexy and disturbing. -- Washington Post Book World Theroux is at his best when he explores the less commonly described portions of India and when his characters act in ways that run contrary to stereotype. -- Indianapolis Star Praise for Stranger at the Palazzo D'Oro (2004) Supremely moving. A master class in detail and sensuous evocation. - Financial Times A decadent, engrossing collection. Whether evoking the bored sophistication of European aristocrats or the compulsive smuttiness of American teenagers, Theroux writes with an economy and grace which are hard to resist. - Mail on Sunday Praise for Hotel Honolulu (2001) The persevering reader will be amply rewarded for unpacking his or her suitcase and staying a while -- and keeping a good ear pressed to the wall.-- The Washington Post An adroitly crafted work of vigorous description, complex pathos, and ironic humor -- Booklist , starred Highly entertaining -- Boston Herald Theroux's cleverness is inexhaustible...extravagantly entertaining. -- New York Times