The two impulses in travel are to get away from home, and the other is to pursue something - a landscape, people, an exotic place. Certainly finding a place that you like or discovering something unusual is a very sustaining thing in travel. Paul Theroux discoverexoticfind share on social
If you're a misanthrope you stay at home. There are certain writers who really don't like other people. I'm not like that, I don't think. Paul Theroux homemisanthropepeople Change image and share on social
Anything is possible on a train: a great meal, a binge, a visit from card players, an intrigue, a good night's sleep, and strangers' monologues framed like Russian short stories. Paul Theroux bingecardframe Change image and share on social
I feel as if my mission is to write, to see, to observe, and I feel lazy if I'm not reaching conclusions. I feel stupid. I feel as if I'm wasting my time. Paul Theroux conclusionfeellazy Change image and share on social
The Peace Corps is a sort of Howard Johnson's on the main drag into maturity. Paul Theroux corpsdraghoward Change image and share on social
I think I am typical in believing that the Peace Corps trained us brilliantly and then did little more except send us into the bush. It was not a bad way of running things. Paul Theroux badbelievebrilliantly Change image and share on social
There are two worlds: the world of the tourist and the world of everyone else. Often they're side by side. But the tourist doesn't actually see how people live. Paul Theroux livepeopleside Change image and share on social
When I write about my childhood I think, oh my God, how did I ever get from there to here? Not that any great thing has happened to me. But I felt so tiny, so lost. Paul Theroux childhoodfeltgod Change image and share on social
There are probably more annoying things than being hectored about African development by a wealthy Irish rock star in a cowboy hat, but I can't think of one at the moment. Paul Theroux africanannoycowboy Change image and share on social
I've never spent a whole year in one place without leaving. Paul Theroux haveleaveplace Change image and share on social