The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas

In Boston, Massachusetts, Paul Theroux boards a train. The subsequent journey takes him through lush landscapes and harsh deserts, finds him struggling with fellow passengers, and reading to the blind author Jorge Luis Borges. From Mexico to Honduras to Costa Rica and Colombia, Theroux brings his signature wit, snark, and keen observation down every new rail.

Quote:
“Reading alters the appearance of a book. Once it has been read, it never looks the same again, and people leave their individual imprint on a book they have read. Once of the pleasures of reading is seeing this alteration on the pages, and the way, by reading it, you have made the book yours.”

Author:
Paul Theroux is the author of more than three dozen books, including both fiction (The Mosquito Coast, My Secret History) and non-fiction (Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, The Pillars of Hercules, Dark Star Safari). He lives in London with his family.

Published: 1979
Length: 404 pages
Set in: United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina