M aybe we have already been to Cairo, or are seriously contemplating travelling to Timbuktu. T hese collective characterizations only serve a purpose in their own split perspectives, because the encountered individuals are only seen from the writer's point of view. Jonathan Raban even tells us that the Theroux on the trains is not the Theroux who stops by on his houseboat for a cheery, drinky chat. B ecause of this, travel literature takes on an almost fictional aura. The reader is introduced to real people who may never be met, and transported to places at the turn of a page.
T here are writers who have written great travel books, and there are great writers.
Paul Theroux , walking around Britain in The Kingdom by the Sea, may drop in on Jonathan Raban, but his encounter with Borges is pure experience transcribed to manuscript. B orges is a legend in South American literature, but to his credit, Paul Theroux has reproduced the greatest travel experiences aboard Asia bound railways. Travellers may dream of taking the Trans-Siberian Express, but Theroux puts us off that seven day extravaganza. T he Patagonia Express can not compare with The Great Railway Bazaar , except for the meeting with Borges. But Paul Theroux has a knack of getting it right.