Synopses & Reviews
A dark and bitingly humorous collection of short stories from the “brilliantly evocative” (Time) Paul Theroux A family watches in horror as their patriarch transforms into the singing, wise-cracking lead of an old-timey minstrel show. A renowned art collector relishes publicly destroying his most valuable pieces. Two boys stand by helplessly as their father stages an all-consuming war on the raccoons living in the woods around their house. A young artist devotes himself to a wealthy, malicious gossip, knowing that its just a matter of time before she turns on him.
In this new collection of short stories, acclaimed author Paul Theroux explores the tenuous leadership of the elite and the surprising revenge of the overlooked. He shows us humanity possessed, consumed by its own desire and compulsion, always with his carefully honed eye for detail and the subtle idiosyncrasies that bring his characters to life. Searing, dark, and sure to unsettle, Mr. Bones is a stunning new display of Paul Therouxs “fluent, faintly sinister powers of vision and imagination” (John Updike, The New Yorker).
Review
A "determinedly personal collection of travel appreciation."
-Kirkus Reviews
A "diverting meditation on passages from his own and other writers' works. [T]he strongest pieces descry a tangible place through a discerning eye and pungent sensibility..."
-Publishers Weekly
Review
“Theroux’s work is like no one else’s...A writer sees what he sees, imagines what he imagines. ‘Mr. Bones’ is a series of characteristically dark and sharply focused snapshots from the world that Paul Theroux has observed – and invented.” –Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review
"Beneath the deceptive elegance of these stories, land mines lurk, and Theroux detonates them with gusto." --O Magazine
"A Theroux story can be a mesmerizing reading experience. It is hard to put him down when he is on a roll...Enticing...[Theroux's] far-flung adventures and captivating accounts from many of the world’s most intriguing, least understood outposts add depth and richness to the material here.This collection is another feast, and many readers will enjoy a prolonged chew on 'Mr. Bones.'" --Associated Press
"Deliciously dark." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"A sinister short-story collection from an established master." --Shelf Awareness
“Theroux has become a master of the form, with a deep capacity to engage, enchant, and unsettle . . . In the same way he makes exotic locales worth visiting, Theroux inspires you to wonder what you’re overlooking when encountering friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. A versatile, prolific author asserts his preeminence in short fiction with an unassuming brilliance that almost makes you think stories will become popular again.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Rich in the details of exotic places . . . all are highly entertaining . . . This excellent new collection allows readers to sample an array of Theroux’s most entertaining fiction in short story form; highly recommended.” — Library Journal
“Notes of Theroux’s famed travel writing . . . The final product is a hefty, remarkably diverse batch of stories colored by Theroux’s prolific taste for exploration.” — Publishers Weekly
Review
"Theroux has become a master of the form, with a deep capacity to engage, enchant and unsettle...in the same way he makes exotic locales worth visiting, Theroux inspires you to wonder what you’re overlooking when encountering friends, neighbors and strangers alike. A versatile, prolific author asserts his pre-eminence in short fiction with an unassuming brilliance that almost makes you think stories will become popular again." —Kirkus, starred review
"Rich in the details of exotic places...all are highly entertaining...This excellent new collection allows readers to sample an array of Theroux’s most entertaining fiction in short story form; highly recommended." —Library Journal
"Notes of Theroux’s famed travel writing...The final product is a hefty, remarkably diverse batch of stories colored by Theroux’s prolific taste for exploration." —Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A dark and bitingly humorous collection of short stories from the "brilliantly evocative" Paul Theroux (Time)
Synopsis
A dark and bitingly humorous collection of short stories from the brilliantly evocative (Time) Paul TherouxA family watches in horror as their patriarch transforms into the singing, wise-cracking lead of an old-timey minstrel show. A renowned art collector relishes publicly destroying his most valuable pieces. Two boys stand by helplessly as their father stages an all-consuming war on the raccoons living in the woods around their house. A young artist devotes himself to a wealthy, malicious gossip, knowing that it s just a matter of time before she turns on him.
In this new collection of short stories, acclaimed author Paul Theroux explores the tenuous leadership of the elite and the surprising revenge of the overlooked. He shows us humanity possessed, consumed by its own desire and compulsion, always with his carefully honed eye for detail and the subtle idiosyncrasies that bring his characters to life. Searing, dark, and sure to unsettle, Mr. Bones is a stunning new display of Paul Theroux s fluent, faintly sinister powers of vision and imagination (John Updike, The New Yorker)."
About the Author
PAUL THEROUX's highly acclaimed novels include Blinding Light, Hotel Honolulu, My Other Life, Kowloon Tong, and The Mosquito Coast. His travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Dark Star Safari, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, and The Happy Isles of Oceania. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod.
Table of Contents
Minor Watt 1Mr. Bones 35
Our Raccoon Year 59
Mrs. Everest 76
Another Necklace 97
Incident in the Oriente 110
Rip It Up 118
Siamese Nights 143
Nowadays the Dead Dont Die 193
Autostop Summer 197
Voices of Love 215
The Furies 232
Rangers 249
Action 257
Long Story Short 269
Neighbor Islands 293
The Travelers Wife 305
The First World 313
Heartache 335
Im the Meat, Youre the Knife 342