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Review by Robert Weibezahl
More than any other writer, Paul Theroux is the chronicler of modern U.S. imperialism.
Over the past 30 years, through both his fiction and travel writing, his enthusiastic readers have tramped with him to far-flung places -- Africa, Southeast Asia, England (where Theroux himself lived for many years), China, Patagonia -- and, from the comfortable impunity of our armchairs, have witnessed the consequences of the spreading intrusion of Americans and American sensibilities.
While he has chosen to work a broad canvas, Theroux has never been satisfied simply detailing quaint landscapes or skimming the surface of cultural eccentricity. Quite the contrary, the strength of his work lies in his appreciation of the nuances of place, the subtleties of human interaction, and the absurdities that never fail to occur when disparate cultures are juxtaposed. Though his characters often are, Theroux has never been the Ugly American.
Theroux's talents are shown off to dazzling effect in "The Collected Stories," a capacious volume that gathers most of the stories he has published since 1969. Even with a few misses among them, these 60-odd stories are a literary achievement that should solidify his reputation as one of our most accomplished fiction writers.
In some ways, Theroux writes old-fashioned short stories (this is meant as the greatest of compliments). They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. They may have moral underpinnings, but are never undercut by the arrogant detachment that marks so many modern stories. Occasionally a tale will even end with an amusing twist, a la O. Henry or Saki. Yet, in their deft exploration of human frailty and the psychology of everyday life, some of Theroux's stories can hold their own with the contemporary masterpieces of William Trevor or Alice Munro.
Fully half of this terrific collection is made up of interrelated stories from two previous Theroux books, "The Consul's File" and "The London Embassy." Told by a nameless American diplomat, whose age and background seem to closely reflect the author's, these 39 stories recount his odd encounters during his postings to a small Malaysian consulate and, later, to London. Each is a small gem when read by itself, yet read together they casually crystallize into a kind of novel. Though he rarely places the onus of a story directly on himself, again and again the compelling episodes grant us small, illuminating glimpses into the narrator's jaded American soul.
To be sure, there are a number of stories that do not concern Americans abroad, yet the strongest by far are those that do. Still, proving the versatility of his craft, Theroux offers everything from the comic to the downright creepy. Some of the funnier stories, "The Odd-Job Man" among them, lampoon the academy and the London publishing world. And many of the stories -- "Dog Days" and "World's End" stand out -- are about marital infidelity, the preferred contact sport of Theroux's leisure class.
Keep Paul Theroux's "Collected Stories" beside your bed; many hours of reading pleasures await. But, be forewarned: you may find yourself reading just one more, and then another, well into the night.
Robert Weibezahl lives in Los Angeles, where he writes about books and culture.
©1997, ProMotion, inc.
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