“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.”

American travel writer and novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Theroux is best known for his vivid, immersive accounts of global journeys and his sharp observations on culture, politics, and human experience. His works span fiction and nonfiction, blending memoir, satire, and ethnographic insight.