P

aul Theroux has a passion for travelling on trains. And in his eagerness to traverse the length and breadth of any country by this means of transport, and this means of transport alone, he has experienced and written about some fascinating journeys.

Theroux is an acute observer of the ridiculous and the quirky

The Old Patagonian Express is definitely one of these. It takes you from a very ordinary commuter train on a grey morning in Boston all the way down the length of Central and South America to the very extraordinary end of the line (in all senses of the word) in an empty and windswept Patagonia.

Theroux is an acute observer of the ridiculous and the quirky, and paints great pictures of all the people he meets on his way. You also get a very real sense of travelling with him through the wild and widely varying landscapes and countries – I know that when I visit South America now, I will already feel as if I have been there before!