Mar 15, 2009 marcel theroux conveys in this novel a sense of how precarious and precious our technologically maintained liberal democracies are. Far north takes the reader on a quest through an unforgettable arctic landscape, from humanitys origins to its possible end. Marcel therouxs far north offers all of our favorite postapocalyptic ingredients. And through as much history as i know of, people have. Just send us an email and well put the best up on the site.
Narrated by makepeace, the constable of a barren, postapocalyptic town in siberia, far north is a story about survival in a struggling world. His third novel, a blow to the heart, was published by faber in 2006. Theroux he is the son of paul theroux is the author of four previous novels, including far north 2009, which was a finalist for the national book award. Marcel raymond theroux is a british novelist and broadcaster. Far north is a 2009 national book award finalist for fiction. Far north, a scifi book in cursory drag ascribable more to publisher than author, begins as a kind of siberian western.
His new book far north is a must have and is on sale now at reputable book stores and amazon. Aug 04, 2014 far north, by marcel theroux humanity has gone feral. He has published numerous works of fiction, some of which were adapted as feature films. Read the secret books by marcel theroux available from rakuten kobo. A good novel that very nearly became a much better one. Apr 12, 2012 listen to this audiobook excerpt from marcel therouxs novel far north, a national book award finalist for fiction. The secret books ebook by marcel theroux rakuten kobo. In a locked ward of a notorious psychiatric hospital sits a man who insists that he is dr. He wrote a stranger in the earth and the confessions of mycroft holmes. He also interviewed a woman living near chernobyl, called galina. Out on the frontier of a failed state, makepeacesheriff and perhaps last. Into a stark landscape he places makepeace, the unforgettable and charismatic protagonist who drives this compulsive narrative through all its intriguing twists and turns. If cormac mccarthys brutal western blood meridian were set in the dystopian future of the road and then translated into homespun sentences by larry mcmurtry, youd approach far north, by marcel theroux. Far north by marcel therouxm john harrison follows the fortunes of survivors in a landscape laid waste by ecoapocalypse.
In marcel therouxs national book awardnominated novel far north, makepeace has survived in a remote siberian town, essentially alone. In marcel therouxs postcollapse novel, far north, global warming has reduced civilization to largely preindustrial levels of technology and. I dont typically read post apocalyptic novels how many are there, anyway. Put down the golf gear, step away from the neckties. Marcel therouxs far north is a postapocalyptic novel narrated by the character makepeace hatfield.
A surprising nomination given that the book is set in siberia but. As one of the more literaryminded of sciencefiction novelists or vice versa, theroux far north, 2009, etc. Far north by marcel theroux by dan hartland strange horizons. Jun, 2014 in marcel therouxs strange bodies, nicholas slopen came back from the dead. He has also worked in television news in new york city and in boston. He is the older son of the american travel writer and novelist, paul theroux. Born in kampala, uganda, theroux was brought up in wandsworth, london. His fifth, strange bodies, was published in may 20. Marcel raymond theroux born june 1968 is an english novelist and broadcaster. Marcel theroux experienced the full implications of being a writer from an early age.
Makepeace is the last inhabitant of a failed settlement in. This book with its questions about personality and the foundation of human experience will remain with the reader as each person answers the questions of what it means. Marcel theroux experienced the full implications of being a. Every time i used a bullet, i made myself five more immediately. The secret books by marcel theroux takes these aspects and turns them on their head, making the reader question what is real, and what is not, and in doing so, has written a clever piece of literary fiction that captures a figure and a moment in time linked to his family, and that interrogates the pali gospels, looking at the lost years of. Theroux shapes makepeaces character in language that illuminates the relationship between what we tell ourselves and what actually is and the hope that bridges the gap. Marcel theroux on why putins russia is a soap opera and what makes his brother louis docs so clever. Like theroux s dystopian novel far north, strange bodies has many of the trappings of sciencefiction, but this is almost incidental genrewise, this is literary fiction more akin to, say, kazuo ishiguros never let me go or the speculative works of margaret atwood than fullon scifi. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Nicholas slopen, failed husband and impoverished samuel johnson scholar. Listen to this audiobook excerpt from marcel therouxs novel far north, a national book award finalist for fiction. He awakened in a locked ward of a notorious psychiatric hospital trying to piece his life back together again.
Our protagonist, makepeace hatfield, recalls stephen kings gunslinger, roland, and the spirit of far north seems to be drawn from the same zeitgeist that made cormac mccarthys the road so popular. As a huge fan of marcel theroux s global warming western far north and metaphysical mystery strange bodies, i came to the secret books with high hopes. Here, author, broadcaster, and filmmaker theroux discusses his latest novel, memory, and the power of words. His novel far north was a finalist for the national book award and the arthur c. Sep 07, 2017 a few years ago i discovered that paul had another son, also a novelist, and got to grips with his output. Marcel therouxs eccentric strange bodies the new york. Marcel theroux on siberia, disaster and the bafflement of technology. Makepeaces loneliness is eased by the companionship of ping, an escaped pregnant chinese slave. In this national book award finalist, if conditions on the frozen tundra dont kill you, your neighbors will. He joins nprs scott simon to talk about his genrebending new novel and the thin lines that. Jan 04, 2017 among them are marcel therouxs far north 2009, which the washington post called the first great cautionary fable of climate change.
Its about a westernstyle sheriff, scraping by in a postworldcatastrophe, arctic circle, religious settlement. Therouxs highly original novel questions what makes us human. A dizzying novel of deception and metempsychosis by the author of the national book award finalist far northwhatever this is, it started when nicholas slopen came back from the dead. An exploration of ecofiction posted on august 16, 20 by mary woodbury august 16, 20 far north takes the reader on a quest through an unforgettable arctic landscape, from humanitys origins to its possible end. I picked up marcel therouxs latest novel far north because of a. His second novel, the paperchase, won the somerset maugham award. Out on the frontier of a failed state, makepeacesheriff and perhaps last citizenpatrols a citys ruins, salvaging books but keeping the guns in good repair. Far north by marcel therouxaudiobook excerpt youtube. Ian mcewans solar 2010, which won a uk literary award for comic fiction.
The secret books is an epic adventure of a young man in the crimea who is d. Read what people think about far north by marcel theroux. These include us national book award finalist far north 2009 and the paperchase. Theroux follows makepeace as she searches for remnants of human civilization. Aug 12, 2001 he sees the book in some senses as a form of therapy, though its much more fun than that. He is the elder son of the american travel writer an. Theroux, whose previous novel, far north, was a national book award finalist, is also a filmmaker. He grew up in england, studied english literature at cambridge university and international relations at yale, where he specialized in soviet and east european studies. This is a fault in a science fiction novel, which far north can hardly pretend not to be, and if a reader comes to the book looking for a rigorously. Our hero and selfappointed sheriff, makepeace, has survived by being a very good shot and trusting no one. Far north is a major new novel of retribution and forgiveness from marcel theroux, the prizewinning author of the paperchase and a blow to the heart. A paper chase, for which he won the somerset maugham award in 2002.
Marcel theroux in conversation with rye dag holmboe. For me the central theme of the book is this characters struggle with their place in a bleak, brutal, slowlyemptying landscape. Keep cool this august with 4 stories of ice and snow barnes. Far north is a cowboy labourcamp ecodisastermovie of a novel, in which a woman passes herself off as a man. Marcel theroux is the awardwinning author of six novels. His younger brother, louis theroux, is a journalist and television reporter. Marcel theroux is the author of three previous novels, a blow to the heart, a stranger in the earth, and the paperchase, winner of the 2002 somerset maugham award. Talented beyond all belief marcel theroux was a true gentleman. This is the first book ive read by marcel theroux, and given this excellent novel, ill be looking for others. Far north combines the arguments of paul theroux s the mosquito coast and cormac mccarthys the road. Paul edward theroux born april 10, 1941 is an american travel writer and novelist, whose bestknown work is the great railway bazaar 1975.
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