The Great Railway Bazaar - Good Old Reads

The Great Railway Bazaar - Mariner Books - 2006

Paul Theroux, author of The Great Railway Bazaar — Paul Theroux (Photo: Rupal Agrawal)

The Great Railway Bazaar could be considered the international literary cousin to Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley. But among the humor, the human interest, and the descriptions of diverse landscapes, you’ll also find Theroux’s writing to be darker and grittier.

High Point: Theroux’s account of his epic rail journey is open and honest, showing the warts–including his–along with the compassion, empathy, and humor.

Low Point: None

Author: Paul Theroux

Publication Date: 1975

Genre: Travel

The Great Railway Bazaar - The TranSiberian Express — Metal truss railroad bridge transited by the TranSiberian Express over the Kaura River (Photo: Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii)

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The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux could be considered the international literary cousin to John Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley. But among the humor, the human interest, and the descriptions of diverse landscapes, you’ll also find Theroux’s writing to be darker and grittier. And always captivating.

In 1974, Theroux spent four months traveling mostly by train from London to Japan by way of the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. His return to England was via the Trans-Siberian Express through the Soviet Union. While his descriptions of the cities and countrysides he traverses are so varied, the range of people he meets are even more so—a drug addict, an English boozer, soldiers, fellow authors, government officials, a hooker or two, and many others.

Above all, Theroux’s story is honest, and it’s not always pretty. He gets himself into some frightening situations. He gets drunk and rather boorish, even hitting on a waitress on the Trans-Siberian Express, although unsuccessfully. But at other times, he also exhibits compassion, empathy, and often humor. That honesty elevates this book above most similar works.

A significant contrast with Travels With Charley—one of my favorite books—is the way Theroux approaches burnout. Steinbeck became discouraged while traveling the southeastern United States, addressed it in a paragraph or two, and skipped to the end. Theroux, on the other hand, became burned out as he was boarding his train across the Soviet Union—with weeks of travel still ahead. Instead of skipping to the end, however, Theroux explores it, discussing his struggles to endure the monotony, and giving the reader a genuine feel of what he was fighting.

This book is more of an experience than a simple read, and one that most people will enjoy. I don’t plan to read this book again, but I won’t have to. In 2008, Theroux published Ghost Train to the Eastern Star in which he retraces his 1974 journey and discusses the changes that occurred in the 34 years since The Great Railway Bazaar.

One of the stops of the Orient Express in Poland. — One of the stops of the Orient Express in Poland (Photo: Tomáš Ságner)

Quotes

Ever since childhood, when I lived within earshot of the Boston and Maine, I have seldom heard a train go by and not wished I was on it. Those whistles sing bewitchment: railways are irresistible bazaars, snaking along perfectly level no matter what the landscape, improving your mood with speed, and never upsetting your drink.