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Book Summary and Reviews of Mr. Bones by Paul Theroux

Mr. Bones by Paul Theroux

Mr. Bones

Twenty Stories

by Paul Theroux

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2014, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A family watches in horror as their patriarch transforms into the singing, wise-cracking lead of an old-timey minstrel show. A renowned art collector relishes publicly destroying his most valuable pieces. Two boys stand by helplessly as their father stages an all-consuming war on the raccoons living in the woods around their house. A young artist devotes himself to a wealthy, malicious gossip, knowing that it's just a matter of time before she turns on him.

In this new collection of short stories, acclaimed author Paul Theroux explores the tenuous leadership of the elite and the surprising revenge of the overlooked. He shows us humanity possessed, consumed by its own desire and compulsion, always with his carefully honed eye for detail and the subtle idiosyncrasies that bring his characters to life. Searing, dark, and sure to unsettle, Mr. Bones is a stunning new display of Paul Theroux's "fluent, faintly sinister powers of vision and imagination" (John Updike, The New Yorker).

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. A versatile, prolific author asserts his preeminence in short fiction with an unassuming brilliance that almost makes you think stories will become popular again." - Kirkus

"Notes of Theroux's famed travel writing... The final product is a hefty, remarkably diverse batch of stories colored by Theroux's prolific taste for exploration." - Publishers Weekly

"Rich in the details of exotic places... all are highly entertaining... This excellent new collection allows readers to sample an array of ­Theroux's most entertaining fiction in short story form; highly recommended." - Library Journal

This information about Mr. Bones was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Paul Theroux Author Biography

Photo: Greg Martin

Paul Theroux is the author of many highly acclaimed books. His novels include The Bad Angel Brothers, The Lower River, Jungle Lovers, and The Mosquito Coast, and his renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and Dark Star Safari. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod.

Author Interview
Link to Paul Theroux's Website

Name Pronunciation
Paul Theroux: Thor-ew (which, incidentally, is different to Henry Thoreau which is pronounced like 'thorough')

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