Theroux on a train

I really like Theroux. He gets it. He’s arrogant and acts in such a manner as to place himself above every single person he encounters, but he’s being honest. So what if he’s an asshole? He’s a funny asshole. And to be fair, I can’t really blame him if his mood as depicted in his writing was off, because riding on an Amtrak train for a long distance is absolute torture. I posted about this earlier in the semester, but nothing ever goes right on these trains. They are always running late for some mysterious reason. I love Theroux’s observational humor. The funniest part so far was his bluntly stated “No, it’s not” in response to the old man’s comment about the train being like the Trans-Siberian. He just seems completely unaware of his actions.

I just think the whole premise of writing about the trip itself is great. The introduction made his point very clear. I really liked Theroux’s exchange with the raw-foodist-nondairy vegetarian. Though it was hilarious, he came of as incredibly arrogant, attempting to squander everything she was saying just because he didn’t believe it. And because she was a college student, he could easily take advantage. Aside from that, I’m really intrigued as to where this story is going to go. Theroux could be sitting around reading or sleeping but instead he actually talks to people. Even if he’s being a total asshole, as far as we know, the people he encounters are being themselves. I don’t think train travelers really put on a guise of self-importance, after all, they could potentially be flying coach or something.

Out of context humor: “’Want to hear something awful?’ said a man entering the dining car for breakfast. ‘Forty-five thousand school children just got on the train.’ (32).