The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux. While Mr. Theroux's grouchiness and disagreeable temperament made this difficult reading at times, forcing me to take a week-long break at one point due to his unrelentingly dour take on everything, this was definitely worth the read. While he never seems to get swept away in the magic of what he is doing, there are moments of excitement that make me glad to take the ride with him. When he meets Borges and spends several days visiting with and reading to the blind author, his usual crustiness goes away.
As I read this, I felt like I was hearing the thoughts of some people I know. His disdain for human beings in general was close to unrelenting.
If you like travel memoirs, let me warn you, this isn't a tale of someone who went, found wonderful magical places, met fabulous people and had wonderful memories. His descriptions are concise and accurate, but there is never an aha moment where he understands something about himself or about people that he did not already know. If you don't need that, you may appreciate this one man's take on a journey to the southernmost tip of South America reachable by train.
This is: A KEEPER
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