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swoody788's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
esshgee's review against another edition
3.0
This is a tough one to rate. It's been a long time since I read a Paul Theroux book, and although I found the discussion points interesting, overall I found this to be a bit of a rambling waffle and I did lose interest several times along the way. Theroux admits that this was different to his usual way of travelling as he drove his car and visited the area several times, so it wasn't really a "Start at point A, Finish at point B and describe what happened in between" type of book
kingarooski's review against another edition
4.0
Paul Theroux comes across as a bit of an arrogant buffoon. This book, though, is a very good insight to the South, especially the poorer, neglected parts of the US. The lack of job opportunities, the attachment to guns, the ever-prevailing racism, the feeling of betrayal still tied to the Civil War all went a long way to explain why someone like Trump resonates with some people in the US.
lauravm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
Travel writer extraordinaire Paul Theroux gives readers thoroughly engaging, but also deeply sad and frustrating insight into a hidden part of America where time has stood still. The resigned (or stubborn) acceptance of old ways, and the damage done by inequitable progress creates a landscape that is both frighteningly ugly but also somehow beautiful thanks to inexplicable hope and resilience. As always with Theroux, the prose is intoxicating. This one will live in my mind for a long time.
rebcamuse's review against another edition
3.0
Part travelogue, part memoir, part commentary on poverty, Paul Theroux's [b:Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads|23719344|Deep South Four Seasons on Back Roads|Paul Theroux|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428630703l/23719344._SX50_.jpg|43328884] attempts to follow in the footsteps of James Agee and Walker Evans (see [b:Let Us Now Praise Famous Men|243360|Let Us Now Praise Famous Men|James Agee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507135568l/243360._SY75_.jpg|1204501]), but the lack of a cohesion makes this a bit more stream-of-consciousness (my real rating is 3.5 stars). Theroux seems to tease out important elements in fits and starts and then gets a bit lost in the landscape or musings about its people--all of which are important, but get a bit flattened by the lack of overarching game plan. Gun shows seem to be a major epicenter, and indeed some of those vignettes are some of the most revealing. Where the book is differentiated is in its ability to (for the most part) keep a voice that is in an in-between space, flanked by disinterest on one side and passion on the other...some might call it a style. But his allegiances are enigmatic, and that can be frustrating, particularly when there is so much at stake. He has been criticized for racializing poverty, and the lack of obvious through-line does not help (the line is there, but there's little about the presentation to highlight it). Sometimes Theroux allows ample space for various voices of the Deep South, but then seems to stand in front of the camera without warning, and very often the impact is one of condescension. Where I most appreciated Theroux's interjections was when he wrote about Southern writers: Faulkner, Portis, O'Connor, etc. (see his "Interlude: The Fantastications of Southern Fiction). Here Theroux seemed to be on more solid ground in terms of firsthand experience with literature.
When Theroux does move out of the way, or fosters a real dialogue (as with the farmers in Arkansas), the book has riches to offer. Dignity does seem to be something which Theroux wishes to amplify and in this, Deep South is successful.
But perhaps it is reading with post-2020 eyes that makes his ambivalence seem inadequate for a travel memoir of this area. There are moments where his opinion is clear -- Clinton's seeming abandonment of poor people in Arkansas, for example--but the meandering (and as one critic said, languid) book dilutes the moments of potential power. Yet, in its 441 pages are voices that are important and have stories and lives to share--some of which are heartbreaking, and some of which are angering. The earnest bigotry of some of those voices is frightening, but not in a sensationalized way. Instead, readers should understand that the "us vs. them" mindset is of limited value because "those" minds are just as set as "ours." The back roads of the Deep South contain multitudes, and what seems like occasional disinterest on the part of Theroux, might be a reminder that those back roads should be more front-and-center.
When Theroux does move out of the way, or fosters a real dialogue (as with the farmers in Arkansas), the book has riches to offer. Dignity does seem to be something which Theroux wishes to amplify and in this, Deep South is successful.
But perhaps it is reading with post-2020 eyes that makes his ambivalence seem inadequate for a travel memoir of this area. There are moments where his opinion is clear -- Clinton's seeming abandonment of poor people in Arkansas, for example--but the meandering (and as one critic said, languid) book dilutes the moments of potential power. Yet, in its 441 pages are voices that are important and have stories and lives to share--some of which are heartbreaking, and some of which are angering. The earnest bigotry of some of those voices is frightening, but not in a sensationalized way. Instead, readers should understand that the "us vs. them" mindset is of limited value because "those" minds are just as set as "ours." The back roads of the Deep South contain multitudes, and what seems like occasional disinterest on the part of Theroux, might be a reminder that those back roads should be more front-and-center.
mikewa14's review against another edition
3.0
http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/deep-south-four-seasons-on-back-roads.html
tarencil's review against another edition
4.0
A good reminder to Americans that there is plenty of normalized rural poverty close to home; you don’t have to search for it across the globe.