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Paradise
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Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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In 1999, Larry McMurtry, whose wanderlust had been previously restricted to the roads of America, set off for a trip to the paradise of Tahiti and the South Sea Islands in an old-fashioned tub of a cruise boat, at a time when his mother was slipping toward a paradise of her own. Opening up to her son in her final days, his mother makes a stunning revelation of a previous marriage and sends McMurtry on a journey of an entirely different kind.
Vividly, movingly, and with infinite care, McMurtry paints a portrait of his parents' marriage against the harsh, violent landscape of west Texas. It is their roots -- laced with overtones of hard work, bitter disappointment, and the Puritan ethic -- that McMurtry challenges by traveling to Tahiti, a land of lush sensuality and easy living. With fascinating detail, shrewd observations, humorous pathos, and unforgettable characters, he begins to answer some of the questions of what paradise is, whether it exists, and how different it is from life in his hometown of Archer City, Texas.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780743215664
ISBN: 0743215664
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 160
Publication Date: 2002-06-06
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Studio: Simon & Schuster
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CUSTOMER REVIEWS:
Intelligent ramblings, beautiful settings, and human depth -
As I have mentioned before, with a couple of exceptions, I tend to prefer McMurtry's non-fiction over his fiction. It is in his non-fiction that I hear his voice, learn his heart, discover his thoughts, and walk his footsteps. Through his journey to Tahiti and the surrounding islands, we hear about writers, painters, historical events, culture, and perceptive insights on fellow travelers. Intermingle this with personal comments on growing up, parents, siblings, and childhood events, and Paradise shimmers with interest.
Unusual for McMurtry, in Paradise he takes some time to describe the geography and the people, juxtaposing the past with the present in a kind of mosaic of personal experiences. In fiction, telling the story is paramount over any kind of knowledge gained; whereas in non-fiction, the cognition of the facts and circumstances can be quite enriching. Being a well-read author, McMurty is able to interject quotes from other writers as well referencing great books he has read. This makes for a relaxed, informative read that could easily fall into a simplistic trap of simply sharing facts and personal stories. But in the hands of master writer McMurtry, this book has an overriding artistry that leaves the reader with an optimistic, yet reflective spirit.
The ending of the book is touching and personal with hints of religious overtones, perpetuated by the impending death of the author's mother. While it is a weak practice to find the one magical sentence that seems to capsulize an entire book, the sentence that comes the closest is on page 158: "Perhaps that is paradise: the fresh, unqualified love of children for their moms and dads--a love before knowledge, which was the sort of love the God of Genesis intended for Adam and Eve." This book, like many of McMurtry's books, is a journey through a new land, yet it is also a journey through the life of a successful writer and his reflection of the past and the present. Worth reading by McMurtry enthusiasts but also by anyone curious about Tahiti, Paradise resonates with those curious philosophers wanting a different look at life and its meaning.
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Paradise -
This was bought as a present for a friend. However, I have enjoyed all the novels I have read by McMurtry, especially Lonsome Dove. My friend did say that he liked the book and now had all the 'berrybender' series.
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A trail of books -
The book tries to place a finger on what love (or search for paradise or an undefined ache) means. The author/narrator is visiting Marquesa (Paradise on earth, as felt by a variety of authors over the last 2 centuries) while his mother is in death bed. Mother dies one day after the author returns. A quick read, but not necessarily thought provoking. It almost felt like the author could not penetrate into his own ego-chill (to consider one's own non-existence - Erik Erikson reference in the book). The book is filled with references to books which provide a background to the author's thoughts, which is very useful.
Not for the hard-core McMurtry fan -
I confess: I have tried to read "Lonesome Dove" and have failed. My old school chums (McMurty was at Rice, years ago) stay loyal to their freshman English prof, and urge me to try again. Nope. But I like "Paradise." McMurtry claims at first to be getting away so he can write about his parents. But he as much as says that he's got to churn out prose to meet a deadline, and some of the book feels like words for hire. Well, that's a well-worn path for many authors: Think of Dickens. The product here is a low-key travelogue. The voice is that of the a sympathetic observer, well-read and well-spoken. (The tone reminds me of M.F.K. Fisher, who also wrote about the crew and fellow travelers on a cargo ship. ) I found it a delightful respite from plot-driven fiction.
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For the Hardcore McMurtry fan -
For those of you who enjoyed "Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen" and "Roads", this is a briefer introspective work by the same author. This time he's vacationing in the South Seas while taking a break from the mental anguish of watching his mother slowly pass on. We start with a lot of family history and assume that this will be the theme. Then we go off in a different tangent as the book becomes something of a cynical tourist guide to the Marquesa Islands. Ultimately we find ourselves at a very appropriate ending.
This book, even more so than the other two aforementioned books, is something of a free verse of observations by the author. One comes away wondering why this book was written and I guess my impression that it was more for the author than for us. We are able to follow, somewhat, McMurtry's attempts to resolve some of his inner feelings as he knows his mother is slowly drifting away (albeit several thousand miles away). Yet at the same time, his observations about his trip and fellow travelers confuse us as to the depth of any of his feelings. Perhaps that is the point; a man who is at one of those points in life where life itself is a numbing sensation.
Should you read this book? Probably not unless you, like many of McMurtry's literary aficionados, enjoy getting to know the author a bit better. Otherwise it is just a journal of a trip. And it's a trip that the reader has to feel would have been more enjoyable if we rather than McMurtry were the ones taking it. Nonetheless, I'm glad I read it.
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