Product Description

Slade Steadman is the author of a world-famous travel book, but has struggled to match its success for the past thirty years. A journey downriver in a remote eastern province of Ecuador gives him the experience he has been seeking – and a miracle drug, which induces temporary blindness. On his return to the USA, Steadman is rejuvenated – able not only to write and remember, but granted an almost uncanny prescience, bordering on second sight…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #375184 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Paul Theroux was born and educated in the States, and after spending time in Italy and then Africa, he lived in Britain for seventeen years. He is the author of many bestselling fiction and non-fiction books, including most recently Dark Star Safari and The Stranger at the Palazzo d'Oro.

Customer Reviews

Readable, but not a classic
I liked the central idea of contrasting physical blindness, when the protagonist is supposedly at his most sensitive and creative, and mental blindness - or writer's block - where he cannot engage in his life or those in it, even though he still has his eyesight. There were a lot of sex scenes to the book and sometimes it just felt like reading Paul Theroux's own fantasies. There were some loose ends, and I never like loose ends in a plot. Manfred was a stereotype and Paul Theroux's portrayal of him made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

But overall I don't want my money back. Readable, but not a classic. Certainly not in the same league of The Mosquito Coast.

Very well-written, if a bit uneven
I think Blinding Light is a very good book, even if it's true that it lags a bit in the middle. I agree with the first poster that the sex scenes are not the strongest part of the book, but I thought the story itself was fascinating and some of the passages were incredible. Theroux is a great descriptive writer and has an excellent ear for dialogue. My favorite parts of the book include: Theroux's analysis of Bill Clinton, the trip to Ecuador and the last part of the novel.

I was a bit dissatisified with the final page, as I prefer more concrete endings.

In summary, I didn't want my money back, in fact, I've re-read the whole book.

Excellent detail... a bit of a slow-burner...
It undoubtedly takes a while to get into this book, or at least I didn't completely lose myself in it straight away. But it IS worth persevering with as the story twists and turns to its conclusion. The frustration of the main character is laid bare as he attempts to rediscover his writing abilities twenty years after the publication and runaway success of his first and only book. The descriptive detail throughout is excellent, from the Ecuadorian jungle to Martha's Vineyard. Throw in the backdrop of a real-world presidential scandal, and admittedly a lot of sex, but the focus never moves from the transformations undergone by the central character... and from the middle onwards I began to feel that I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.