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 enlarge | Author: Paul Theroux
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $0.21
You Save: $15.74 (99%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 189404
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 528
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.4
ISBN: 0449910857
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.91822
EAN: 9780449910856
ASIN: 0449910857
Publication Date: October 29, 1996
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| Customer Reviews:
Excellent travel narrative August 17, 2005
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
This is the first of a few Theroux books I have read. I absolutely loved it. The book provides an excellent portrayal of people in the context of their history and culture. He travels to cities and regions along the Mediterranean that many of us wouldn't otherwise give a thought. One really gets a feel for what life is like in each town. This book, like his others, highlight the difference between a traveler and being a tourist.
I've given the book only 4 stars because your ability to enjoy the book will depend on how you feel about Theroux's voice. As other reviewers have indicated, he is a critical individual with a huge ego. If you find this tone off-putting, you may not enjoy the book. He does seem more annoyed in this book than in others, probably because there are more tourists around. Personally, I was so wrapped up in Theroux's excellent prose that I hardly noticed.
I am not sure why reviewers complain about this not being a good guide - it isn't meant to be a guidebook. Look to Fodor's, Frommer's, Rick Steves, or Lonely Planet for European guidebooks.
 The great and small Mediterranean July 30, 2005
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
In THE PILLARS OF HERCULES, Paul Theroux travels a well-trodden path, for once, and one which has perhaps been excessively romanticized in the past. In contrast to many of the other regions of the world in which he has traveled and of which he has written, the Mediterranean has a long literary history consisting of native writers and expatriates alike. In much of this book, Theroux manages to skirt the most touristed regions of Mediterranea while seeking out the landmarks and icons (some living) of the literary Mediterranean. In some ways, THE PILLARS OF HERCULES is substantially different than any other travelogue published by Theroux.
In other ways, however, this book remains true to the Theroux we have always loved or reviled. How could it not be? Theroux's acerbic pen has not lost its bite, and his misanthropic self is as prominent a character in this book as it is in all his others. Now, however, he is treading a sacred path: one which, for once, may have been crossed by a substantial number of his readers.
Beginning in Gibraltar, Theroux's plan is to circumnavigate the Mediterranean while remaining as close to the water's edge as possible. The plan to stay within sight of the water sometimes causes Theroux (or perhaps it provides the excuse he needs) to miss some of the more popular locations of the Grand Tour, yet it keeps him close to those who make their livelihoods at the shores of the great sea. In one of the most traveled regions on earth, Theroux manages to find those out of the way places--not gems perhaps, but surprisingly untouched by the tourist trade--where we can really experience a sense of place and of culture.
THE PILLARS OF HERCULES ends up being a deeply satisfying work for those who love to travel in a vagabond manner, though perhaps not for those whose travels consist of packaged tours and managed activity schedules (and perhaps not as well for those possessed of eternally sunny dispositions). Whatever your travel preference, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone pondering a Mediterranean vacation. There is bound to be something interesting or entertaining here for anyone.
Jeremy W. Forstadt
 Hated it February 8, 2005
13 out of 27 found this review helpful
I couldn't get past the first 100 pages. Is this guy actually going to whine and complain and sneer the entire way around the Mediterranean, and is anybody interested in reading that? He starts with a loathsome description of Gibraltar and his fellow tourists and the poor monkeys. Continuing along the coast of Spain, every place he goes, every person he meets, is despicable. I was particularly nauseated by the repeated gory descriptions of bull-fighting. OK, OK, once was enough, in fact, once was more than enough. There is a popular expression, "words cannot describe" how awful something is. Well, this guy doesn't suffer from an inability to find the words. He finds every word he needs to describe his miserable journey.
Superior travel writing January 12, 2005
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I loved this book. Theroux' constant allusions to literary works pique an interest to further investigate. His descriptions of his encounters with individuals as well as landscapes make you feel as if you are traveling with him.
Enjoyable Journey May 18, 2004
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I've always enjoyed Theroux's books, and this one was no exception. What I like about Theroux is that his books are not merely descriptions of the landscape or brief snippets of cities, but actually attempt to capture the journey he undertakes. Pillars of Hercules is a trip around the Mediterranean- not just the traditional countries associated with it, but also going into Albania and North Africa- some of the more interesting parts of the book.
What I like is how he talks with so many of the people he meets; it gives a sensation of what the country is like in the time while he is there. The literary meetings that he has with a variety of authors throughout the book add something that most travel books lack.
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