- Hardcover: 392 pages
- Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Ltd; First Edition edition (12 Oct 1981)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0241106885
- ISBN-13: 978-0241106884
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 15 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,339,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Mosquito Coast
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Allie Fox hates America and everything about the twentieth century. He takes his wife and two sons to the Honduran jungle to live a better, simpler life but when he starts to go mad, life for his family becomes much more frightening than ever before ...
Tragedy and farce in the jungle. Harrison Ford starred in the smash-hit film.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.About the Author
Paul Theroux was born in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1941, and published his first novel, Waldo, in 1967. His subsequent novels include Picture Palace, winner of the Whitbread Prize for Fiction, The Mosquito Coast, and the hugely acclaimed, Kowloon Tong. His travel books include The Great Railway Bazaar and The Pillars of Hercules.
--This text refers to the
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First Sentence
We drove past Tiny Polski's mansion house to the main road, and then the five miles into Northampton, Father talking the whole way about savages and the awfulness of America - how it got turned into a dope-taking, door-locking, ulcerated danger-zone of rabid scavengers and criminal millionaires and moral sneaks. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
We drove past Tiny Polski's mansion house to the main road, and then the five miles into Northampton, Father talking the whole way about savages and the awfulness of America - how it got turned into a dope-taking, door-locking, ulcerated danger-zone of rabid scavengers and criminal millionaires and moral sneaks. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an absolutely fantastic novel. It works so well because Theroux refuses to let the reader make up their mind about whether to admire or detest the obsessive and maniacal central character, Allie Fox, as he plunges his family deeper and deeper into despair. His misguided search for what he sees as an alternative to the American dream is almost compelling, but the effect that this has on those who love him becomes increasingly disturbing as the plot unwinds. Theroux controls this balance brilliantly.
I read this when I was in Central America, but it's so absorbing that I could have been anywhere! Not a light-hearted read by any stretch, but the pages turn very quickly and I just couldn't put it down. Very strongly recommended.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was hooked from the very first page. The adventures inflicted upon this family by the brilliant and dangerous Allie Fox draws the reader into a world tainted by their desperate struggle for survival. But their lives are not in danger just because they are living in the jungle far away from any kind of civilisation, but also because Allie Fox, the father and husband, demands absolute loyalty through disaster after disaster. But this book is not as depressing and frustrating as it sounds. Personally I enjoyed the inventions and plans of Allie (the most fascinationg being the ice-machine!), obviously the result of the brilliant mind behind this book. An uneasy combination of reality and an element of this-could-never-happen-in-real-life makes this a book that will not fade away once closed, rather a book one starts reading from the beginning again once the last page had been turned.
What makes a good book for me is when I never want it to end. This is one of those books.
What makes a good book for me is when I never want it to end. This is one of those books.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Mosquito Coast is told through the eyes of Charlie Fox, a typical American boy. The story he tells us chronicles the "adventure" his family has when his father, Allie Fox takes them all to live in the Hounduran jungle. This is a stunning book which I have already read several times. The story is fantastic; a mixture of sarcastic humour, adventure and emotion. The character of Allie Fox (genius or goat: you decide,) is unique and hilarious and one you can just come back to again and again. I highly recommend this to anyone; all books should be as good as this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One for the book club if you are in one
This is a good book which I have recommended to friends in book clubs and it has been very successful. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jeangenie
Must read
This is an exceptional book. The central character, the husband and father, Allie Fox, is utterly unlike any other you will come across. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Anthony Peter Swallow
Powerful story. Great writing
Allie Fox is a brilliant creation, a prickly eccentric inventor who takes his family to Honduras to start a new life and gradually goes crazy. Read more
Published 22 months ago by SJJones
'I knew it would'
I bought this on recommendation from a friend and now know why she was so enthusiastic about it. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I wasn't hooked from the start, but as soon as... Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. J. H. Thorn
The fantastic Mr Fox
As probably Paul Theroux's best-known fiction work I've long wanted to read `Mosquito Coast', and not just because I am a fan of his grumpy brand of travel writing. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2009 by Demob Happy
A child's view of untreated bipolar, Chilling but a great read
Really easy to read. I felt compelled to move on to the next chapter. Brilliantly written. Seems to give a good view of the Miskito Coast which runs along the eastern border of... Read more
Published on 30 Sep 2007 by Joanne
Dark, thrilling, and completely brilliant. A great book for people of...
Who hasn't dreamed of leaving the world behind and venturing into the unknown to recreate the world without imperfections? Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2006 by Joe Cutts
Lively and Imaginative
This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an imaginative story. It is hard to put down once you start reading, and is absolutely full of creative and interesting... Read more
Published on 28 April 2006 by Mr. T. Ashwood
Fascinating, but often chilling
I read this book solely because I had read good reviews of it. I'm glad to say that those reviews were spot on. Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2005 by "iliveinmyimagination"
Brilliant
I haven't read any other Paul Theroux but I loved this book. I read it because I really liked the film and was happy that the source material is so strong. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2005 by simonbrislin
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