Delirium Vitae

by David LeBrun

A young writer at the end of a string of dead-end jobs travels to Costa Rica to reconnect with an old friend; he’s planning on living cheaply for a winter while finishing the book he thinks will make his career. (And, of course, drinking every night and getting stoned every day. And maybe stealing the occasional pill.) But once there, he gets swept up in his friend’s self-destruction, and runs out of money far sooner than expected…and there’s no one back home he can call for help.







What follows is an epic odyssey across Central America and Mexico, hitchhiking with random strangers and sleeping anywhere he can as his mental health deteriorates and he tries to finish his book. Along the way, he meets joyful street buskers, narcissistic thieves, a Bible-thumper with multiple personalities, ex-convicts in a Narcotics Anonymous shelter—but, more importantly, himself.







Delirium Vitae is a new classic, an On the Road for the twenty-first century. Alternately charming and harrowing, it looks beneath the romance of adventure in a foreign land to see what it’s really like to teeter between freedom and homelessness. (Because, let’s be honest, walking thirty-six kilometers on an empty stomach, or fending off the amorous advances of a sweaty and shirtless truck driver who’s giving you a much-needed ride, does kind of suck.) It’s a fantastic book that looks not only at the excitement of the open road, but at why we go there, and what we leave behind—and whether we can ever still come home.

224 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Years ago I tried reading the iconic "On the Road" book from Jack Kerouac, but abandoned before finishing. Even so, I do like occasionally reading some books about fearless wanderers who chuck a job in order to travel. It's something I would never do, so I'm a bit in awe of such people who don't feel tethered to a regular job and follow their dreams to travel, experiencing so much of the world, getting down in the trenches to sleep rough and get by on meager funds. In this compact memoir of about 200 pages, the author carries you in his pocket while he traverses Costa Rica, Central America, Mexico- ultimately returning to his homeland of Canada and his ailing mother. He interacts with many characters along the way, finding himself busking on buses as part of a musical trio, taking refuge in a treatment center (with the excuse of a marijuana habit), and hitchhiking. His writing style flows so easily and made for pleasant reading. I found myself highlighting certain parts as he has a poetically descriptive flair.

Thank you to Tortoise Books for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

[Dhyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was instantly drawn into this book; we are “On The Road”with David LeBrun exploring Central America without a dime in our pockets. We are dependent on the good will of others — often a frightening thing — and along with David we find a way to survive, sometimes busking for a pittance, sometimes finding places to stay with benevolent strangers (or not). Everyone encountered is desperate, everyone encountered is poor, but that does not mean they are ungenerous: there is kindness, there is beauty, of course there is treachery and David beautifully illuminates these moments.

Living in Southern California, many of my friends in the surfing community, the hiking community, and the artistic community have taken treks to Mexico and Central America. But those friends are not writers, and their oral stories bubble with braggadocio and obvious inaccuracies. But LeBrun’s memoir is unsparing in its realism, devoted to accuracy, even-tempered in his recording, his writer’s notebook is everywhere with him. No braggadocio, we see only a stark world through David’s quiet eyes.

I was moved by Delirium Vitae, taken into a life I did not know, and delivered back to my own with a new view. David, a Canadian, ultimately arrives in the United States, and we watch his journey transform from one of danger and bravery to what we here call “homelessness.” The transition hits the reader hard, both painful and real. LeBrun is never truly “at home” in the world, either in Central America, the U.S., or Canada, and we worry for him, will he find a place to settle down? Will he come to terms with his own personal trauma and challenging past? Can he be the productive person he longs to be, get his book published, find peace with his crisis-torn family? And will place matter at all in the pursuit of any of these goals? The book asks all these questions.

Beautifully written and a breeze to read, Delirium Vitae delivers adventure and personal introspection with brilliance, unexpected images, and the poignance of tragic and basically lived lives. After turning the last page and closing the book, I carried the scenes with me for days, for weeks, I think about them still. I highly recommend this book!

[kozo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

I knew right from the start it was going to be right up my alley. I have a sort of thing for books that are exaggerated or fictionalized experiences drawn from the author's own personal life. Like that of Jack Kerouac or Hunter S Thompson, these stories are always what catches my attention. The saying is that reality is often stranger than fiction. I love reading about the weird things that happen to people.

I will say it was a bit easier to read than Kerouac's "On The Road", so reading it and following the hitchhiking antics that drive a road novel (as I've heard this term used before), across so many different landscapes was considerably more enjoying than some others I've read. The prose itself was short and to the point and didn't carry on, which I greatly appreciated.

[John Julius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delirium Vitae is the book every young guy with inner demons, wanderlust, and literary ambitions dreams of writing. LeBrun, in a quest to escape himself and a sad family life, ends up, after some wild experiences and encounters in Mexico and Costa Rica, having to face sobriety. A dark night of the soul ensues and then a kind of peace. LeBrun is a master of concise, muscular prose. Not a bad or wasted sentence in it. And he’ll make you laugh! Can’t recommend this book more. Here's a video review on it: https://youtu.be/WxfqVPbyOTA

[Debumere · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern day version of ‘On the Road’ featuring David, never Dave, as he travels from Costa Rica and up, towards home.

I enjoyed this rollicking read, The drama, the people, the suspension had me with my eyes on the pages until it ended.

Unfortunately James Frey destroyed my trust in memoirs and a tiny smidgen of me is questioning the authenticity of the tales, but with this being said it was humorous, sad and enlightening and would make a great film.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tortoise Books for this ARC.

[Kaitlinlutyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read. What a life he's lived. Highly impressed with the writing style. I will likely be reading it again and highlight some standout moments, dissect it some more as a learning process. Can't wait to read more from the author.

[Denise Gasparetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book definitely worth reading!!