Theroux The Keyhole: When the world went weird

by Louis Theroux

Come round to Louis Theroux’s house where the much-loved TV documentary-maker, podcaster and bestselling author of Gotta Get Theroux This finds himself in unexpected danger . . .

Like millions of others, Louis’ plans were mothballed by the onset of Covid. Unable to escape to the porn sets, prisons and maximum-security psychiatric units that are his usual journalistic beat, he began reporting on a location even more full of pitfalls and hostile objects of his own home during a pandemic.

Theroux the Keyhole is an honest, hilarious and ultimately heartwarming diary of the weirdness of family life in Covid World. A wife intolerant of his obsession with Joe Wicks’ daily workouts. Two teenage sons, inseparable from their videogames, for whom he is increasingly 'cringe'. A five-year-old happily spamming out videos on his own new TikTok account while on holiday with his oblivious family.

Louis also describes how he launches his podcast, Grounded, finally gets to the US to film a new Joe Exotic documentary and aims his sights on the latest incarnation of the far right in a world becoming radicalized by social media. Theroux the Keyhole is Louis at his insightful best, as he faces unforeseen new challenges and wonders why it took a pandemic for him to learn that what really matters in life is right in front of him.

Read by Louis Theroux, in his usual witty style.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published November 11, 2021

About the author

Louis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University.

On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel had just completed a post-graduate degree at Yale, so Louis stayed with him. "I did menial work to make money and spent two months with a glass blower who made unbelievably tasteless gilded cherub goblets.

Although initially resisting the idea of going into journalism. "All my friends were writing, and I wanted to be different." Louis found a job on a local paper in the sprawling city of San Jose, "a town where nothing ever happens." A year later he went to work for the New York-based satirical magazine, Spy, where "When I asked some rappers to freestyle on gun safety, one of them threatened to beat me up."

As a correspondent for Michael Moore’s 1995 series, TV Nation, Louis anchored sixteen segments. Theroux describes his first assignment: "The Klu Klux Klan were trying desperately hard to repackage themselves and make themselves seem cuddly and nice, but inevitably they left out racist stickers or hate filled T-shirts. It was quite an eye opener." Reports on Avon Ladies in the Amazon and on President Clinton’s hometown of Hope, Arkansas followed.

In 1995, Louis developed his own Weird Weekends and produced a critically acclaimed documentary series premiere. As Theroux describes, "Weird Weekends sets out to discover the genuinely odd in the most ordinary setting. To me, it’s almost a privilege to be welcomed into these communities and to shine a light on them and, maybe, through my enthusiasm, to get people to reveal more of themselves than they may have intended. The show is laughing at me, adrift in their world, as much as at them. I don’t have to play up that stuff. I’m not a matinee idol disguised as a nerd."

Louis currently lives in West London with his wife Nancy and their three boys.

Reviews

[Tim Goldsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louis’ Theroux’s story tells his experience of of the COVID pandemic as he and his wife attempt to build on this career, build a new company together and raise three kids. Open, honest and raw, Louis’ style really reflects how he does his documentaries, pointing out actions without passing judgement. He passes himself off as a borderline (and unrepentant) alcoholic, and a struggling father.
It’s a nice insight into the messiness behind a hold public figure.

[Frederike Otter-Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice audiobook to listen to. Not sure how engaging it would be as a physical book. It was interesting to listen to this 6 years on from the pandemic, thinking about how weird the times were and how much things have changed since then.

[Naomi Skelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got about 30% into the audiobook. Then stopped listening.

I enjoyed it at first. Yet, I found it increasingly difficult to listen to. Partly due to the negative subject - life during lockdown - but also because there were arguments and debates about what was right and wrong at the time.

I'm partly unable to take it in as my last relationship started not long before lockdown; it's quite painful to be reminded of those early days now. So, others out there may be able to persevere and enjoy the book much more than me.

I may return to it again one day.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Life during the lockdown. Quite boring to be honest.

[Beyaz Nur · Rating 3 out of 5]

trauma-inducing