Mother Land

by Paul Theroux

To those in her Cape Cod town, Mother is an exemplar of piety, frugality, and hard work. To her husband and seven children, she is the selfish, petty tyrant of Mother Land. She excels at playing her offspring against each other. Her favorite, Angela, died in childbirth; only Angela really understands her, she tells the others. The others include the officious lawyer, Fred; the uproarious professor, Floyd; a pair of inseparable sisters whose devotion to Mother has consumed their lives; and JP, the narrator, a successful writer whose work she disparages. As she lives well past the age of 100, her brood struggles with and among themselves to shed her viselike hold on them.   

Mother Land is a piercing portrait of how a parent’s narcissism impacts a family. While the particulars of this tale are unique, Theroux encapsulates with acute clarity and wisdom a circumstance that is familiar to legions of readers. And beyond offering the shock and comfort of recognition, Mother Land presents for everyone an engrossing, heartbreaking, and often funny saga of a vast family that bickers, colludes, connives, and ultimately overcomes the painful ties that bind them.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Literature, Humor, Unfinished, Literary Fiction

509 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is The Great Railway Bazaar (1975), a travelogue about a trip he made by train from Great Britain through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through East Asia, as far east as Japan, and then back across Russia to his point of origin. Although perhaps best known as a travelogue writer, Theroux has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel The Mosquito Coast.

He is the father of Marcel and Louis Theroux, and the brother of Alexander and Peter. Justin Theroux is his nephew.

Reviews

[Andrew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange book, it made me feel slightly uneasy - like listening in to a conversation I shouldn’t have been privy to.

I’ve been reading and listening to Theroux’s travel books for some time, occasionally dipping in to his fiction. By now, I feel I know quite a bit about him – as he says in this book, a writer’s life is in his writing. So it’s interesting to note quite how many similarities there are between the fictional family he’s created here and Theroux’s own kinfolk. For a start, the story is told through the eyes of a writer, and a travel writer at that. Jay Justus has six living siblings: three brothers and two sisters. The oldest brother is a lawyer and another a novelist & poet. Jay has spent time in Africa and Singapore and has been twice married. He lived in London for some time, with his first wife, and the family home is at Cape Cod. So with all the evidence stacking up can this tale really be anything else other than autobiographical? Well, Theroux is on record as stating that about sixty percent of the book is autobiographical and the rest fictional. But which sixty percent?

The essence of the ‘story’ is that we watch as a domineering mother consistently manipulates her grasping, bickering offspring. There’s no real plot, rather it’s a rambling, somewhat depressing monologue laying down one man’s musings on a less than happy family life. The vocabulary is rich and some of the anecdotes are extremely funny but the pervading sense is of a group of hectoring siblings who allowed their needy, poisonous mother to control them. As a result, they become a group of enemies who constantly criticise the behaviour of each other, either to their face or behind their back.

Jay’s father only features in the early part of the book and there’s a brilliant section in which the shoe seller briefly takes on the personality and the behaviour of a character he’s to play in an upcoming minstrel show. It’s hilarious, if somewhat creepy, and worth catching in it’s publication as a short story if you don’t have the desire to work your way through this book.

As I closed in on the final chapters of the book I had an overpowering feeling of relief that my own experience of family life is far removed from this – as Theroux puts it a family of talkers in which nobody listens. I’ll return to the author’s work as I admire the way he puts words on a page, but this isn’t a book I’ll revisit.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving this book 5 stars surprises me since I was so mad at the main character for most of the book. If you're in bed with a snake, the wise thing to do is to get out. If you are stuck in this toxic family, you move far away and stay away forever creating your own life filled with as much love and happiness as you can give. You do not subject yourself to your horrible Mother's judgment and sibling's ridicule for so long. Why 5 stars? The writing and the insight into family dynamics are unparalleled.

[Patriciafoltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is longer than it needs to be but holy cow can this guy write. While at times the reselling of the particulars of this families dysfunction could feel tedious there are innumerable sentences and scenes that made me laugh out loud or exclaim "my God, he's got that right". I did some reading and found many similarities between the story and the authors life. I'm guessing much of what's here is based in truth. I just hope that his family is not quite as dysfunctional as this one. All in all, this is a great book and a very intelligent book. Floyd alone is worth the ride!

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOTHER LAND by Paul Theroux

Denizens of Mother Land...

The family...

... says the narrator JP was like a distant country with its own customs and cruelty, ruled by Mother, its empress...

They were perceived by outsiders as a big, happy family with eight children; one of them dead...

The dead sibling then entered sainthood...

Mother was the volatile, fickle queen, and her subject-children were encouraged to believe she was perfect...

She was a local celebrity; a pious busybody loved by all. Mother always had the last word, usually untrue and unfair...

She wasn't above being sick, angry, upset, abusive, or gentle (in a sly way) to control her household...

Mother talked to the children individually, twisting the same story accordingly for each child...

Father was henpecked...

He didn't drink or smoke, and he was usually mild mannered, but Mother goaded him to use his razor strop when she felt it was necessary (he was her enforcer), but he also feared her, so he obeyed her...

Mother was a tyrant...

She dominated Father, but he knew how to keep her in check...

Until...

One day, Father died, and she advanced to the throne...

These were the denizens of Mother Land...

Secretly...

The family operated like a weird corporate group. There was disorder, treachery, greed, cruelty, and savagery in its most naked form...

the children were a collection of restless rivals struggling for dominance. They were moody, merciless, and full of envy...

Pretending the opposite...

The hypocrisy of religion was an asset in the household. Happy was how they advertised themselves because there was so much to hide...

What outsiders thought they knew of the family was untrue...

Keeping up appearances...

The family shut the doors on their respectable home and withdrew to the dilapidated interior of wobbly tables, uncomfortable chairs, and dim lights...

As the children became middle-aged adults, Mother was still in control...

Spouses felt unwelcome at family gatherings and were mocked behind their backs...

As the family members entered old age, Mother still held the reins...

I gave this novel 4 1/2 stars. One half star was removed because I felt it went on a little too long. That said, It was hard to believe that this wasn't a true story of the author's own life. It was insightful, and I saw my own family's household on the pages.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely superb! Mr. Theroux at his finest! I would recommend this book to anyone.

For those who gave reviews and gave up, you missed some fabulous writing. Mr. Theroux's descriptions of the Cape and environs, whether winter or summer, are priceless. And his wonderful wit will allow many chortles as well.

Repetitive? Perhaps. But then, doesn't he mention that in the manuscript? I think it drives home the fact that the children of Mother, as long as she is alive, remain just that: children. Wisecracking, nasty, and callow, never truly growing up. I only hope there is a sequel to this work as don't we all wonder what happens after Mother is finally six feet under.

In an interview, Mr. Theroux stated that 60% of the book is autobiographical, and how can it not be as it seemed he was witnessing my childhood, the various aspects of growing up under Mother's watchful and seemingly controlling nature, observations that were spot on.

Five stars all the way. I have yet to be disappointed by any of his writings, whether thinly veiled fiction or his wonderful travel books. Even though Stephen King mentioned in the New York times review of the book it was a '...long slog', it reads beautifully.

Give 'Mother Land' a shot. You will not be disappointed. Kudos, Paul Theroux!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not giving Mother Land four stars because I really enjoyed reading it. It is too long, too overstated, too petty, and too sensational for a pleasure read. That said, Theroux has written a partly-autobiographic and revengeful tale of a horrendous childhood and adulthood; a passive father; self-centered, cruel, attention-seeking mother; and mean, vindictive siblings (all except Mother's favorite, dead baby Angela). There are moments of humor, but not many, and they are mostly sardonic. So why four stars? The writing is smooth, the voices sound true, and and the characters are so detailed I never got one confused with another. Mother Land is not in my stack of books to be reread but I'm glad I took the time to read it.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up after 90 pages. What a horrible bunch of characters. And they are apparently based on Theroux's own family.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother, already an “ancient fossil” when the book opens in Cape Cod, where her seven children were raised (eight, if you count Angela, the daughter who died just days old, but who Mother calls her Angel, full of advice and wisdom)—is the formidable matriarch of this latest novel by Paul Theroux. Let go of your idea of dysfunctional family and get ready for a vitriolic blast from first to last. Mother is 82 or so when the novel opens, and her seven living children—two are writers—are a product of her conniving, belittling, manipulative, wrathful-deity ways.

At times, I squirmed vocally while reading. You may never have read such a cruel, demanding, willful, spiteful, petty, savage mother in literature. Short of murder, this may be the worst behaving mother I’ve seen in literary history. Yet she somehow delivers her spite with a façade that appears kind and fair to those outside the family. The kids, now middle-aged, are a furious, depressing lot, some more than others. The story is narrated by one of the writer sons, Jay.

There isn’t much of a plot, but if you like character-based novels, MOTHER LAND is a seething, full cup for your Schadenfreude enjoyment. It is long, even exhausting with the boiling rage overflowing and ceaseless, at times repetitive. But, the writing is first class, and the emotional turmoil is authentic and gasp-inducing. Jay is likely the most insightful, although the other writer, Floyd (a bed-wetter as a child) is the most intellectually privileged, whose scholarly put-downs and schemes make for a perilously engaging scoundrel worth a blue ribbon for best wolf.

The novel spans about 20 years going forward; however, the story also goes back in time at intervals, giving the reader a full and comprehensive background for this bickering bunch of shameless brothers and sisters, triumphantly ruled by a reprehensible mother. Only a talent like Theroux can bring it on so thickly without turning this family into caricatures. Instead, it is frighteningly genuine, with tender empathy couched between the caustic parade of poison doled out by mother and her brood.

What is all this provocative toxicity for? I am still working that out. It’s more than shock treatment and less than an axe to grind. It’s not until you get to the last few words that you can form your opinion on the balance between damnation and redemption. Despite the malice and rancor, I was greatly satisfied when I finished the book. This isn’t for everyone. If constant animosity and revenge turn you off, it may be difficult for you to be a trouper to the end. I admit, I wondered whether I was going to make it to the end on occasion, puzzled what could possibly persuade me of any changes in anyone here. But, despite its consistent scorn, a nuance in the otherwise sardonic wit, and the drop of humanity now and then that emerged just when you thought you couldn’t take it any more, kept it from freezing my blood. At the finale, I was ever glad that I journeyed to the bitter end.

“The Furies! The betrayals! The cannibalism! It’s the House of Atreus!”

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I SHOULD give this more stars. It is a well written and engaging story of siblings in a large family dominated by a narcissistic mother. Told from the point of view of one of the siblings, it is told with detail and wit. However, it is painful to read. The lasting wounds of a deeply dysfunctional family, one that is unable to provide members with the most rudimentary feelings of love or acceptance, were as depressing in fiction as they would have been in real life. The fact that this is thinly veiled autobiography, complete with an episode that mirrors Paul Theroux's brother's writing of a vicious and largely pointless negative review of one of Paul's books, makes it even worse. Don't pick this up unless you find the pain of others entertaining. I could not understand how reviewers referred to this as "hilarious."

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that every other novel I read these days employs one or more of these techniques : unreliable narrator, dysfunctional family or memoir thinly disguised as fiction... Mother Land has the lot. Theroux is a fine writer but I found it impossible to warm to any of his characters – or to suspend my disbelief in the narrator’s account of this appalling family. I should have been warned by the blurb describing the novel as 'hilarious' - an adjective that always arouses my suspicions of its inaccuracy.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I like a nice piece of fruit.”

Such a healthy, benign declaration, no? Well, coming from Mother, not so much ... you see, Mother Land is full of statements that aren't to be taken at face value. Here, she is calling attention to her ability as a master manipulator. We'll explore specifically the role of fruit in that sorry, crazed world, but for now, I thought it worked as a good opening line.

Not to rehash the plot, but as an idea of what to expect, a brief synopsis of events: Jay, the protagonist (Theroux), relates his background of a large Catholic family headed by a domineering mother and under-achieving, acquiescent father. I hadn't read Theroux's story “Mister Bones”, but it seems the dad came alive in blackface for a 50s minstrel show as a sort of brash alter-ego. Later in the story, we learn of Mother's severe disapproval of Jay's early efforts at writing before he left home. Not a Real Job!

Most of the action takes place in the generation between the father's death (c. 1990), and Mother's at the end of the book (c. 2015). Jay, and all but two of his siblings, are living full, or at least part-time, on Cape Cod. Floyd, a Harvard professor of literature/poetry, later pens a savage review of one of Jay's books, just as Theroux's own brother did. More on Floyd later (that “fruit” thing), but for now, think Vicious Intellectual. There's Fred, a highly successful lawyer always ready to tell the others what to do; he comes into his own more as Mother's health declines. Hubby (short for Hubbard, I believe), an R. N., who's quite practical, but looked down on for a combination of his being overweight, and not very intellectual. There are a pair a sisters, whom I didn't much distinguish between as they were stock “townie” characters contrasting the educated brothers. Gilbert, the youngest and a diplomat of some sort, is away in the middle east much of the time, making cameo appearances. Baby Angela doesn't “live” anywhere; she's dead.

I don't believe she was actually stillborn, but never made it out of the hospital alive. Mother declares that Angela is “the only child who actually understands me!” At one family gathering, an outsider (new in-law) asked about the empty place (think: Passover), being awkwardly shut up with “It's for Angela.” At a later event during the story, Mother graciously offers to channel Angela for individual messages.

The “action” consists of jockeying and vying to be part of the family “in crowd” -- being from a nuclear family of four, I totally did not identify. Cape phone wires were abuzz with gossip and recrimination on what each of them may have said or done. Truly cult-like behavior headed by Mother, pouring kerosene on troubled waters, but refusing any involvement. Jay will visit one afternoon, bring up a subject Mother dislikes, and receive a call from Fred along the lines of “You asshole, you ruined Mother's day ... again!” It wasn't as though Mother was traumatized at the time, but that she would report that she had been, knowing Jay would get abused for it later. These professional adults spend much time acting like junior high clique-ers. Besides this, there are subplots of Jay's own life, such that it is, which I found sad. Mother doesn't help in that regard with her attitude. Going into them may be spoiler-ish, so you'll just have to read the book.
Back to the fruit ... It's mentioned that the family members exchange gifts of fruit as a sort of bribe among each other. Floyd is a prime beneficiary here, seeming to receive those $$$ individually-wrapped Japanese pears to ward of getting the worst of his sharp tongue. The story indicates that he is straight, or at least bi-sexual, but one of the most vicious queens I've run across in literature. Best I can do would be to say to imagine Paul Lynde as an Oxford don. By the way, in addition to fruit, the gang pacifies him with (genuine) netsuke as well!

Mother is an incredible cheapskate. On the other hand, she expects the best. Jay brings her a pineapple as a bribe at one point, which actually works as she's delighted. The opening quote has to do with her reminiscence of Fred's enrolling her in the Fruit of the Month Club. So, what she really meant was more along the lines of “I expect a nice piece of fruit!”

Having made the story out as one dreary, tedious, depressing mess ... I loved it, and might well re-read it at that. It's long, and perhaps drawn out a bit (a couple of subplots I'll skip next time), but I couldn't put it down! Not sure how much of that was due to the excellent audio narration, especially the voice of Mother herself. Those of you familiar with the series "I, Claudius" might think of Sian Phillips as Livia painting poison on the figs.

[Anne Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother Land was the first book I've read by Paul Theroux. Other reviewers indicate it's partly autobiographical and perhaps it is - I don't know. I do know this author has a fabulous way with words and constructed 8 main characters with such distinct personalities that I loved and hated each of them throughout the book for their behavior. While the story seemed to replay throughout the book, each scene was just a little different from a previous one, leading me to think that perhaps at some time, someone would "get" it and behave differently. Such was not the case! I'm not a fan of dysfunctional family novels but this one was definitely a trip!

[Cher 'N Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - It was really good.

The wickedest episodes of revelation can have the most innocent beginnings.

A very slow burn that can also be rather repetitive, but much like with a train wreck I couldn’t look away. Those with dysfunctional families and/or toxic family members will find plenty to relate to. There were also plenty of quotable passages which is always a plus for me. But...this will definitely not be a book for everyone due to its slower pacing and unlikeable characters.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quotes: The history of tyranny was the history of a damaged childhood - the child with power, of idiotic excesses and spite, which accounted for the irrationality and the violence. Political outrages and purges began as tantrums and ended as edicts.

Mother was dissatisfied: other people’s contentment niggled at her. She most of all resented her children’s happiness. If Mother had been happy, how different our lives would have been.

First Sentence: Weather is memory.

[Jeroen Kraan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theroux's work is inconsistent, but this is definitely Major Theroux. 500+ pages full of detestable people: a domineering mother, infighting siblings, a helpless protagonist. Yet Theroux manages to keep the reader interested, continuing to surprise with ever more outrageous family spats (many of which appear to have been lifted from his actual family). A tragicomedy that will stay with you.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders)]

DNF I made it to 4 cds out of 19. The narrator was probably perfect for reading this - he had a very haughty superior sounding voice (Jefferson Mays) which was perhaps perfect for the character. However, I found this was, of the 4 cds I could listen to, petty complaining and making something out to be bigger or more terrible than it actually was. I could not imagine that I would sit and listen through that for 23 hours. Now I'm reading that this is very close to an autobiographical story by Theroux. More than once while listening to this litany of petty complaints, I wanted to say "Dude, pull up a chair, you want to talk about mother issues? Because this here this is nothing - you're making mountains out of mole-hills." And repeating them. Incessantly.

The end of the year is quickly approaching, and I won't give up any more of my time listening to an unsuccessful (for me) audiobook- have to bail - would rather end the year on a higher note, or with a more successful audiobook experience.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In spite of its length, or even due to its length, this is one of the finest most well written books I've read in a long time. I guess I expect no less from this highly experienced and well-known author, but I must say that he has exceeded my expectations on this one. It's hard to get into but once you realize the importance of the repetitiveness and length it is hard to put down. But this is a book that should in spite of all that, be read slowly and savor es well. Keep your dictionary handy and enjoy this masterpiece.

[Deedee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book because I have liked other things by Paul Theroux but it was a tough slog and I finally bailed out after 300 pages with another 200+ to go. It's a chronicle of a nasty, dysfunctional family where the nastiest of all is the narcissistic, manipulative mother who has managed to warp all seven of her seven adult children into twisted, back-biting jerks. This is a novel where there is no "fun" in dysfunctional.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jays Mutter ist wunderbar. Für ihre Kinder war sie eine liebevolle Mutter, die ihre Familie zusammengehalten hat. Auch wenn das Geld meistens knapp war, haben sie und ihr Mann es geschafft, ihren Kindern alles zu geben was sie sich wünschten. Die Familie hielt zusammen und die Kinder haben die Eltern mit kleineren Jobs unterstützt. Und nach dem Vorbild ihrer Eltern haben auch sie Familien gegründet und leben dieses Vorbild weiter.

Das ist das Bild, das die Menschen in Cape Cod von Jay und seiner Familie haben. Aber dieses Bild entspricht nicht der Realität. Als sich Jay und seine Geschwister am Sterbebett des Vaters treffen, zerbricht es. Selbst wenn Jay nicht seine Version von seiner Jugend erzählt hätte, hätte man am Umgang der Geschwister untereinander gesehen dass es ganz anders war, als die Leute es gesehen haben.



Jays Mutter ist eine manipulative Frau, die ihre Kinder von frühester Jugend gegeneinander ausgespielt hat und das bis zu ihrem Tod noch tut. Und auch wenn die Kinder mittlerweile erwachsen sind und wissen, wie ihre Mutter tickt, können sie sich ihrem Einfluss nicht entziehen. Auch Jay versucht immer wieder, zumindest so etwas wie Anerkennung von seiner Mutter zu bekommen, auch wenn er nie sagt dass er sie liebt oder auch nur gern hat.

Aber warum kommen dann alle immer wieder zu dieser furchtbaren Frau zurück? Warum umgeben sie sich mit ihren Geschwistern, die sie genauso wenig lieben? Auch wenn ich das nicht verstehen kann, kann ich es doch nachvollziehen. Blutsbande sind etwas Seltsames, denen man sich nicht entziehen kann. Egal, wie sehr man das auch will.

Paul Theroux erzählt keine einfache Geschichte. Aber das Buch zeigt auch, dass nicht nur die eigene Familie ihre Macken hat. Manchmal muss man einfach ein bisschen am Lack kratzen, um den Rost darunter zu sehen.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Theroux is an author I've recently started collecting for my rare-book dealership at eBay, in large part because he's written a ton of books (54 of them as of this year) and almost all of them are obscure, making him a great easy pick-up at used bookstores when I can find nothing else that tickles my fancy; but I've also just wanted to become better acquainted with Theroux's work for a long time, ever since being chilled in high school by his portrait of a bitter misanthrope who forces his family to move to the jungles of Central America in his 1981 The Mosquito Coast.

Theroux is 77 this year, so doesn't exactly have a lot of career left; and presumably this has occurred to him as well, which is why he's chosen this moment of his life to publish Mother Land, a massive 500-page autobiographical novel about what seems to be one of the most dysfunctional families in history, with so many details that are so close to his real life that it's impossible to think of it as anything else but Theroux airing all his dirty laundry before he dies. A cyclical tale in which our self-hating narrator circles again and again to stories and behavior that drive him crazy, it's a look at a New England family whose seven siblings can barely stand each other, and whose primadonna behavior is exacerbated and egged on by the cold, manipulative, clearly mentally ill empress dowager in the middle of it all, who was already a shrew when her kids were young, becomes insufferable after the death of her husband who at least held some of this behavior in check, then proceeds to live to the age of 104, continuing to twist her children around her little finger even as they themselves enter their seventies and their own end-of-life periods.

This being Theroux, of course, much of the blackness is actually presented as black humor, although always cutting and with a streak of viciousness underpinning it all, like when a feuding couple get drunk at a party and use put-down jokes to more and more devastating effect with each subsequent cocktail. And even better, Theroux very effectively goes out of his way to show how nuts everyone else thinks our narrator is for being so angry and critical about this situation in the first place, which has the strong smack of reality to it; after all, although his endless complaints about his mother's hypochondria, selectively faked dementia, and almost unconsciously achieved constant passive-aggression seem perfectly reasonable within the context of his diatribes, it's also highly plausible to take a step back and react in horror at this old man's endless petty complaints about his sick, barely coherent centenarian mother, part of the conceptual frisson that makes this book such a dark, guilty-pleasure delight.

There's only two complaints I have about the book, although they're both fairly big ones that may prevent others from enjoying it at all, starting with the fact that Theroux actually cribbed the best bits of the book from his own earlier work: for example, easily the very best chapter is the anecdote about his meek father participating once in the '50s in a blackface minstrel show put on by a Elks-type local fraternal organization, and how he uses his home rehearsals of this sassy Amos-N-Andy character as a way of viciously attacking his family by proxy (think of the ventriloquist who uses his dummy to deliver all the insults that he himself is too shy to do), but which I only learned afterwards is a word-for-word reprint of a short story called "Mr. Bones" that Theroux published in The New Yorker in 2007.

And then the other problem, as I suspect a lot of the critical reviews at Goodreads will mention, is that it's way, way, way too long, a 200-page story that repeats itself over and over for an additional 300 pages beyond that. And while I can see what Theroux is going for by doing this -- how this kind of dysfunctional family behavior tends to get stuck in this endlessly repeating loop among those who suffer it, looming larger and larger in these people's minds even while it seems like just a little thing to outsiders who aren't exposed to it every day for almost a century in a row -- he certainly could've gotten this point across in a better way, a problem that I'm willing to bet will cause a lot of people to never bother finishing the book at all. Still, though, even with these problems, it's a masterful tour-de-force of unpleasantness, a fitting grand final chapter in this writer's long and mostly unappreciated career; and if this turns out to be his last book, he's certainly going out with powerful style and panache, a must-read for existing Theroux fans and not a bad beginning book either for those who are new to him.

[Leslie Jefferson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Repetition -- of stories, of remarks and rejoinders -- was a cultural habit in Mother Land, perhaps apparent in this narrative." Indeed-- I would have rated this higher without the repetition of stories, a pattern of abuse that the author is driving home. We are much like Jay-- exhausted but unable to stay away, inexorably drawn back to the story. Perhaps something will change... perhaps there is redemption waiting... you must read 500 pages to find out! Part 2 clips along at a fair pace and is by far the most enjoyable section of the story. Other times I felt like one of the family members, hearing the same admonitions and complaints again and again, likely all very purposefully done to make us feel like one of the Mother Land. Has been stuck in my head for a few days, so it's definitely not the usual ice cream or popcorn... still, because it's stuck, does that mean it's great?

[Francis Harper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over 30 years ago, I encountered Paul Theroux and liked his work. I don't know if my tastes have changed or his style has but I found this dire. Repetitive plotless maunderings I can just about handle but when this is accompanied by the total absence of any sympathetic character I draw the line. No doubt some may find it entertaining to observe the endless interplay of malice, greed, backbiting, deviousness, supine acceptance, and manipulation but I found it neither interesting nor credible. Confession; I didn't finish the book, a rare occurrence in my case. I came across this in audio format and it's well read, enough to raise it to two stars; but after 16 hours with 8 hours left to go and no sign of any impending change in style, I decided I had better things to do with my life than spend any more of it in the company of this dysfunctional family.

[Lynn Pribus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps I didn't give this a good enough chance, but after reading many discouraging reviews here, I decided I wasn't going to spend time on this great long long long book.

I'm a big Theroux fan, but reading a reportedly repetitive book that takes all the "fun" out of dysfunctional families, I closed it. Six books had all come to roost from the reserve list at the library and I'm thinking I'll like the new Grisham and Russo ones a lot more.

Who needs gloomy life stories on a summer day?

[Deborah Blankman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book quite a bit. Sadly, it reminded me of my own family. The only reason I didn't get 5 stars is that it needed better editing. If one amplify would have sufficed, then two must be so much better...right? The book was very repetitive in parts and would have been so much cleaner and crisper had Theroux's editor not been afraid to use his blue pencil. The

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook version of this book and I really enjoyed it. A very dysfunctional family that had me laughing and feeling very sad at the same time.
A mother's love is a precious thing but not for this family. Really enjoyed. Recommended.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having had a catholic mother-in-law and currently my 82 year old mother living with us there was a lot I could identify with. Some real LOL moments and some very poignant insights into dealing with mothers. I recommend this book!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to stomach given that Jay's (Paul Theroux's?) family dynamics are astoundingly similar to the dynamics at play in my own family. On the one hand, it was incredibly refreshing to see something written that so accurately elucidated what my experience has been - there were quite a few times that I shouted out "Yes! That's exactly right!" or "Wow and I thought I was the only person who had a family like this!" But . . .

there's that other hand which made me so crazy frustrated at Jay/Paul because he just couldn’t understand how to recover from the trauma of growing up in a crazy-dysfunctional family and then remain sane when continued interactions with said family are absolutely unavoidable: you get the eff out as soon as you can and you never look back. Okay - maybe not NEVER - but when you do look/go/visit back, you draw on all the ____ you can to maintain healthy boundaries and then get the eff out again as soon as you can. Go ahead and fill in that blank with whatever the hell you need - drugs, therapy, God, a reminder that back in your now-true home (i.e., where people you share blood with don't live within an hour or so) you enjoy a bounty of healthy relationships. You think of anything that will get you through that Diwali/Thanksgiving/Seder/Kwanzaa/Aunt Milly's 85th Birthday/Family Reunion, apply that liberally in order to get through it and then say, "ooh, I'd love to stay but my Lyft is 3 minutes away!" In sum friends, anytime you have cause to return to the Mother Land, whatever you do, you don't stay because, as Michael Corleone taught us so eloquently, if you linger just a day too long, you'll find yourself saying "Just when I thought I was out . . . they pull me back in."

It took me a long time to realize we are who we are both because of AND in spite of our families. Mother Land was an at times wonderful but mostly uncomfortable reminder of that reality.

[Tuti · Rating 5 out of 5]

it took me a long time to read and i am very glad i did. i needed time at the beginning to get used to the toxic dysfunctionality of this family, excellently related and feeling true, but still toxic in an almost hopeless, exasperating way. but i came back to it a few times, until i got used to it, i got to know everybody very well, the narrator who is an intelligent and cultivated and insightful writer - and still full of conflicts and doubts, his siblings, their mother in her methamorphosis through time, i got used to their patterns of interacting with each other, their predictable conflicts the way you get used to relatives... it doesn't mean you like them, but this is how it is. and with every page, it somehow all became more and more valuable and true.
having reached the last page, i feel sad... and grateful, and full of admiration for this wise and true story, full of people with their conflicts and mistakes and of life as it is, funny, and sad, bitter and sweet, tragic and wonderful, specific and universal and true.

[Diane Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. It didn't take me long to figure out that this must be somewhat autobiographical, despite knowing little about the author. The details are so specific I knew they must have some truth to them. It's a great read for anyone from a large family- lots to identify with, both good and bad. Lovely writing and fantastic characters.

[Marie Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this could just be agony - repititious descriptions of characters and their antics. I finished it just to make sure she was Dead. What a horrible family and main character - I hope this isn't semi-autobiographical. And I wonder how many gift stores went out of business when Mom finally kicked the bucket...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly engrossed in this dysfunctional family tale. The writing was excellent but this is not for anyone who wants to be entertained.