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Paradise Audiobook
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(3.07) - 120 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1999, Larry McMurtry, whose wanderlust had been previously restricted to the roads of America, set off for a trip to the paradise of Tahiti and the South Sea Islands in an old-fashioned tub of a cruise boat, at a time when his mother was slipping toward a paradise of her own. Opening up to her son in her final days, his mother makes a stunning revelation of a previous marriage and sends McMurtry on a journey of an entirely different kind. Vividly, movingly, and with infinite care, McMurtry paints a portrait of his parents' marriage against the harsh, violent landscape of west Texas. It is their roots -- laced with overtones of hard work, bitter disappointment, and the Puritan ethic -- that McMurtry challenges by traveling to Tahiti, a land of lush sensuality and easy living. With fascinating detail, shrewd observations, humorous pathos, and unforgettable characters, he begins to answer some of the questions of what paradise is, whether it exists, and how different it is from life in his hometown of Archer City, Texas.
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"More crabby, wistful travel writing from McMurtry.He refuses to do anything physically demanding, but he is so well-read, and often funny that I like taking these little trips with him. "
— Matthew (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“There’s enough local color, enough dank glens, misty mountains, and sun-dazzled beaches to satisfy armchair travel buffs, but this is a quiet, thoughtful voyage that reveals that true paradise lies close to the heart.”
— Gregory McNamee, travel writer for the Los Angeles Times -
“A glancing memoir by McMurtry (Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen, 1999, etc.), an extraordinarily talented spinner of tales.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Paradise Listener Reviews
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" A interesting sort of travel book in which McM turns his incisive observations on both a trip to Tahiti and the Marquesas and his parents' distressed marriage. "
— Cooper, 11/12/2013 -
" Very autobiographical for those who follow his writing "
— Gail, 5/17/2013 -
" I wanna go! "
— Clayton, 4/9/2013 -
" A travelogue of McMurtry;s brief visit to the South Sea islands, along with a meditation on his parentss marriage. "
— Patrick, 2/5/2013 -
" Basically a travalogue of his trip to French Polynesia and reflections on his parents. Mostly an excuse to get paid for a vacation; nice job if you can get it. But it was a nice read. "
— Jim, 12/26/2012 -
" Slight, ruminative, seductive. A McMurtry gem. "
— Grace, 4/19/2012 -
" Very quick read about the authors cruise from Tahiti to the Marquesa islands, and what he observes: the other travelers, the natives and their lives, and himself and his insights into his reasons for being there. Not a novel, not a murder, not a mystery - just a thoroughly enjoyable book. "
— Phil, 4/13/2012 -
" beautifully written little book about the author's journey to Tahiti and the South Sea islands and what constitutes Paradise. "
— Marilyn, 2/17/2012 -
" i read thinking it was about polynesia - it was a little bit but mostly about his parents unhappy marriage and his upbringing "
— Liz, 10/5/2011 -
" this was my first Larry McMurty read.... Sham on me, and he is a Texas boy. What was I thinking. I can't wait to read another one. "
— Sherry, 4/13/2011 -
" I've always wanted to take the Aranui trip to the Marquesas so I'm enjoying this book. <br/> <br/>Now that I've finished the book I still want to take the Aranui voyage. Have to start planning! "
— Hulananni, 2/3/2011 -
" beautifully written little book about the author's journey to Tahiti and the South Sea islands and what constitutes Paradise. "
— Marilyn, 9/13/2010 -
" this was my first Larry McMurty read.... Sham on me, and he is a Texas boy. What was I thinking. I can't wait to read another one. <br/> "
— Sherry, 2/24/2009 -
" A travelogue of McMurtry;s brief visit to the South Sea islands, along with a meditation on his parentss marriage. "
— Patrick, 3/2/2008 -
" Basically a travalogue of his trip to French Polynesia and reflections on his parents. Mostly an excuse to get paid for a vacation; nice job if you can get it. But it was a nice read. "
— Jim, 10/8/2007
About Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry (1936–2021) was an award-winning novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and avid book collector. His novels include The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment, and Lonesome Dove, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. He wrote more than thirty screenplays, including the coauthorship of Brokeback Mountain, for which he received an Academy Award.