The Happy Isles of Oceania Quotes

“The only cure for seasickness is to sit on the shady side of an old brick church in the country.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“Even in Africa, I had never seen such a profusion of stars as I saw on these clear nights on Pacific isles - not only big beaming planets and small single pinpricks... but also glittering clouds of them - the whole dome of the sky crowded with thick shapes formed from stars, overlaid with more shapes, a brilliant density, like a storm of light over a black depthless sea, made brighter still by twisting auroras composed of tiny star grains - points of light so fine and numerous they seemed like luminous vapor, the entire sky hung with veils of light like dazzling smoke... they made night in Oceania as vast and dramatic as day.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“You travel all over," the woman said. "Do you write about your travels?" I said, Yes, I did. Articles. Books. Whatever. "You must write Paul Theroux-type travel books," she said. I said, Exactly, and told her why.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“just a short trip to any French territory in the Pacific is enough to convince even the most casual observer that the French are among the most self-serving, manipulative, trivial-minded, obnoxious, cynical, and corrupting nations on the face of the earth.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“You always judge a place by the last place you were in... It is quite easy in travel to project your own mood onto the place you are in.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“These islands were so lovely that it was hard to be alone on them - it was no that I required company, but rather that I wished that someone else had been there to see them: I wanted another witness, someone to share them with. If the place had been miserable I would have coped.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“The God-swanker never has to ask himself what is correct, he looks it up in the Book of Books. There he finds everything he needs...Whatever he plans to do, God will endorse it.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“because - traveling - I often felt the lingering anxiety I was doomed...Traveling would kill me, I felt. I had always had the idea, and still do, that my particular exit would be made via an appointment in Samarra: I would go a great distance and endure enormous discomfort and trouble and expense in order to meet my death. If I chose to sit at home and eat and drink in the bosom of my family it would never happen.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“The tide came in and went out. People died and others took their place, not even knowing the others' names. They sat in your chairs, they slept in your bed. And you were probably lost somewhere in the Pacific - gone and forgotten.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“There was always the possibility of friendship in travel.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“a journey can either be your death or your transformation”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“There is no good word in English for this hopeless farewell.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“It is usually expensive and lonely to be principled;”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“Yet the Eastern brown snake—second most toxic in the world—was an unprepossessing reptile.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“Australian inland taipan is the most poisonous snake on earth—its bite will kill you in seconds. But none of this ought seriously to deter anyone from confronting the outback on foot, or even on all fours.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“There is a great fear of natural things in Australia. But no one mentions the drunks, who are everywhere and are a great deal more dangerous.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“seem to have a very wide spectrum of readers in this country,” I said.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“What most Australians seem to want in the way of a response is something funny and familiar, such as You bloody diggers are rough as pig’s breakfast, but that’s what I like.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“Tak, ludożercy i misjonarze są dla siebie stworzeni.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“triphthong.”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific

“Mormonism was like junk food: It was American to the core and it looked all right, but it wasn't until after you had swallowed some that you felt strange. I”
― Paul Theroux, The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific