The Vanishing Point

By: Paul Theroux

Narrated by: Joe Knezevich

Brought to you by Penguin.

From the bestselling novelist, travel writer, and “master of the short story” (NPR) comes a brilliant new collection.

The stories in The Vanishing Point are both exotic and domestic, their settings ranging from Hawaii to Africa and New England. Each focuses on life’s vanishing points—a moment when seemingly all lines running through one’s life converge, and one can see no farther, yet must deal with the implications. With the insight, subtlety, and empathy that has long characterized his work, Theroux has written deeply moving stories about memory, longing, and the passing of time, reclaiming his status, once again, as a master of the form.

© Paul Theroux 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

Illuminating . . . A collection of wryly observed short stories from the octogenarian writer shines a light on the process of ageing . . . time hasn’t whittled away Theroux’s ability to amuse and provoke . . . These literary snapshots — a rowdy boyhood summer camp, a visit to a carnival stripper, an elegiac chess game — are poignant and well honed

A master of the short story . . . Unexpected endings and frequent insight make for a high strike rate, but perhaps best of all are those where Theroux reassumes the biographical mantle of Andre Parent he previously employed for his 1989 novel My Secret History . . . If this is the last round–up from a grand old man of letters, his final words are good and true ones

A live-wire read

One of the best-known travel writers of our times . . . The title is not just that of a single story, but is the theme of all the tales here, in which characters find themselves at a crucial junction in their lives

Theroux has a way of slipping profound truths into his prose, the type that diligent readers copy into notebooks . . . His writing gives fiction life. He describes the things we all see but don’t mention in polite conversation, and he shines a light on thoughts we actively avoid

A short story

I didn't realize at first that this was a collection of short stories. I only really got i to the book after the first one and once you submit to the interesting dialogue and unusual twists in the ending, the stories come to life. Entertaining