In 1984, Anthony Burgess published Ninety-Nine Novels, a selection of his favourite novels in English since 1939. The list is typically idiosyncratic, and shows the breadth of Burgess’s interest in fiction. This podcast explores the novels on Burgess’s list with the help of writers, critics and other special guests.

In this episode, Andrew Biswell has a wide-ranging conversation with Paul Theroux about his memories of Anthony Burgess, his new book True North, and his 1981 novel The Mosquito Coast.

The Mosquito Coast follows Allie Fox, a genius inventor who believes twentieth-century America has become corrupt. He takes his family to Honduras to set up an isolated settlement in the jungle, but Allie’s utopian ideals begin to fall apart when he is faced with hostile weather, disease and bandits. Through the eyes of his son, Charlie, Allie’s attempts to create a new world begin to look a lot like madness.

Paul Theroux has written many works of fiction and travel writing, including the modern classics The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, and My Secret History. His most famous novel, The Mosquito Coast, was adapted into a film starring Harrison Ford in 1986, and into a television series starring Justin Theroux in 2021. Paul won the Edward Stanford Award for Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing 2020. His new book, True North: On the Road in Canada, is out now.

Books mentioned in this episode

By Paul Theroux:

• The Great Railway Bazaar (1975)
• The Old Patagonian Express (1979)
• The Kingdom by the Sea (1983)
• My Secret History (1989)
• Burma Sahib (2024)

By others:

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
• The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James (1903)
• His Monkey Wife by John Collier (1930)
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
• The Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess (1956-59)
• Inside Mr Enderby and Enderby Outside in The Complete Enderby by Anthony Burgess (1963-84)
• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962)
• Nothing Like the Sun by Anthony Burgess (1964)
• ABBA ABBA by Anthony Burgess (1977)
• The Real Life of Anthony Burgess by Andrew Biswell (2005)
• Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess (1980)

This page contains affiliate links that help support the charitable work of the Burgess Foundation.

In previous series of Ninety-Nine Novels, we learnt about authors including James Joyce, Thomas Pynchon, Nadine Gordimer, Vladimir Nabokov and Christopher Isherwood, among others. These episodes are available at your favourite place to get podcasts.

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The theme music for the Ninety-Nine Novels podcast is Anthony Burgess’s Concerto for Flute, Strings and Piano in D Minor, performed by No Dice Collective.

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