Theroux The Keyhole: When the world went weird (and so did I)

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On graduating, Louis decided to spend some time in the States. His summer break got longer and longer. "I didn’t have a job lined up in England and I felt that at least by being in America I was broadening my mind." Marcel had just completed a post-graduate degree at Yale, so Louis stayed with him. "I did menial work to make money and spent two months with a glass blower who made unbelievably tasteless gilded cherub goblets. Step inside Louis’ life like never before as he turns his critical eye on himself, his home, and family and tries to make sense of our weird and sometimes scary world. His new autobiography is the perfect book for our uncertain times by the hilarious and relatable Louis Theroux.

I think I didn't enjoy the book as much as I would have if I hadn't just read Miriam Margolyes autobiography, which is an absolute gem and is the best autobiography I've read since Moab is My Washpot by Stephen Fry, Myriam blends a wonderful amount of personality, stories about her relationships and friendships, anecdotes about fellow actors and celebrities, funny, poignant stories and political commentary. Come round to Louis Theroux’s house, where the much-loved documentary-maker finds himself in unexpected danger . . . Being a diary, the nature of the writing is a blend of the confessional mixed with self-analysis. Many times throughout, Theroux wonders if he’s overdoing the booze, or maintaining a healthy enough connection with his wife, Nancy, or if his career is going in the right direction. But it stands for I suppose TV in general, of which I watched quite a lot. Strictly, which I would watch on a Saturday, Succession or Barbarians or White Lotus. Some of it was Tiger King, a lot of it was other series. The Last Dance, did you see that? That was a good series on Netflix, about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. #1 - Nancy Theroux the Keyhole is Louis at his insightful best, as he faces unforeseen new challenges and wonders why it took a pandemic for him to learn that what really matters in life is right in front of him.I suppose the biggest flaw from this book may actually be the time I chose to read it, or maybe the blame is on the publishers for when they put it out. This will be a really interesting perspective for people in future to read into the difficulties that came with adapting to a new world but I think it just revealed I’ve still got a lot to get over. Louis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University. The book is also a whistle-stop tour of world events during this period, some of which made me laugh out loud all over again (Four Seasons Landscaping anyone? 😂).

I enjoyed his relaying of his conversations with his youngest son, Ray. Ray comes acorss as precocious, clever, fun and something of a handful. However, Louis' descriptions of Ray's very frequent ipad use and a few references to outbursts that Louis and his wife, Nancy, struggled to cope with, concerned me. They really hammered home the concerns that many parents must have about the behavioural and developmental impacts of the pandemic on young children. The dark rumours – of sexual deviance, of being unemotional, of having a morbid interest in corpses – were one of the reasons I’d taken him on as a subject. As The Guardiansaid in its review of the documentary, it is a “sad portrait of a very different California”, contrasting any ideas of the picture-perfect California portrayed in regular media. This pattern of gritty and realistic portrayals crops up again and again in Theroux’s work. He is unafraid of difficult subjects which, as in the case of The City Addicted to Crystal Meth, often makes for uncomfortable viewing. Shedding light, however, on these difficult and challenging stories is what leads to Theroux’s impact and popularity. Louis also describes how he launches his podcast, Grounded, finally gets to the US to film a new Tiger King documentary and aims his sights on the latest incarnation of the far right in a world becoming radicalised by social media. Theroux the Keyhole is Louis at his insightful best, as he faces unforeseen new challenges and wonders why it took a pandemic for him to learn that what really matters in life is right in front of him. Come round to Louis Theroux’s house where the much-loved TV documentary-maker, podcaster and bestselling author of Gotta Get Theroux This finds himself in unexpected danger . . .

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thoughtful and witty comments from louis on his personal and work life, as well as the silly goofy louis we know and love🤪 His ability to dissect the emotional complexities of modern family life with unflinching honesty makes Theroux the Keyhole well worth a read and a fascinating document of this unprecedented era.