In the book, Louis is reunited with some of his favorite, or at least, his weirdest 'subjects'. Some are happy to see him-others are not; some subjects’ lives' have become almost normal and others are as kooky as ever.

Louis is-as ever- endearingly naughty and often gives them enough rope to choke on. However, he also seems genuinely fond of some of his subjects, which i found rather touching.

I really enjoyed this book and hope that we see more of Louis' work in the future-whether on T.V. or in print.


Funny, light, educational, eye-opening   November 9, 2005
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is a really entertaining book, actually very funny at times - the bit with the alien medium was hilarious.
Theroux writes well - in a light and effortless to read style.
While it isn't too serious, he does pause to muse on the nature of weirdness, the origins of abnormal beliefs and behaviours in his subjects, and his own motivations for covering them. This is done without pretentious psychobabble.
The people covered are really fascinating and Theroux's interactions with them, as viewers of his TV series will know, are always revealing and amusing.

I really recommend this book.


Weird or wonderful?   October 17, 2005
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

Being an avid follower of Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends it seemed a logical to read about Louis' return to 'Weirdsville' in this book. I'd heard Louis was writing a book in 2004 but was, as another reviewer remarks, unsure of what to expect. However, I took a gamble on the hardback when it was released and was pleasantly surprised.
Following a similar format to the TV series, Louis returns to some of his previous subjects to give a greater insight into what drives their weird ways and provide us with an update on their lives. Be warned though, this isn't a comprehensive update on all of Louis' previous subjects, but rather a trawl through some of those he found more fascinating in the American west. This is understandable, as I'm sure updating us on past exploits would be a neverending story - however, it is a little disappointing that other interesting subjects such as the Boers and swingers weren't covered again. Nevertheless, this book does have the added incentive of containing various material that Louis began but got canned for one reason or another, a la Ike Turner.
Overall, I would suggest watching at least some of the Weird Weekend series before reading this book. These will add greater depth to the reading, and it is definitely good to have a picture of Louis, his interviewing style and his subjects in your mind before being brought up to date. Having said that, if you are simply interested in American sub-cultures then this book is well written enough to keep you entertained - my sister read it having seen only a couple of Weird Weekends and it has inspired her to check out the rest of the series. There's no real narrative flow so you can pick the book up, read a chapter, then put it down again. Well, in theory at least... I usually take more time reading books but was so engrossed by this one that it probably took me about 3 days to get through. Likewise for my sister.
So in answer to whether this book is weird or wonderful, I would have to say that it is both in equal measure. And that is why I would recommend it.