The biggest challenge with semi-autobigraphical novels is figuring out what is fact and what is fiction. "Mother Land" is clearly based in some parts on Theroux's own family, I just don't think things were quite that toxic in real life, in particular his relationships with his mother and his brother. As a result, I did spend some time thinking "how bad were they really?".
Setting aside any musings on the veracity of "Mother Land" as an accurate portrayal of Theroux's own family, what I did find was an excellent tale of the spiteful things that families sometimes do to each other - selling relatives down the river to grab a bigger slice of an inheritance, parents pitting children against one another for their love, sibling rivalry leading to fallouts and tense family get togethers... A lot of the elements of this novel actually hit really close to home for me, albeit with my grandmother in the pivotal mother role. But that's a story for another day!
Books that elicit responses from their readers are generally a good thing - this book had be alternating between laughing and getting wound up, which can only be a great testament to Theroux's writing. His characters really resonated with me as the bully and connive their duplicitous ways through life. An immensely enjoyable, beautifully written novel. Highly recommended.