There's something voyeuristic about reading someone's diary and this one doesn't require you sneaking into their bedroom and opening the lock with a hairpin. It's a struggle of feelings day today, changeable as the waves on the sea and brings a new understanding to a person. I must have a bit of the voyeur in me, and I enjoyed this.

Anne was the wife of writer Paul Theroux, and in the year their marriage fell apart she kept a record - part diary of what she was doing day-to-day, and part journal of her feelings and thoughts. In this memoir, she uses that record to reflect on life with her husband, life as their marriage ended, and life since.

Having been badly burned by the end of my own marriage, I have been on a search for a woman who can put into words far better than I how the experience feels. As all experiences are different, I haven't yet found what I'm looking for. In parts I felt there was a whiff of recognition in Anne's words, particularly in being on the receiving end of a betrayal. But the immense privilege inherent in her lifestyle, and her own acts of infidelity, snuffed that out quite a bit.

However, what I enjoyed about this memoir is also quite clearly linked to those two aspects. Anne's life is incredibly interesting to read about, before and during the marriage breakdown. And she is honest about her own faults, as well as those of her husband. Combined, this makes for quite a compelling, if very sad, read. It is brave to put these details out there, and no doubt that's why she has left quite a distance between the events and publishing this book. But her approach, both in the format and in the writing style, drew me in and kept me reading.

The Year of the End - Anne Theroux


“'This memoir is based on the diary I kept during 1990, the year that my first marriage came to an end.'
After 22 years, spent across four continents, with two children - Louis and Marcel - in 1990 Anne and Paul Theroux decided to separate. For that year, Anne - later a professional relationship therapist herself - kept a diary, noting not only her day-to-day experiences as a busy freelance journalist and broadcaster, but the contrasts in her feelings between despairing grief and hope for a new future.”

I was interested to read this from the blurb, but also as a kind of companion to Louis Theroux’s memoir, the brilliantly titled “Gotta get Theroux this”. I wanted to hear Anne’s story, as I knew of her ex-husband’s writing and of Louis’ fascinating and personable documentary work too, but nothing from her.

I thought it would be entries from the time, paragraphs on how she felt and what she was doing, her hopes and fears. This could be with an interjection every so often of her modern self, relaying some information about how that book was moderately successful, or that she didn’t get a chance to revisit that holiday home and that was in fact, the last time she stepped out of the front door.
It was a bit of a surprise that the diary she kept was in reality, a line or so a day which more often than not, described who she’d had dinner with (usually her family). The rest of it is her reminiscences about the meal, the holiday she was excluded from, lamenting the separation while she talks about her own infidelities. From a vantage point of three decades of new memories being made, I don’t know how much I trust that she can remember so much detail without the benefit of hindsight or the mists of time getting in the way.

Memoirs and autobiographies are by nature, self indulgent, of course, but the best ones tell a story. A journey, a specific period in someone’s life which is important, perhaps because it made them the person they are today, like in Roald Dahl’s Boy and Going Solo. It could be like ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed, an inspirational and literal journey from where she was to who she became. Unfortunately this one had all of the introspection with none of the self awareness, all of the self-centredness with no real recognition of how bitter and sad the voice in this diary is, even 30 years later.
I’m not really sure who this is for, to be honest. Newly separated people? Theroux completists?
I don’t want to read any more from Anne, and judging by the content of the books Paul Theroux writes about, I don’t really want to read his either. A wannabe Ernest Hemingway or William Faulkner with a hefty dose of colonialism. A few times in the book Anne complains about being featured as a shrewish, nagging character, and also the way that her pupils in Africa are objectified, seen as grotesque caricatures of teenaged women with big bottoms and breasts. I’d be a bit annoyed too, to be honest.

They’re just not very nice to each other, and in some ways this feels like her revenge, her chance to tell everyone how controlling and awful he was, his serial philandering forcing her to turn to extra marital affairs and leaving her feeling abandoned in her forties, with a couple of grown up sons. Which is understandable, but it doesn’t make for a good read.
Perhaps it’s the tone of it that is jarring - she complains for quite a lot of the book that the various charities she’s signed up for can’t get her a job in Africa, despite her BBC experience, in a real ‘don't you know who I am’, display. It’s quite cringey and has more than a whiff of white saviour about it - she’s almost definitely someone who still pronounces it ‘Keenya’. It’s hard to feel sorry for someone who’s moaning that their house in London isn’t big enough for them, that she isn’t invited to the in-laws for the summer and can only go on two abroad holidays a year, basically. Plenty more people have plenty more to worry about, and even with the benefit of present day vision, there’s no humility or reference to how bitter she was and how ungrateful for what is essentially, a good life.

I’m still looking forward to Louis’ memoir, and I did enjoy the mentions of him, especially the one of him going to see his friends ‘Joe and Adam’. Although everyone knows that it’s ‘Adam and Joe’, so even that was a bit jarring.

Not for me, I’m afraid, but thank you to Netgalley and to Icon for the DRC.

Being a huge fan of Louis Theroux's work I thought I'd check this out. Written alongside diary entries from the time of her marriage divorce to Paul Theroux, this is a work of unpacking and understanding Anne's thoughts and feelings at the time. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her and admire her resilience at the end.

I honestly didn’t know much about the family before I read the book although I knew who they are and watch Louis documentaries etc..

An interesting look into the sad family life from his Moms diary.

I found this book interesting and liked the fact it was diary form and a little different. I do feel a little sorry for her though

Paul Theroux is a writer I much admire, I’ve read and hugely enjoyed a dozen of his books (a mix of novels and travelogues but also a compendium of essays). He’s clearly a clever guy, with a keen eye for what is interesting and an arresting way of capturing it in words. In his work he sometimes referred to his time living in England, with his English wife, although the short(ish) references tended to be slanted towards the negative. So when this book caught my eye I was keen to investigate what the view from the other side of the fence looked like: what was Paul like to live with from the perspective of his wife of twenty two years.

Anne had met Paul in Africa when they were both living and working there as young, idealistic adventurers. They conceived their first child Marcel, got married and then a couple of years later their second child, Louis (now a well-known television documentarian) came along. After leaving Africa they spent three years in Singapore before settling in London. Paul, a workaholic, spent much of his time writing and travelling (mainly alone) to gather material for his travelogues. He was also a woman magnet and his philandering ways are well documented in this book. But Anne strayed too during her husband’s long absences. They admitted their transgressions to each other (or at least Paul admitted some of them) creating an ever turbulent relationship. Eventually they agreed to a trial separation for six months. This book is based on a diary Anne kept through the twelve months that followed.

Her diary entries are somewhat sporadic, often cryptic (she sometimes has trouble interpreting them herself) and to aid comprehension she provides additional insight by way of a commentary as we work through them. It’s a difficult time for her both personally and professionally and it’s clear she was really struggling to hold her life together throughout this whole period. She still loved Paul, and maybe Paul still loved her, but their communication through this year was minimal and she tended to keep track of her husband’s activities through third-hand reports received from mutual friends or family members. It’s a sad and sometimes upsetting account, and yet I found it to be totally absorbing to read.

It felt to me that Anne was being brutally honest here about her own failings as well as what she saw as Paul’s inherent weaknesses and his shortfalls as a partner. The pair eventually divorced and both subsequently entered new long term relationships. It seems that they are now able to communicate cordially and that they meet infrequently but on friendly terms. Anne also qualified as a relationships counsellor, coincidentally collecting her diploma the day before Paul re-married.

I found this to be an engrossing account of the breakdown of a marriage and it’s impacts. I personally learned good deal about behaviour, recovery and how we react to setbacks in our life. If it has a drawback it’s that it is almost wholly downbeat in tone – hard to avoid, in truth, given the circumstances – and so this book is probably best digested with this in mind. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it.

As a keen watcher of Louis Theroux documentaries, I was keen to learn more about his life. This is written by his mother and is the story of her marriage breakdown and how she managed to rebuild her life with her family. A solid read.

This was a really engaging memoir based around Anne Theroux's 1990 diary entries, the year she split with her husband Paul Theroux. Although that might sound like it would be a depressing or maudlin read, it was neither. It brought Anne to life - and in her own words - when many people's perceptions of her will have come from her portrayal through Paul's book whether in fictional or non-fictional form.

The book was a reflection on a year, but also how Anne had ended up with the life she had - both the good and the bad. It showed her clear love for her children, but also the push and pull of her relationship wih Paul. It was a sensitively handled telling of a difficult time.

A heartbreaking reality of what a marriage and the consequences of a breakdown are. A raw and emotional account.

If you like memoirs in diary format, this is an interesting and enjoyable read.

Reading it in the dairy format it made me feel at times as if I was sneaking a peak into someone else’s marriage woes.

A very emotional ride, recommend a read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven't been through the end of a marriage myself but this book felt honest and raw, but not in a dramatic way, which I enjoyed. I felt like I was going on the journey alongside rather than just watching, which added an interesting dynamic to the reading experience. It didn't grip me particularly but not a bad book

Interesting account of the Theroux marriage, told from the perspective of the wife, Anne, lead by a diary she kept during their last year together. Loved reading about their experiences abroad!

A really interesting read that not only captures the sense of the time period but also the loss felt due to the end of a significant relationship. I admit to reading it initially due to the link to both Paul and Louis Theroux but Anne obviously emerges from their shadow and puts her own life and actions front and centre.

What a fascinating read though it did annoy me at times and I would find my self shaking my head. It was interesting to read the insights from someone who lived a very different life to myself. I did feel I had a different opinion to her thoughts on things, as many do when you are outside looking in.

Oh good grief what have I just read? Anne Theroux marries a man she knows she shouldn’t be marrying, who before he’s even got a ring on her finger has told her that her career doesn’t matter and that she is there simply to follow his life. She then spends a mostly unhappy 20 odd years with him, terribly wronged by this unfaithful, arrogant narcissist and you feel sorry for her until she admits her own 3 affairs, but it’s ok... she did it because she was lonely. Could my eyes roll back any further? He leaves, she begs him back, she gets ragey and leaves him drunken answerphone messages. Meanwhile she is living a life of financial privilege that few have the opportunity to live, working globally in a field she loves but still whines about being unfulfilled while she subcontracts out the raising of her sons to a series of young nannies, (who she speaks of appallingly in the opening chapters) schools and
universities.
I think her ex husband Paul still wins in the arrogant narcissist stakes but my word does she come a close second with her self indulgent whining.
There was a lot of discussion of literature and the fascinating work she did in broadcasting and people she interviewed which is the only reason I finished the book rather than abandoning it.

A book in diary format - you feel like you are surreptitiously reading someone else's personal thoughts.
It's a snapshot of when the marraige of Anne and Paul fell apart, with her writing openly about reasons, actions that led to the decision from years ago, and how their relationship fell apart.
If you like memoirs in diary format, this is an interesting and enjoyable read.

A memoir of the ending of a long marriage. I must admit I liked this less than I wanted to. As someone who has also been through a divorce, I expected to really relate to this book but I didn't. I found it difficult to get into. There were moments of very beautiful writing but then other times when I felt uncomfortable, almost as if I were trapped in a room witnessing someone else's argument. Not what I was hoping for really.

This is a relatively brief but really enjoyable read - a memoir of a long marriage ending, a time capsule of the early 90s and a fascinating account of life in London literary circles all in one go. Anne Theroux has had a remarkably interesting life and though I’m sure many reviews of this book will focus on her as the wife of/mother of, I loved getting to know more about her (and I confess to a bit of bias as a fellow alumna of St Hilda’s, which I didn’t know before I picked up the book). Although the year in question is an extremely painful one for the author, she writes about it lucidly and at times beautifully and this is ultimately a very hopeful memoir. Highly recommended and many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I found this book an interesting read, particularly in the way the author uses the diary format to explore her history and different turning points in her life. Anne Theroux builds on the diary she kept in the year she split from her husband, the author Paul Theroux, and uses her feelings at the time to reflect on how she got to that point, and the coping mechanisms she used as she dealt with the breakdown of her marriage, ultimately becoming a relationship counsellor herself. The most interesting part of the book, for me, was how the role of women and the institution of marriage changed in the thirty odd years covered in the memoir, and I would have loved to have read more about her experiences in Africa as her love affair with that country is far more straightforward and fascinating than the complex and tortured relationship she has with her husband.

This book is a diary of the year in which Anne and Paul Theroux’s marriage ended. Throughout the year, reflections of other times and events are woven into the narrative, giving a sense of what the marriage and Anne’s life had been like.
The diary format is one of my favourites as I love feeling like I am living in someone else’s life for a little while. Anne describes time spent in Africa vividly, making it seem special and magical. Being a Louis Theroux fan, I obviously ate up all the snippets about his upbringing with a spoon. There were moments, such as the description of Anne meeting Paul’s family for the first time, that were a pleasure to read. Her take on V.S Naipaul is personal and unsparing, the kind of detail I love in non-fiction: I read memoir to know people and this felt honest and insightful.
Still, I am not sure how strongly I could recommend the book. I found it a bit thin - the juicy details not that interesting, the lack of positives about Paul Theroux pretty glaring. I know she must have felt strongly about her marriage ending to have published this book but for me it feels detached and oddly superficial. I didn’t care for either party because she didn’t make me care. That is a rarity - diaries usually make me feel weirdly protective over their writers, as if we’re friends. I don’t think she fully committed to sharing the reality of divorce, instead alluding to arguments without actually fleshing them out. Maybe I’m a garbage person for wanting the gory details but for me that’s why people read about relationships- we want a version of the truth that feels raw and satisfying. She tells us about affairs and so on but the parties involved never become real and I felt none of the outrage that I would expect to on Anne’s behalf when she revealed Paul’s transgressions.
Others with more knowledge of Anne or Paul’s work may find more to interest them than I did. The Year of The End isn’t a bad book, just one that left me a little bit cold.