I love Theroux's travel writing and I was excited to read his newest book. He was the author that first kindled my love for travel literature. I haven't read his more recent books but I did know at nearly 80 years old that he was sticking a bit closer to home. The book is uneven in places and doesn't cohere as well as some of his earlier works like "The Great Railway Bazaar" or "The Old Patagonian Express." But "On the Plain of Snakes" still has Theroux's signature unsentimental and often insightful observations. There were moments in this book when I had to put the book down because of the power of the image or the story he told. The "Migrant's Prayer" scene really, really got to me. Theroux gives us a fascinating look at Mexico and Mexican identity that resists easy portrayal or categorization. It also includes his usual deep research into fiction and travel literature on Mexico from outsiders and insiders.