Over decades of travel writing, renowned travel writer Paul Theroux has often observed that a journey is transformed by the generosity, humour and spirit of the people one encounters along the way. Beautiful scenery may attract visitors, but it is kindness, curiosity and conversation that remain as the memory connection long after the trip has ended, he says.
For Theroux, one of the greatest gifts a traveller can possess is optimism – a willingness to laugh at the unexpected, embrace uncertainty, and find delight in ordinary encounters. Equally important is arriving in places where one’s hosts are welcoming, generous and quietly confident in who they are.
It is one of the reasons Canada is the subject of his newest – and final – travel narrative, True North.
Publishing this week (Sept. 22), True North: On the Road in Canada traces a cross-country journey from Newfoundland to Vancouver, shifting from the intimacy of the footpath to the scale of the open road.
What begins as the completion of a North American journey becomes deeply personal as Theroux traces his ancestral roots to 17th-century Quebec, reconnecting with Québécois friends and relations before venturing across remote villages, multicultural cities, and vast landscapes.
Along the way, he engages with farmers, refugees, renowned writers, and Indigenous leaders, capturing conversations about identity, belonging, and patriotism shaped in part by tensions with the United States.
From protest-filled Ottawa to the historic site of L’Anse aux Meadows, from Toronto’s diverse suburbs to Vancouver’s Pacific edge, True North offers a panoramic portrait of a complex nation – both familiar and elusive. Blending the empathy of a companion with the insight of a cultural critic, Theroux reflects on kinship, migration, and resilience, revealing a Canada that is diverse, unsettled, and alive with stories.
Blending personal reflection with cultural observation, Theroux explores identity, migration, and national character, engaging with writers, farmers, Indigenous leaders, and everyday travellers along the way. The result is a nuanced portrait of a complex country and a final chapter from one of travel writing’s most influential voices.
Around the world, Canadians are often described – both by visitors and by Canadians themselves – as polite, modest, practical, community-minded and respectful of differences.
They are frequently seen as patient, quietly proud, appreciative of nature and more inclined toward consensus than confrontation. Their humour is rarely loud or theatrical. Instead, it often reveals itself through irony, gentle wit, self-deprecation and an ability to laugh at themselves.
Regional character adds further richness to the country.
Atlantic Canadians are renowned for their warmth and hospitality. Quebec possesses a vibrant cultural identity and artistic confidence rooted in language and history. Ontario is often viewed as industrious and business oriented. The Prairie provinces are admired for resilience and straightforwardness. British Columbia reflects an outdoor, environmentally conscious lifestyle, while Northern communities demonstrate extraordinary cooperation born from remote living.
“They are,” Theroux suggests, “good neighbours rather than loud personalities.”
And although Canada is not always thought of first as a nation of comedians, it has produced an astonishing number of performers whose humour has become part of popular culture, including Ryan Gosling, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, Norm Macdonald, Russell Peters, Howie Mandel, Rick Mercer and Mark Critch.
The Theroux family favourite is Ryan Gosling, whose wonderfully unexpected response to an interviewer asking about his favourite sandwich was simply: “Ice cream.” It is precisely that kind of playful unpredictability that Theroux adores.
For Theroux, humour has never been separate from travel. It is another way of discovering identity, memory, place and character – the enduring themes that have shaped his writing for more than five decades.
With Canadian grandparents of his own, Theroux recognizes many of the qualities he has admired throughout his travels: curiosity instead of certainty, kindness instead of bravado, quiet humour, respect for landscape, and an appreciation for ordinary people whose character reveals itself through everyday moments rather than grand performances.
In True North, readers will find memorable conversations that capture the gentle wit and quiet optimism that so many people associate with Canada. Among them are discoveries that Theroux believes perfectly express the country’s understated sense of humour and generosity of spirit.
Massachusetts-born Theroux is the author of more than 50 books, including The Great Railway Bazaar, The Mosquito Coast, and Deep South. He is a recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Patron’s Medal and numerous literary awards.
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