<p><i>The Collected Stories</i> is a collection of award-winning writer Paul Theroux''s short stories, each of which brimming with astute observations and sharp wit that will captivate readers the world over.<br><br>''[Theroux] makes and remakes his own world...the smell, sound, sight of his scenes is always strong, even pungent; and, even more, his dialogue is powerfully but also effortlessly accurate'' <i>Sunday Telegraph</i><br><br>''Theroux willingly explores the blighted territory of a failing marriage; the tangled jungle of a mad poet''s secret anti-Semitism; the belated sexual guilt of a Hindu. . . a book of many and varied pleasures; to read it is to feel alert, curious, adventurous'' <i>Observer</i><br><br>''Paul Theroux''s writing is impeccable and thoughtfully entertaining. . . his artistry is individual, serene, yet also grainy with fierce truths'' <i>The Times</i><br><br>''One needs energy to keep up with the extraordinary, productive restlessness of Paul Theroux. . . [He