Camp Echo
Written by Paul Theroux
Narrated by Jeff Moon
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
Celebrated as the “Indiana Jones of American literature,” legendary author Paul Theroux has explored the world and shared his vision of it in more than 50 books of bestselling fiction and nonfiction.
In Camp Echo, his new novella for Scribd Originals, Theroux delivers a compelling coming-of-age story about racism, masculinity, morality, and leadership. Inspired by his own experiences as a Boy Scout in the early 1950s, Theroux writes with precision and vivid detail, drawing from his days as a teen in the wilderness battling his own definition of what it meant to be a man. His is a tale both classic and decidedly of this moment, when prejudice and intolerance are again on the rise.
Andy Parent is a well-mannered, intelligent, and conscientious teenage boy who goes to summer camp to learn what all Boy Scouts were sent to camp to learn in the 1950s: strong values and character. Upon his arrival at Camp Echo, the camp director tells Andy and his peers that this summer program is meant “to give America a new generation of men of character, with ingrained qualities that make for good citizenship.”
Andy settles into his cabin with the other “P” boys: Paretsky, Pomroy, Pinto, Phelan, and Pagazzo. Between making lanyards, swimming, and learning to shoot, Andy learns just how little he knows of the world, and how hard it can be for anyone who seems “different” to fit in. As he witnesses bullying and bigotry—both from fellow campers and from the counselors tasked with teaching and protecting the boys—he is faced with the choice of whether to fall in line or remain true to himself.
Nostalgic and nuanced, Camp Echo invites readers to explore the formative experiences that turn a child into an adult. It is a work that will touch anyone who remembers the challenges of adolescence and recognizes the personal and societal trauma wrought by casual prejudice and other cruelties. A morality tale punctuated by the colorful humor and put-downs of adolescent boys, it challenges us to choose when to laugh and when to squirm. As with all great fiction, it is a timeless story, one that speaks as much to the times we’re living in as it does to the time in which it is set.
Paul Theroux
PAUL THEROUX is the author of many highly acclaimed books. His novels include The Bad Angel Brothers, The Lower River, Jungle Lovers, and The Mosquito Coast, and his renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and Dark Star Safari. He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod.
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Reviews for Camp Echo
149 ratings10 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5That one sucked. Makes me wonder if the writer ever went to a scout camp or if he was just making a story up as he went along. A LOT of a-holes in this book. I do have to say it had some emotion behind it. The recording cut out for 10-15 seconds in 5 or 6 places... so, the mechanics sucked worse than the story! If I would have Hurd this as a kid, I probably would have missed out on a lot of memories. Even the main character was a pits!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5An uneventful tour in a cast of boring characters with little depth. With some insight to America's real issues.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5It was pretty terrible. Don’t waste your time on this.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A boy adjusting to Boy Scout camp. How did kids survive back then?
Angst, bigotry, homophobia, ridicule - none are traditional Boy Scout values: except for the camp leaders. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Generic tale of an outsider at camp. I’ve never been to summer camp but I’ve heard this story so many times before, I feel like I have, though the ending is a nice touch.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was an okay book. I just didn’t really find the story appealing. It was very plain and I had to re-listen to the end a couple times because I didn’t follow what happened.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Surprisingly good! This is my first SCRIBD ORIGINAL, and I wasn’t expecting too much, although I know this author to be a very good one. I was pleasantly surprised! Great choice for a short listen.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fun listening. Great readers. Reminded me of my childhood
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reminiscent of Boy Scout camps... a great short listen
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was a bit basic. Basic characters that remain stagnant in development. Nothing eventful happens. Gives some insight to problems of racism and intolerance in America from the perspective of a young boy. Nothing that makes it stand out as excellent literature.