American Rust: A Novel
A debut novel about two young men in a declining Pennsylvania steel town, where economic hardship and violence narrow the choices for everyone involved.
Work Information
A debut novel about two young men in a declining Pennsylvania steel town, where economic hardship and violence narrow the choices for everyone involved.
A debut novel about two young men in a declining Pennsylvania steel town, where economic hardship and violence narrow the choices for everyone involved.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Spiegel & Grau
- Published
- 2009-02-24
- Pages
- 384 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 16.74 x 3.18 x 24.21 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780385527514
- ISBN-10
- 0385527519
- Price
- 5326 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction/Family Saga
Set in a beautiful but economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town, American Rust is a novel of the lost American dream and the desperation—as well as the acts of friendship, loyalty, and love—that arise from its loss. From local bars to trainyards to prison, it is the story of two young men, bound to the town by family, responsibility, inertia, and the beauty around them, who dream of a future beyond the factories and abandoned homes. Left alone to care for his aging father after his mother commits suicide and his sister escapes to Yale, Isaac English longs for a life beyond his hometown. But when he finally sets out to leave for good, accompanied by his temperamental best friend, former high school football star Billy Poe, they are caught up in a terrible act of violence that changes their lives forever. Evoking John Steinbeck’s novels of restless lives during the Great Depression, American Rust takes us into the contemporary American heartland at a moment of profound unrest and uncertainty about the future. It is a dark but lucid vision, a moving novel about the bleak realities that battle our desire for transcendence and the power of love and friendship to redeem us.
Philipp Meyer grew up in Baltimore, dropped out of high school, and got his GED when he was sixteen. After spending several years volunteering at a trauma center in downtown Baltimore, he attended Cornell University, where he studied English. Since graduating, Meyer has worked as a derivatives trader at UBS, a construction worker, and an EMT, among other jobs. His writing has been published in McSweeney's, The Iowa Review, Salon.com, and New Stories from the South . From 2005 to 2008 Meyer was a fellow at the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas. He splits his time between Texas and upstate New York.
Reviews
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Excellent roman
Après avoir lu "Le fils" du même auteur, j'ai souhaité découvrir son premier roman "American rust" où j'ai retrouvé un style et une écriture dignes des grands romanciers américains. A lire absolument!
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Great
Fantastic condition - hasn't been read. Arrived early.
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Great Novel
I just finished reading "American Rust" and extremely happy with the purchase. The story is told through 6 different characters and how their lives are affected by a single act. It's a great read and hard to believe it's the author's first book. It's a masterpiece. I look forward to reading Philipp Meyer's next book titled "The Son".
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Großartiges und packendes Buch
Nach der begeisterten Lektüre von "Der erste Sohn" habe ich mich auch ans Erstlingswerk des Autors gemacht und bin nicht minder angetan. Philipp Meyer erzählt einen packenden Plot und bettet ihn ein zwischen Familiendrama, Geschichtsstunde, Krimispannung und präziser Analyse sozialer Verwerfungen im von Deindustrialisierung erschütterten "Rust Belt" Amerikas. Empfehlenswert.
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An excellent and interesting read.
An excellent read. Very insightful about the state of the decline in some parts of the US, and how lives are affected. Easy to read and at the same time captures the reader into the lives and events of the characters.