David Means - Hystopia : A Novel read online TXT, PDF, DOC
9781250118387 English 1250118387 "Brilliant. Nothing but." Ben Fountain, author of "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk"At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation s mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from Vietnam have their battlefield traumas enfolded --wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy--while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the Psych Corps and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized, alternate version of American history is the vision of the twenty-two-year-old veteran Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book at the center of "Hystopia," the long-awaited first novel by David Means. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In "Hystopia," Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, "Hystopia" invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author s own heart.", At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation's mental hygiene. Soldiers returning from Vietnam have their traumas erased through drugs and therapy, while the ones who are too damaged to be "enfolded" roam at will in Michigan, evading the Psych Corps and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized, alternate version of American history is the vision of the twenty-two-year-old veteran Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book at the center of Hystopia , the long-awaited first novel by David Means. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In Hystopia , Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, Hystopia offers wildly inventive answers to timely questions, inviting us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. -From the NBCC Finalist and Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize-For readers of Ben Fountain (and those who enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut), From the author of "Assorted Fire Events, ""A throwback to postmodernism] s heyday...nodding in the direction of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson" (Sam Sacks, "The Wall Street Journal").At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy is entering his third term in office. The Vietnam War rages on, and the president has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation s mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from the war have their battlefield traumas enfolded wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the government and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized version of American history is the vision of twenty-two-year old Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book-within-a-book at the center of "Hystopia." In conversation with some of the greatest war narratives, from Homer s "Iliad" to the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, David Means channels the voice of Allen, the young veteran out to write a novel that can bring honor to those he fought with in Vietnam while also capturing the tragic history of his own family.The critic James Wood has written that Means s language offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality. In "Hystopia," his highly anticipated first novel, David Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, "Hystopia" invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author s own heart.", From the author of Assorted Fire Events, "A throwback to [postmodernism]'s heyday...nodding in the direction of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson" (Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal ). At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy is entering his third term in office. The Vietnam War rages on, and the president has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation's mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from the war have their battlefield traumas "enfolded" -- wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy -- while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the government and reenacting atrocities on civilians. This destabilized version of American history is the vision of twenty-two-year old Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book-within-a-book at the center of Hystopia . In conversation with some of the greatest war narratives, from Homer's Iliad to the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," David Means channels the voice of Allen, the young veteran out to write a novel that can bring honor to those he fought with in Vietnam while also capturing the tragic history of his own family. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In Hystopia , his highly anticipated first novel, David Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, Hystopia invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author's own heart.
9781250118387 English 1250118387 "Brilliant. Nothing but." Ben Fountain, author of "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk"At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation s mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from Vietnam have their battlefield traumas enfolded --wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy--while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the Psych Corps and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized, alternate version of American history is the vision of the twenty-two-year-old veteran Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book at the center of "Hystopia," the long-awaited first novel by David Means. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In "Hystopia," Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, "Hystopia" invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author s own heart.", At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation's mental hygiene. Soldiers returning from Vietnam have their traumas erased through drugs and therapy, while the ones who are too damaged to be "enfolded" roam at will in Michigan, evading the Psych Corps and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized, alternate version of American history is the vision of the twenty-two-year-old veteran Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book at the center of Hystopia , the long-awaited first novel by David Means. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In Hystopia , Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, Hystopia offers wildly inventive answers to timely questions, inviting us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. -From the NBCC Finalist and Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize-For readers of Ben Fountain (and those who enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut), From the author of "Assorted Fire Events, ""A throwback to postmodernism] s heyday...nodding in the direction of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson" (Sam Sacks, "The Wall Street Journal").At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy is entering his third term in office. The Vietnam War rages on, and the president has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation s mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from the war have their battlefield traumas enfolded wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the government and reenacting atrocities on civilians.This destabilized version of American history is the vision of twenty-two-year old Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book-within-a-book at the center of "Hystopia." In conversation with some of the greatest war narratives, from Homer s "Iliad" to the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, David Means channels the voice of Allen, the young veteran out to write a novel that can bring honor to those he fought with in Vietnam while also capturing the tragic history of his own family.The critic James Wood has written that Means s language offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality. In "Hystopia," his highly anticipated first novel, David Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, "Hystopia" invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author s own heart.", From the author of Assorted Fire Events, "A throwback to [postmodernism]'s heyday...nodding in the direction of Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson" (Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal ). At the bitter end of the 1960s, after surviving multiple assassination attempts, President John F. Kennedy is entering his third term in office. The Vietnam War rages on, and the president has created a vast federal agency, the Psych Corps, dedicated to maintaining the nation's mental hygiene by any means necessary. Soldiers returning from the war have their battlefield traumas "enfolded" -- wiped from their memories through drugs and therapy -- while veterans too damaged to be enfolded roam at will in Michigan, evading the government and reenacting atrocities on civilians. This destabilized version of American history is the vision of twenty-two-year old Eugene Allen, who has returned from Vietnam to write the book-within-a-book at the center of Hystopia . In conversation with some of the greatest war narratives, from Homer's Iliad to the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," David Means channels the voice of Allen, the young veteran out to write a novel that can bring honor to those he fought with in Vietnam while also capturing the tragic history of his own family. The critic James Wood has written that Means's language "offers an exquisitely precise and sensuous register of an often crazy American reality." In Hystopia , his highly anticipated first novel, David Means brings his full talent to bear on the crazy reality of trauma, both national and personal. Outlandish and tender, funny and violent, timely and historical, Hystopia invites us to consider whether our traumas can ever be truly overcome. The answers it offers are wildly inventive, deeply rooted in its characters, and wrung from the author's own heart.