American Purgatorio A Novel

by Haskell, John

• ISBN13: 9780312424992
• ISBN10: 031242499X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781466855106
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-24
• Publisher: Picador

Summary

American Purgatoriois the story of a happily married man who discovers, as he walks out of a convenience store, that his wife has suddenly vanished. In cool, precise prose, written as both a detective story and a meditation on the seven deadly sins, Haskell tells a story that ranges from the brownstones of New York City to the sandy beaches of Southern California. The novel follows the journey of a man whose object of desire is both heartbreaking and ephemeral, and confirms John Haskell's reputation as "one of those rare authors who makes language seem limitless in its possibilities" (Los Angeles Times). John Haskellis the author of a short-story collection,I Am Not Jackson Pollack. His work has appeared inGranta,The Paris Review,Conjunctions,The Believer, andPloughshares. He is a contributor to the radio showThe Next Best Thing. He lives in Brooklyn. "I'm from Chicago originally. I went to New York, married a girl named Anne, and was in the middle of living happily ever after when something happened." So begins John Haskell's mesmerizing first novel,American Purgatorio, the story of a man who discovers, as he walks out of a convenience store, that his life has suddenly vanished. In cool, precise prose, Haskell tells a taleat once a detective story and a mediation on the seven deadly sinsthat is by turns tragic and comic, compassionate and gripping. From the brownstones of New York City to the sandy beaches of Southern California, American Purgatorio follows the journey of a man whose object of desire is both heartbreaking and ephemeral. It confirms John Haskell's reputation as one of our most intriguing new writers, "one of those rare authors who makes language seem limitless in its possibilities (Susan Salter Reynold,Los Angeles Times). "American Purgatorio, John Haskell's gutsy, weirdly engrossing first novel, is a domestic interpretation of Dante. It's a road story divided into seven sections, each named for a deadly sin, with a hero, Jack, who pursues his lost love from Brooklyn to San Diego . . . Haskell, the author of a quirky collection of stories,I Am Not Jackson Pollack, can offer startling visual detail . . . Turn the last page, and you'll realize that this strange, moving book has done just what a first novel should: it has left an impression."Taylor Antrim,The New York Times Book Review "Hypnotic . . . It's nearly impossible to sumarize in a review without detracting from the impact of the gradually unraveling structure . . . Is this a thriller? Amnesia fiction? A metaphysical road novel? A puzzle? The answer is all of the above, of course."The Village Voice "Make no mistake: this is not an ordinary novel . . . [it is] a literary affirmation of fiction's potential to go beyond mere scene . . . and tap into the deepest roots of human motive."San Francisco Chronicle "One of those books that sets the reader's mind in new directions."Houston Chronicle "If it's not for his poignant and unmatched blend of pop culture and literary intelligence, then the reason Haskell is the United States' most significant new voice is because of sentences like this one: 'As I watched her walk I told myself, This is what I have to do, meaning, This is what I feel, meaning, This is who I think I have to be.'"Lee Henderson,The Globe and Mail(Toronto) "All suspicions are now confirmed. Haskell is a terrific writer."The Buffalo News "Haskell, whose short story collectionI Am Not Jackson Pollockpromised the raw wit of

Author Biography

John Haskell is the author of a short-story collection, I Am Not Jackson Pollock. His work has appeared in Granta, The Paris Review, Conjunctions, and Ploughshares. A contributor to the NPR radio program The Next Big Thing, Haskell lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Table of Contents

"Make no mistake: this is not an ordinary novel . . . [it's] a literary affirmation of fiction's potential to go beyond mere scene . . . and tap into the deepest roots of human motive."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Gutsy, weirdly engrossing . . . Turn the last page and you'll realize that this strange, moving book has done just what a first novel should: It has left an impression."--The New York Times Book Review

"One of those books that sets the reader's mind in new directions."--Houston Chronicle

"All suspicions are now confirmed. Haskell is a terrific writer."--The Buffalo News