X Out of Wonderland : A Saga

by CATES, DAVID ALLAN

• ISBN13: 9781586420956
• ISBN10: 158642095X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-09-13
• Publisher: Steerforth

Summary

X Out of Wonderlandis a farce, modeled after Candide, that takes on the Global Free Market and just about every other aspect of contemporary life. Outrageous and poignant by turns, X is a satire with heart, and an intense and funny reading experience. X, the novel's decent and brave protagonist, maintains his optimistic pursuit of love and The Good Life even as a string of catastrophies brutalize him through a series of misadventures that take him around the world. While pointing up the absurdities of our own times,X Out of Wonderlandalso shows clearly the universal predicament of all humans in all cultures in all times: the need to find meaning and dignity in our lives despite the certainty of death and suffering. The story makes clear that despite our folly, we've got a few things going for us: faith, hope, love, and the capacity to endure.

Author Biography

David Allan Cates is the executive director of Missoula Medical Aid and leads groups of medical professionals on trips to Honduras, where he works in rural villages and hospitals as an interpreter. In Missoula, he works with the Missoula Writing Collaborative, teaching classes on the short story in public high schools. For many years he has worked as a fishing guide on the Smith River. He is the author of one previous novel, Hunger in America (S&S, 1992), a New York Times Notable Book, numerous published short stories, and many articles on fishing and river travel for Outside and the New York Times Magazine. In spring 2005 he will have a story in Glimmer Train, and in the fall he will have an article in Outside on a trip to Nicaragua. He lives in Missoula, Montana.