War of the Encyclopaedists
Published on 28. May 2015
Book
Hardback
448 pages
978-0-241-14678-1 (ISBN)
Description
War of the Encyclopaedists is Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite's dazzling literary debut.
On a summer night in an arty enclave of Seattle, friends Mickey Montauk and Halifax Corderoy throw one last blowout party before their lives part ways. They had planned to move together to Boston, but global events have intervened: Montauk has just learnt that his National Guard unit will deploy to Baghdad at the end of the summer. And Corderoy is faced with a moral dilemma: his girlfriend Mani has just been evicted and he must decide whether or not to abandon her when she needs him most. The year that follows will transform them all.
'This book has sweep and heart and humour. It captures coming of age during foreign wars and domestic malaise, and it does so with electrifying insight' Mary Karr, author of The Liars' Club
'As bizarre, hilarious and devastating as the past decade . . . Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a war story, and a story of the disaffected millennial generation for whom the war hardly happened at all' Phil Klay, author of Redeployment
On a summer night in an arty enclave of Seattle, friends Mickey Montauk and Halifax Corderoy throw one last blowout party before their lives part ways. They had planned to move together to Boston, but global events have intervened: Montauk has just learnt that his National Guard unit will deploy to Baghdad at the end of the summer. And Corderoy is faced with a moral dilemma: his girlfriend Mani has just been evicted and he must decide whether or not to abandon her when she needs him most. The year that follows will transform them all.
'This book has sweep and heart and humour. It captures coming of age during foreign wars and domestic malaise, and it does so with electrifying insight' Mary Karr, author of The Liars' Club
'As bizarre, hilarious and devastating as the past decade . . . Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a war story, and a story of the disaffected millennial generation for whom the war hardly happened at all' Phil Klay, author of Redeployment
Reviews / Votes
Publisher's description. Hilarious and heartbreaking, a coming-of-age tale for modern America. Mickey and Halifax are best friends: held together by a sense of humour, shared memories, world-class parties, but pushed apart by circumstance, growing up, the Iraq War and girls. After high school, thrust into new lives worlds apart, they must decide what friendship and happiness really mean. * Penguin * This book has sweep and heart and humor. It captures coming of age during foreign wars and domestic malaise, and it does so with electrifying insight -- Mary Karr, author of The Liars' Club, Cherry, and Lit As bizarre, hilarious and devastating as the past decade . . . Simultaneously a coming-of-age story, a war story, and a story of the disaffected millennial generation for whom the war hardly happened at all -- Phil Klay, author of Redeployment Smart and entertaining . . . [a] likable, highly readable, double-bylined coming-of-age first novel * Kirkus *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
726 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-14678-1 (9780241146781)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Christopher Robinson (Author)
Chris Robinson, a Boston University and Hunter College MFA graduate, is a MacDowell Colony fellow and a Yale Younger Poets Prize finalist. His writing has appeared in many publications, including the Kenyon Review and McSweeney's.
Gavin Kovite (Author)
Gavin Kovite was an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad from 2004-2005. He attended NYU Law and is now an Army prosecutor. His writing has appeared in literary magazines and in Fire and Forget, an anthology of war fiction.
Chris Robinson, a Boston University and Hunter College MFA graduate, is a MacDowell Colony fellow and a Yale Younger Poets Prize finalist. His writing has appeared in many publications, including the Kenyon Review and McSweeney's.
Gavin Kovite (Author)
Gavin Kovite was an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad from 2004-2005. He attended NYU Law and is now an Army prosecutor. His writing has appeared in literary magazines and in Fire and Forget, an anthology of war fiction.