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Title details for The Cry of the Sloth: a Novel by Sam Savage - Wait list

The Cry of the Sloth: a Novel

by Sam Savage
ebook
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The tragicomic tale of a frustrated writer angry at the world: "Scathingly funny." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Living on a diet of fried Spam, vodka, sardines, cupcakes, and Southern Comfort, Andrew Whittaker is slowly being sucked into the morass of middle age. A negligent landlord, small-time literary journal editor, and aspiring novelist, he is—quite literally—authoring his own downfall. From his letters, diary entries, and fragments of fiction, to grocery lists and posted signs, this novel is a collection of everything Whittaker commits to paper over the course of four critical months.

Beginning in July, during the economic hardships of the Nixon era, we witness our hero hounded by tenants and creditors, harassed by a loathsome local arts group, and tormented by his ex-wife. Determined to redeem his failures and eviscerate his enemies, Whittaker hatches a grand plan. But as winter nears, his difficulties accumulate, and the disorder of his life threatens to overwhelm him. As his hold on reality weakens and his schemes grow wilder, his self-image as a placid and slow-moving sloth evolves into that of a bizarre and frantic creature driven mad by solitude . . .

"Most of the novel consists of Whittaker's hilarious rejection letters to wannabe authors. Savage works page after page of delightful variations on this theme." —The Guardian
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Publisher: Coffee House Press

Kindle Book

  • Release date: November 1, 2018

OverDrive Read

  • ISBN: 9781566892643
  • Release date: November 1, 2018

EPUB ebook

  • ISBN: 9781566892643
  • File size: 2129 KB
  • Release date: November 1, 2018
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Formats

Kindle Book
OverDrive Read
EPUB ebook

subjects

Fiction Literature Humor (Fiction)

Languages

English

The tragicomic tale of a frustrated writer angry at the world: "Scathingly funny." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Living on a diet of fried Spam, vodka, sardines, cupcakes, and Southern Comfort, Andrew Whittaker is slowly being sucked into the morass of middle age. A negligent landlord, small-time literary journal editor, and aspiring novelist, he is—quite literally—authoring his own downfall. From his letters, diary entries, and fragments of fiction, to grocery lists and posted signs, this novel is a collection of everything Whittaker commits to paper over the course of four critical months.

Beginning in July, during the economic hardships of the Nixon era, we witness our hero hounded by tenants and creditors, harassed by a loathsome local arts group, and tormented by his ex-wife. Determined to redeem his failures and eviscerate his enemies, Whittaker hatches a grand plan. But as winter nears, his difficulties accumulate, and the disorder of his life threatens to overwhelm him. As his hold on reality weakens and his schemes grow wilder, his self-image as a placid and slow-moving sloth evolves into that of a bizarre and frantic creature driven mad by solitude . . .

"Most of the novel consists of Whittaker's hilarious rejection letters to wannabe authors. Savage works page after page of delightful variations on this theme." —The Guardian
Expand title description text
Fiction Literature Humor (Fiction)