A new Boyle? Good thing, was I looking more closely at that bookshelf at Brocki :)

The story begins with an execution. Sten Stensson, 70, a war Veteran, is on a cruise with his wife and a few other elderly couples, when their group gets robbed in Puerto Rico by three armed muggers. Sten is able to disarm the type with the gun and hold him in a chokehold. The two others flee. Instead of letting go of the gun man (and tie him up), Sten doesn't release his iron grip until the man is dead. I actually felt kind of a clandestine satisfaction over the bandit's death - and I bet this is exactly what Boyle intended. How much of a killer hides in everyone of us?

This book is about killer instinct, as hinted already by the introductory quote: "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic and a killer." The story, set in todays Northern California, revolves around three main characters: Sten Stenson, former marine and the cruise hero, his disturbed, schizophrenic son Adam who hates his father, and Adam's much older lover Sara who believes in the Sovereign Citizen Movement and is constantly quarreling with the law. Neither of the three is really sympathetic, but fascinating enough to be gripped by their story.
The Sovereign Citizens, I had to google this, claim that the US government is illegitimate (right now they have a point). They consider themselves free of any legal constraints and for exemple reject to pay taxes. It's kind of a right-wing anarchism.

Adam, the unhinged social cripple, strives to be a "mountain man" like his hero John Colter (who was a loathsome beaver trapper in the 18. century). Adam, who calls himself Colter, lives in the woods, always carrying his gun. You could ask yourself how it can be that a schizophrenic youth with a criminal record is allowed to own a weapon. But well, this is America, the free country of the NRA, no? Anyway, what will happen will happen: Adam, feeling pursuit by aliens, one day makes use of his gun and shoots a neighbour ...

The story is loosely based on the true case of schizophrenic Aaron Bassler who was 2011 subject of a deadly manhunt in Mendocino county, after he'd killed two men, hid for 36 days in the woods and sparked apprehension and fear amongst the residents. Boyles fiction, how frightening it might be, is never far from nowadays doomed world of self-annihilation.

Travels by snail mail to a fellow bookcrosser

The novel has arrived at the OBCZ-TeddysDen

it will be travelling on to the great canton

Arrived last week. Thank you very much! I've been wanting to read this since I heard Boyle read from it at lit.Cologne in 2015 but somehow never got round to it.

Thanks again for sending me this! That was very kind of you. :)

It took me some time to read it because I kept it at work to read during rainy lunch breaks. It was hard to put down, though. Another well written, gripping story.

I plan to give it to another bookcrosser who has it on her/his wishlist.

Geht als Tauschbuch an isabelpaoli. Viel Vergnügen!

Als Tauschbuch erhalten. Wird gelesen.

This was quite a bleak read for me, as I did not particularly like or identify with any of the characters. Reading this book, I felt like being stuck in a downward spiral from the beginning. Nevertheless, it was well-written and shed light to some dark spots in American society.

This book travels to the winner of the Non-EU Book and local chocolate sweeps! :)

Received today :-) The book travelled with two bars of chocolate: milk chocolate with peanutbutter filling and with haselnut creme filling, yummy! I have never read anything from T.C. Boyle yet, so here is my chance - finally. Thank you very much!

I started reading and made it to part III, but realised that I don't really want to read it. The topic is just not mine at the moment. I liked the writing style though, so I am willing to give Mr. Boyle a second try with a different book ;-)