The Harder They Come - Hardcover

Boyle, T C

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062349376 ISBN 13: 9780062349378

Publisher: Ecco Press, 2015

Synopsis

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author T.C. Boyle makes his Ecco debut with a powerful, gripping novel that explores the roots of violence and anti-authoritarianism inherent in the American character.

Set in contemporary Northern California, The Harder They Come explores the volatile connections between three damaged people--an aging ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, his psychologically unstable son, and the son's paranoid, much older lover--as they careen towards an explosive confrontation.

On a vacation cruise to Central America with his wife, seventy-year-old Sten Stensen unflinchingly kills a gun-wielding robber menacing a busload of senior tourists. The reluctant hero is relieved to return home to Fort Bragg, California, after the ordeal--only to find that his delusional son, Adam, has spiraled out of control.

Adam has become involved with Sara Hovarty Jennings, a hardened member of the Sovereign Citizens' Movement, right-wing anarchists who refuse to acknowledge the laws and regulations of the state, considering them to be false and non-applicable. Adam's senior by some fifteen years, Sara becomes his protector and inamorata. As Adam's mental state fractures, he becomes increasingly schizophrenic--a breakdown that leads him to shoot two people in separate instances. On the run, he takes to the woods, spurring the biggest manhunt in California history.

As he explores a father's legacy of violence and his powerlessness in relating to his equally violent son, T. C. Boyle offers unparalleled psychological insights into the American psyche. Inspired by a true story, The Harder They Come is a devastating and indelible novel from a modern master.

About this title

Review:

"The Harder They Come has no solutions to the delusions and dysfunctions it portrays. But it taps memorably into something deeply skewed in the American psyche."--The Oregonian (Portland)

"This new work of fiction from Boyle presents a fractured threesome: a 70-year-old ex-Marine, his troubled son and the son's older girlfriend-a right-wing anarchist. A dark novel, The Harder They Come explores violence and the American psyche."--Houston Chronicle

"Boyle's...hypnotic narrative probes the complexities of heroism, violence, power, and resistance...Written with both clarity and compassion, each of the novel's characters inhabits a rich and convincing private world. As they traverse a landscape none of them control, their haunting stories illuminate the violent American battle with otherness."--Publishers Weekly

"Written with both clarity and compassion, each of the novel's characters inhabits a rich and convincing private world. As they traverse a landscape none of them control, their haunting stories illuminate the violent American battle with otherness."--Booklist

"New York Times-best-selling author T.C. Boyle explores the volatile relationships between an aging veteran, his unstable son, and the son's much older lover in The Harder They Come."--Buzzfeed, 27 Of The Most Exciting New Books of 2015

Fifteen years ago, Boyle told The Paris Review that he was 'writing novels of social engagement...These same concerns appear in The Harder They Come... It is not a cheerful book. The best ones never are."--Newsweek

"Boyle is a genius at capturing social microcosms and excavating emotions simmering beneath the surface of contemporary America...A gripping and revelatory tale."--BBC Between the Lines

"[S]tunning... It's gripping, funny and melancholy...The Harder They Come is a masterly - and arresting - piece of storytelling, arguably Mr. Boyle's most powerful, kinetic novel yet."--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"A gripping read and a powerful commentary on American themes of self-reliance and anti-authoritarianism... eerily prescient."--The Brooklyn Rail

"Like the best of his work, Boyle's no-frills narration makes for a fascinating journey up to the final page."--Paste Magazine

Book Description:

A thought provoking look at the fine line between heroism and savagery from the New York Times bestselling author T.C. Boyle

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062349376
• ISBN 13: 9780062349378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400