Sign-In
Cart
My Friend, the Writer
Paperback
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 1546412239
ISBN13: 9781546412236
Publisher: Createspace
Published: May 7 2017
Pages: 276
Weight: 0.70
Height: 0.62 Width: 5.25 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
ISBN13: 9781546412236
Publisher: Createspace
Published: May 7 2017
Pages: 276
Weight: 0.70
Height: 0.62 Width: 5.25 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
My Friend, the Writer, by John Swofford, is a darkly comedic and insightful novel narrated by an unnamed, struggling writer who serves as the full-time assistant to James Ribald, a successful, yet deeply flawed author. Their complex relationship forms the core of the narrative, a dynamic of dependence and resentment fueled by Ribald's erratic behavior and the narrator's own anxieties and insecurities.
The story unfolds over a decade, weaving together seemingly disparate events and observations. Ribald's transition from writing to painting, his unsettling racism, and his unexpected romantic entanglement all contribute to the narrative's unpredictable trajectory. The narrator's own struggles with mental health, his attempts at dating, and his persistent desire to achieve literary success are interwoven with Ribald's life, creating a compelling portrait of two men grappling with their identities and the passage of time.
Swofford's prose is characterized by a stream-of-consciousness style, punctuated by abrupt shifts in tone and subject matter. The novel's fragmented structure mirrors the narrator's own fragmented psyche, creating a compelling and often unsettling reading experience. While the narrative lacks a traditional plot, it offers a profound exploration of friendship, ambition, and the complexities of the human condition.
Swofford's prose is characterized by a stream-of-consciousness style, punctuated by abrupt shifts in tone and subject matter. The novel's fragmented structure mirrors the narrator's own fragmented psyche, creating a compelling and often unsettling reading experience. While the narrative lacks a traditional plot, it offers a profound exploration of friendship, ambition, and the complexities of the human condition.
Also in
Literary Fiction
Elizabeth Spencer: Novels & Stories (Loa #344): The Voice at the Back Door / The Light in the Piazza / Knights and Dragons / Stories
Spencer, Elizabeth
Hardcover
$38.00
Philip Roth: Novels 1973-1977 (Loa #165): The Great American Novel / My Life as a Man / The Professor of Desire
Roth, Philip
Hardcover
From $17.99
John Updike: Novels 1978-1984 (Loa #339): The Coup / Rabbit Is Rich / The Witches of Eastwick
Updike, John
Hardcover
$42.75
The Patrick Melrose Novels: Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope, and Mother's Milk
St Aubyn, Edward
Paperback
From $9.99