Waiting for the Man
A Novel
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An advertising man searches for meaning in this "fascinating dissection of the media world we live in . . . A thought-provoking road-trip tale" (Chicago Tribune).
Longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize
In his mid-thirties, Joe works as an advertising copywriter for a slick New York agency. But he feels disillusioned with his life, and finds himself experiencing dreams about a mysterious man, seeing him on the street, hearing his voice. Joe decides to listen. So he waits on his stoop, day and night, for instructions.
A local reporter takes notice, and soon Joe has become a media sensation, the center of a storm. When the Man tells Joe to "go west," he does. What follows is a compelling and visceral story about the struggle to find something more in life, told in two interwoven threads—Joe at the beginning of his journey in Manhattan, and at the end of it as he finds new purpose on a ranch in Montana under the endless sky.
"A strangely engrossing, meticulously written allegory of the present moment." —Douglas Coupland, author of Worst. Person. Ever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Joe, a lauded copywriter for a prestigious Manhattan firm, is confronted by the grim truth that material success is no guarantor of personal happiness. Jaded, deeply unhappy with his shallow life, Joe begins to dream of a mysterious figure, the Man. On the advice of the Man, Joe abandons his career in search of a life poorer but with meaning. Thanks to a reporter named Dan, Joe's personal quest will become the focus of a growing media frenzy, unasked for fame yet another distraction on Joe's long road west towards a quiet ranch and a deeper, truer connection to the world. Abandoning riches for road trips and rustic contemplation in a quest for insight is a story that has appeared in various forms for millennia; indeed, religions have been founded by people who undertook similar journeys. This version, told in two intertwined time-lines, moves this familiar tale to a modern setting to good effect. Although this is the author's debut novel, his experience at shorter forms (Squishy) shows; fans of his 140-character Twisters on Twitter will be pleased to know that the author's talents are on display in this novel.
