Now famous for his bestselling novel The Corrections, Jonathan
Franzen wrote several earlier books, and The Twenty-Seventh City,
his debut, is simultaneously a thriller, a satire and a black
comedy. Susan Jammu is appointed as the new Chief of Police in St
Louis. Dynamic and effective, she immediately reverses the city's
slow economic death. Her methods are unethical, however: she sets
up a property scam and tries to bully the city's notables into a
corrupt syndicate. Chief victim of her political conspiracy is
Martin Probst, who Jammu forces to acquiesce through prolonged and
covert psychological torture. Franzen explores the psychology of
power and the ways in which citizens are manipulated, exposing the
turgid nature of local government and the ailing heart of the
American city. Prefiguring his later success, he writes with
painful precision about family life and middle-aged marriage.
Franzen's characters are often shockingly convincing. His study of
Jammu is unsettling as he shows the motives behind her detachment
and calculating charm. Martin Probst is raised above mid-life
crisis cliche by his rage and self-knowledge. The main characters
are accompanied by a vibrant supporting cast: Martin's desperately
lonely wife Barbara, the expedient torturer Singh, and restless
Vietnam vet RC are all examined in profound detail. St Louis itself
has as much personality as the characters and here again Franzen
resists cliche and undercuts jolly Dixieland myth with the painful
truth. Beautifully written and sharply funny, this is a brilliant
analysis of American life. (Kirkus UK)
St. Louis, Missouri, is a quietly dying river city. But that all changes when it hires a new police chief: a charismatic young woman from Bombay, S.Jammu. No sooner has Jammu been installed, though, than the city's leading citizens become embroiled in an all-pervasive political conspiracy. A classic of contemporary fiction, 'The Twenty-Seventh City' shows us an ordinary metropolis turned inside out, and the American Dream unravelling into terror and dark comedy.
'A huge and masterly drama…gripping and surreal and overwhelmingly convincing.'
'Newsweek'
'Franzen has managed to put together a suspense story with all the elements of a complex, multi-layered psychological novel…A riveting piece of fiction that lingers in the mind long after more conventional pot-boilers have bubbled away.'
'The New York Times Book Review'
'Unsettling and visionary. 'The Twenty-Seventh City' is not a novel that can be quickly dismissed or easily forgotten: it has elements of both 'Great' and 'American'. A book of memorable characters, surprising situations, and provocative ideas.'
'Washington Post'
'Franzen goes for broke here – he's out to expose the soul of a city and all the bloody details of the way we live. A book of range, pith and intelligence.'
'Vogue'
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
