American Rust

American Rust
Author Philipp Meyer
Country  United States
Language English
Publication date
 2009

American Rust is a novel written by the American writer Philipp Meyer and published in 2009 in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and The Netherlands (in Dutch); in 2010 it was published (in translation) in France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Israel, Greece, and Serbia.

American Rust received rave reviews from book critics; many publications ranked it one of the best novels of 2009.

Writing style

The structure of American Rust is that of a third person, stream-of-consciousness work influenced, according to Meyer,[1] by writers such as James Joyce, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, and James Kelman. Comparisons to other books vary somewhat, but mostly include works by modernist writers. The Baltimore Sun compared the novel to the works of Faulkner. Roger Perkins of the UK Telegraph, Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times, and Ron Charles of The Washington Post compared it to the works of Cormac McCarthy, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and J.D. Salinger. Geordie Williamson, head literary critic of The Australian, compared Meyer to Steinbeck in a radio interview, saying "John Steinbeck is alive and well, and his name is Philipp Meyer." [2] Williamson also compared Meyer to Sinclair Lewis and Nathaniel Hawthorne in his printed review of American Rust in The Australian.

Reception

Reviews

American Rust was released to general acclaim from book critics. Roger Perkins of The Telegraph called the novel "a terrifically impressive dissection of loyalty and honour."[3] Michael Heaton of The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) praised Meyer's "gift for illuminating his tense, grim story with sparse but glittering detail."[4] Vick Mickunas of Dayton Daily News wrote, "Novelists spend entire careers trying to write even one classic book. Philipp Meyer has accomplished that feat on his first attempt."[5] All three have suggested it is a "Great American Novel."

Accolades

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Idaho Statesman, The Economist, and Taylor Antrim of The Daily Beast all voted American Rust one of the best novels of 2009.[6][7][8] The novel also won the 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction. It was a top-10 choice for The Washington Post, a top-100 choice for the Kansas City Star, and a New York Times Notable Book of 2009.[9] Additionally, it was named one of Newsweek's "Best. Books. Ever." in July 2009.

Film adaptation

Universal Studios has planned a film adaptation of the novel, with Walter Salles set to direct.

Notes

  1. ↑ ABC Radio National "Off the Shelf" June 16, 2009
  2. ↑ ABC radio interview, Deborah Cameron with Geordie Williamson, April 2009
  3. ↑ Perkins, Roger (May 24, 2009). "American Rust by Philipp Meyer: a review". The Telegraph. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ Heaton, Michael (March 18, 2009). "Is 'American Rust' the new Great American Novel? A conversation with author Philipp Meyer". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ Mickunas, Vick (June 9, 2013). "So how can Philipp Meyer top 'American Rust'?". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  6. ↑ Hoover, Bob (December 27, 2009). "Best books of 2009". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Books of the Year: page-turners (2009)". The Economist. December 3, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Our Favorite Books of 2009". The Daily Beast. December 22, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/100-notable-books-of-2009-gift-guide/list.html

References

  1. The Washington Post: Ten Best Books of 2009
  2. The Economist: Best Books of the Year December 2009
  3. The New York Times: Notable Books of 2009
  4. Kansas City Star: Top 100 Books of 2009
  5. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Best Books of 2009
  6. Idaho Statesman: Top Books of 2009
  7. ABC Radio National "Off the Shelf" June 16, 2009
  8. The Telegraph: "American Rust: a review" May 24, 2009
  9. ABC radio interview, Deborah Cameron with Geordie Williamson, April 2009
  10. Dayton Daily News, "Philipp Meyer's American Rust burns bright with characters" March 1, 2009
  11. The Washington Post "A Wealth of Despair Among the Impoverished" February 25, 2009
  12. The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani:"Steel Town Roots, Huck Finn Dreams" February 27, 2009