2024 the best novels of all time review
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“O’Brien’s first novel in two decades was well worth the wait. . . . In the age of ‘mythomania,’ O’Brien takes aim at the lies that power this country, and how and why they sustain us. America Fantastica peers straight into the dark heart of the American psyche, and it's unafraid of the comedy and tragedy staring back.” — Esquire, Best Books of the Fall
An American Master returns: the author of The Things They Carried delivers his first new novel in two decades, a brilliant and rollicking odyssey, in which a bank robbery sparks “a satirical romp through a country plagued by deceit” (Kirkus, starred review)
At 11:34 a.m. one Saturday in August 2019, Boyd Halverson strode into Community National Bank in Northern California.
“How much is on hand, would you say?” he asked the teller. “I’ll want it all.”
“You’re robbing me?”
He revealed a Temptation .38 Special.
The teller, a diminutive redhead named Angie Bing, collected eighty-one thousand dollars.
Boyd stuffed the cash into a paper grocery bag.
“I’m sorry about this,” he said, “but I’ll have to ask you to take a ride with me.”
So begins the adventure of Boyd Halverson—star journalist turned notorious online disinformation troll turned JCPenney manager—and his irrepressible hostage, Angie Bing. Haunted by his past and weary of his present, Boyd has one goal before the authorities catch up with him: settle a score with the man who destroyed his life. By Monday the pair reach Mexico; by winter, they are in a lakefront mansion in Minnesota. On their trail are hitmen, jealous lovers, ex-cons, an heiress, a billionaire shipping tycoon, a three-tour veteran of Iraq, and the ghosts of Boyd’s past. Everyone, it seems, except the police.
In the tradition of Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain, America Fantastica delivers a biting, witty, and entertaining story about the causes and costs of outlandish fantasy, while also marking the triumphant return of an essential voice in American letters. And at the heart of the novel, amid a teeming cast of characters, readers will delight in the tug-of-war between two memorable and iconic human beings—the exuberant savior-of-souls Angie Bing and the penitent but compulsive liar Boyd Halverson. Just as Tim O’Brien’s modern classic, The Things They Carried, so brilliantly reflected the unromantic truth of war, America Fantastica puts a mirror to a nation and a time that has become dangerously unmoored from truth and greedy for delusion.
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Customer Reviews
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ASIN : B0BSV6PWKV
Publisher : Mariner Books (October 24, 2023)
Publication date : October 24, 2023
Language : English
File size : 5648 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 456 pages
Page numbers source ISBN : 0063370778
Reviewer: Keri Crawford
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Interesting read with a lot of interesting characters! 4&1/2 âï¸
Review: Loved America Fantastica! These book followed the stories of multiple characters in modern day, corporate greed, mythomaniac society. All these peoou have one person in common, Boyd Halverson. Or is it Otis Birdsong? Or Blackie? Or Junior. Boyd, a manager of a JC Penney, is a compulsive liar who thinks of lying as a sport. If he can lie about, he does. His age, his name, his height, wars he (didn't) fought in, prisons he (never) went to (although he did do time), things he had (never) accomplished. But Boyd had a debt he needs to settle. So Boyd robs a bank, Community National, and takes Angie Bing, the teller, as his hostage. Soon they have a jealous boyfriend, murderous henchmen, ex-wives and thieves on their tails. Boyd is prepared to die and ready to go to jail. But the robbery never gets reported...why? Because Doug and Lois Cutterby, who own Community National, have been secretly robbing their own bank. Book is an interesting read with some amazing parallels to today's society. It was fun getting to know everyone as they (unknowingly) took Boyd's journey with him.
Reviewer: ots
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Too corny -- unless you're in Junior High
Review: I had not read any of his previous books and perhaps I've had the bad judgement to go with the wrong one. It's clever in a smart-alecky juvenile kind of way. But if you're looking for real humor or good political commentary or exciting crime drama, well, nah, this ain't yer book.The writing is clever, but you have to go for that over-the-top wackiness, I guess, if you're going to enjoy this tall tale.I was leaning toward 3 stars but would rather err on the side of generosity. Maybe I should try, 'The Things They Carried?'
Reviewer: Dave Schwinghammer
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Far-Fetched, even for satire
Review: I guess you could call AMERICA FANTASTICA a satire about American disinformation. You know, what you hear and see on Fox or a Trump campaign ad, but worse.The protagonist is Boyd Halverson who is sick to death of his job managing a J.C. Penney store and impulsively robs a bank and grabs the teller Angie Bing as a hostage. What he doesnât know is that the bank managers, a husband and wife team, are already embezzling the bankâs money and canât report the stick-up. Itâs money for nothing. He gets around $81,000 in loot. During a backstory we also find out the Boyd was a disinformation expert, missed by his fellow muck rakers.Boyd is a likable enough character, but Tim OâBrien gives center stage to a lot of different characters we donât care that much about. Even the bank managers get a point of view. Part of the reason Boyd is so disillusioned is because he lost his dream job as a journalist to a billionaire. He was about to publish an expose; when the billionaire, a man named Dooney, found out about it and sets out on his own disinformation assault to ruin Boyd. After the bank robbery, Boyd tries to find Dooney to get even. Coincidentally Boydâs ex-wife is now married to Dooneyâs even richer boss. Sheâs also disenchanted and possibly still loves Boyd.Far fetched enough for you yet? Not hardly. Angie has a boyfriend named Randy whom she texts while on the run with Boyd. He also tracks them, running out of money at one point, which results in murder. Thereâs a lot of murder going on here.What we get is Boydâs journey interrupted by a Randy point of view, an ex-wife point of view, a billionaire point of view, a bank manager point of view and a few others I canât immediately recollect. Not enough Boyd and Angie in other words.Tim OâBrien isnât the type to furnish us with a happy ending. We pull for Boyd all the way. He kind of winds up right where he started, which is probably where he should be, but you wonât believe what happens to Angie.
Reviewer: Teesha
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Awesome
Review: This book was awesome I wanted to read it just to pass time.
Reviewer: John C Lewis
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Tim OâBrien has a good imagination
Review: I just finished this discussion of Mythomania. Appropriately the same day the the Mythomania champion gets re-elected. Good luck to all.
Reviewer: V. Alan White
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Quite a departure for O'Brien
Review: I'm a huge fan of O'Brien--The Things They Carried may well be the best war novel of all time. But this book is very different from anything I've read of his before. It takes on Trumpist devotion to lying by trying to satirize it--an almost impossible task given that Trumpism is self-satirizing. But he manages it by hyperbolic prose and a narrative that Trumps Trumpism. Fantastica indeed. It's an attempt to describing not just how incessant lying is destructive by its very nature--trammeling truth and anything approaching virtuous ambition by belittling it in its practice--but also showing that there are glimmers of hope for at least some enthralled by its power to draw in huge numbers of gullible people. Don't read this expecting a realistic tale--for the same reason you can't expect a realistic tale from FOX or Newsmax. But do read it for a take on the present insanity that is on the verge of overtaking this nation.
Reviewer: alan goldman
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Too much of a good thing.
Review: I am not familiar with the author but he is a brilliant writer.I realize this is satire and he certainly targets so many of our personal and institutional faults, and does it with humor and insight.But the book is like the Thanksgiving dinner I just had, It was good---too good, resulting in my over indulging and wishing I had eaten less. I have read 85% of the book and have had enough. I won't finish..I get the message, and didn't like being force fed more than I needed to read. A smaller portion would have been mush more satisfying. I should eat less and the author should get an editor.
Reviewer: TomTommyC
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Not his best work
Review: Tim O'Brien is an enormously talented writer and his ability with language is clearly demonstrated in his latest work. But as compared to almost any of his earlier books, this one falls short. There are way too many characters and a loosely orchestrated plot that feels like something he tossed together without the kind of emotional honesty that made "The Things They Carried" so powerful. If you have read all of his other work, then you will probably want to read this too. He is still one of our most talented contemporary writers, but just don't expect it to have the same haunting impact as most of his previous work. I enjoyed the read, but ten minutes after I put it down, I pretty much forgot about it.
Reviewer: Rico
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This used item described as in good condition is totally inaccurate. Item only fit for the bin.
Customers say
Customers find the characters interesting. They praise the writing talent as enormous, clever, and extraordinary. Readers describe the book as a fantastic read and brilliant. They appreciate the humor and satire. Opinions are mixed on the plot, with some finding it interesting, while others say it's loosely orchestrated.
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