Book 17 and novel number 13 found Percival Everett publishing with Hyperion again (they'd done the paperback version of Erasure). I'll be honest and say I don't remember but it seemed to me that this one might have received a few more reviews than the typical PE title. Still not on the front page of the NYTBR like it should have been, but maybe a few more due to the success of Erasure.
American Desert
2004 by Hyperion, 304 pages
In this, his thirteenth novel, Percival Everett continues to
challenge his readers. In American Desert, Theodore Street, a professor of English, is on his way to commit suicide when he gets in an
automobile accident, throwing his body through the windshield, decapitating
him. Three days later at his funeral,
Theodore, with his crudely stitched on head, sits up in his casket.
As crazy as this premise sounds, in the hands of Everett you can only
wonder what varied directions he’s going to take it. Will it be a historical explanation of
decapitation? Or perhaps a humorous look
at reincarnation? Maybe a
straightforward horror novel. With the
book coming from Everett, any of the above would be exciting, but he’s chosen to use these events to take
a close look into many aspects of American life, and most do not come out
looking pretty.
One might have to read back to Everett's God's Country or Grand Canyon, Inc. to find a work where he has unleashed his
sarcasm to such full effect. With great
logic and brilliant wit, Everett takes on the government, cloning, religion, and jumbles it all with the best
explanation for Area 51 that I’ve come across yet. He also points his laser sharp jabs at
university faculties, media, especially the visual media, family, and even riot
culture (his rising in his casket is enough to start rioting and looting in the
city).
American Desert also allows Everett to wander back to his days of studying Philosophy. Theodore Street, upon rising from his casket, spends a great deal of time pondering life and the meaning of it. He seems to capture some interesting ideas
within family dynamics. Prior to his
death, Theodore was being shunned by his wife.
He was sleeping on the couch, and their conversations were
non-existent. They were probably on the
road to divorce. Once he rose from his
casket, he couldn’t get more than ten feet away from her. She talked with him, slept with him, and did
her best to help protect him from the media hordes. On the other hand, their oldest daughter
could barely stand to be in the same room with him once he returned to life.
Everett has rarely seemed satisfied writing about a single topic in the past and American Desert is no different. He also looks at university faculty dynamics
and the way the media can go overboard in our society. The looks at media in particular are quite
good and there a couple of great scenes with post-mortem Theodore being
interviewed by local television news anchors.
As usual, Everett writes about all of this as succinctly as possible. He gets to the point in each scene and brings
both energy and wit to the action. While
certainly sarcastic in tone, the story brings with it the usual hopefulness
that Everett infuses into his work. A wide target, America's society allows Everett even more avenues than I originally thought
about when Theodore Street rose from the dead – and it turns out that’s a very good thing.
4.5 stars
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