Adult story collection by Gary Mitchell
£3.00
Adult story collection by Gary Mitchell. Not a novel – and written by an Englishman – ‘The Great American Novel’ consists of seven consecutive stories providing a lens on writers and the American condition. Although set in a parallel world contemporary issues for America and the West are frequently touched upon.
Sleeping With The Enemy is a tale of dynastic intrigue set in 13th century New Mexico’s pueblo culture. Elements of the oral tradition of writing are examined as the reader is drawn into the neglected world of the first Americans.
Against the backdrop of actual historical events Austen In Love reflects on the first divergence of American culture from its predominantly British roots. Marooned in England after the War of 1812 Lieutenant William T. Stockley, USN, falls in love with English author Jane Austen, an affair terminated by Stockley’s untimely death on an Anglo-American expedition to tackle the Barbary pirates.
Jack-Out-The-Box considers how American history could be different, yet due to the strength of its open society remain roughly the same . It is 1964 and President Kennedy has survived assassination in Dallas. Journalist Joe Marcroft is passed a tape of Kennedy’s confession to his priest, made when it was assumed he would die. With echoes of Watergate, and the subsequent industry in conspiracy theories, Marcroft must ensure the tape is heard…
Obsession explores the cult of celebrity, and of immortality through fame. A childhood fan, now a successful adult, sets out to resurrect a fading star’s career, with tragic consequences for both.
New York Diary touches on aspects of the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of the adolescent daughter of two separated rock stars from the author’s ‘Don’t Fall In Love Too Quickly’ . Her privileged yet frivolous lifestyle is challenged by the personal impact of 9/11.
Movie Treatment is a fantasy romantic comedy – of the sort oft made by Hollywood. Spurned teacher Alan Hammond and fallen-to-Earth nymph Elfie find happiness over Christmas – with a little help from God and Dame Kylie Minogue!
The final story, The Dream Of The Gunslinger, is set in a far future where the opulent late 20th century American lifestyle has become a touchstone for escapist fantasy in a world of brute exploitation and inequality.
With variety and insight ‘The Great American Novel’ aims to be a challenging read at the end of the successful ‘American Century’ and the start of the uncertain 21st.
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