Chris Bachelder Knihy

In this hilarious and wildly inventive novel, Chris Bachelder brings Upton Sinclair back from the dead to see what he might make of our modern world.U.S.! is a playful, darkly comic novel that imagines the serial resurrection and assassination of tireless muckraker Upton Sinclair. In Chris Bachelder's bizarre world, Sinclair is repeatedly brought back by beleaguered but optimistic leftists (whose refrain is "Hope and Shovels Forever"), and then gunned down (and once harpooned!) by those seeking fame, fortune, and American business as usual. As he grows more and more politically and culturally insignificant, Sinclair keeps writing his embarrassingly bad muckraking novels and keeps risking his life for the Socialist revolution, which is perpetually just around the corner. In documenting the demise (but dogged faith) of the American Left, as well as the violence and hysteria of the Right, Bachelder uses a wide range of forms: stories, songs, letters, journal entries, book reviews, memos, a syllabus, newspaper and magazine articles, Internet auctions, and transcripts of talk shows, interviews, and toll-free hotlines. The second part of the novel is a fast-paced narrative that brings the myriad characters together in an explosive encounter. A dazzling mix of laughs and revelations, U.S.! is not only an exploration of American politics and culture, but an investigation into the possibilities and problems of political art. Its publication will coincide with the hundredth anniversary of the publication of The Jungle, Sinclair's internationally renowned novel about the meat industry.

US! is a playful, darkly comic novel that imagines the serial resurrection and assassination of tireless muckraker and writer Upton Sinclair. In Chris Bachelder's wonderful world, Sinclair is repeatedly brought back to life by beleaguered but optimistic leftists (whose refrain is 'Hope and Shovels Forever'), and then gunned down (and once harpooned) by those seeking fame, fortune and American business as usual. As he grows more and more politically and culturally insignificant, Sinclair keeps writing his embarrassingly bad muckraking novels and continues risking his life for the Socialist revolution, which is perpetually just around the corner. Through stories, songs, letters, journal entries, book reviews, memos, a syllabus, newspaper and magazine articles, Internet auctions, transcripts of talk shows, interviews and toll-free hotlines, Bachelder documents the demise (but dogged faith) of the American Left, as well as the violence and hysteria of the Right. U.S.!is not only a satire of American politics and culture, but an exploration of the possibilities and problems of political art.

Gesetzt den Fall, man hätte ein faires Kampfszenario, das Wasser so tief, um einem Hai ungehinderte Bewegungsfreiheit zu gewähren, aber seicht genug, damit ein Bär darin stehen und kämpfen könnte, wer würde dieses Duell zwischen Bär und Hai gewinnen? Diese Frage bewegt die ganze amerikanische Nation. Der Kampf, eine Computeranimation die echter wirkt als die Realität, wird in Las Vegas stattfinden und Millionen werden ihn gebannt am Bildschirm verfolgen. Wenige Auserwählte haben sogar Karten für die Arena ergattert, und unter diesen Glücklichen sind auch die Normans, eine amerikanische Durchschnittsfamilie: Vater Norman, Mutter Norman sowie die beiden Söhne Curtis und Matthew. Gemeinsam machen sie sich auf den Weg nach Las Vegas, begleitet von Stimmen aus Radio und Fernsehen, von Kameras sowie von Kommentaren aus allen kulturellen Nischen: Freudianer, Theologen, Bär-gegen-Hai-Fans, einsame Folksänger, Untergrundorganisationen. Sie alle haben etwas zu dem bevorstehenden Großereignis zu sagen. Es ist das bunte Rauschen einer Medienkultur, die keinen höheren Wert als das Entertainment kennt. So lehnen sich auch die Normans schließlich auf ihrem Platz zurück und warten darauf, dass das Spektakel beginnt.