American Subversive

Last updated
First edition (publ. Scribner) American Subversive.jpg
First edition (publ. Scribner)

American Subversive is a novel by David Goodwillie published in 2010.

Contents

Plot

American Subversive tells the tale of Aidan Cole, a New York-based failed journalism student turned Manhattan gossip blogger and Paige Roderick, a "home-grown" eco-terrorist turned radical by the Iraq War death of her beloved brother. The novel explores the roots of radicalism in the modern world and it is structured as a split memoir, alternating between the points of view of the two characters, who are now hiding in separate safe houses, following a radical action that went terribly wrong.

Reception

Writing for The Daily Beast, Claire Howorth describes the novel as "a fast-paced, engaging novel of pop-culture and big ideas, authentically subversive, and thoroughly American" which "spins the themes of morality, loyalty, and patriotism into an insightfully entertaining commentary on modern history and contemporary society", [1] while Publishers Weekly hailed it as "an incisive depiction of radicalism’s seductive roots". [2]

Criticism of the book focused on the shallow nature of the two main characters and the handling of the emerging love story which "feels more expected than earned", according to a review in the New York Times. [3] Similarly, NPR questions the "bland romance" between Aidan and Paige, claiming that "Goodwillie is a terrific and observant writer, but even he can't roll political critique, social comedy, fast-paced thriller and mushy love story into one convincing package". [4]

American Subversive was a New York Times Notable Book of 2010, [5] and a Vanity Fair and Publishers Weekly top ten spring debut.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lipsky</span> American author (born 1965)

David Lipsky is an American author. His works have been New York Times bestsellers, New York Times Notable Books, Time, Amazon, The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, and NPR Best Books of the Year, and have been included in The Best American Magazine Writing and The Best American Short Stories collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lan Samantha Chang</span> American fiction writer

Lan Samantha Chang is an American novelist and short story writer. She is the author of The Family Chao and Hunger. For her fiction, which explores Chinese American experiences, she is a recipient of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Berlin Prize, the PEN/Open Book Award and the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award.

<i>Outlander</i> (novel) 1991 novel by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander is a historical fantasy novel by American writer Diana Gabaldon, first published in 1991. Initially set around the time of the Second World War, it focuses on nurse Claire Beauchamp, who travels through time to 18th-century Scotland, where she finds adventure and romance with the dashing Jamie Fraser. It is the first novel in the Outlander series, which is set to comprise ten books, nine of which have already been published. The television adaptation of the series premiered on Starz in the US on August 9, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Goodwillie (author)</span> American author

David Goodwillie is an American novelist, memoirist and journalist. He has published three books: the novels Kings County and American Subversive, and the memoir Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

<i>Mr. Darcys Daughters</i> 2003 novel by Elizabeth Aston

Mr. Darcy's Daughters is a 2003 novel by the English author Elizabeth Aston, published by Simon & Schuster in the United States. Set in 1818, Mr. Darcy's Daughters is written as a sequel to Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. It features the five daughters of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet – aged 21 to 16 – as they navigate London society in the absence of their parents, who have embarked on a diplomatic post to Constantinople. In London, the sisters meet new friends and find themselves in various romantic entanglements, all while learning what is acceptable behaviour among the city's elite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Alberto Urrea</span> American poet

Luis Alberto Urrea is a Mexican-American poet, novelist, and essayist.

Claire Zulkey is an American writer, a 2001 graduate of Georgetown University, and the Northwestern University Creative Writing Masters program. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

<i>The Lovers Dictionary</i> 2011 novel by David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary is a novel by American author David Levithan, published January 4, 2011 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. It is his first novel for adults. This modern love story is told entirely through dictionary entries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Vaye Watkins</span> American author and academic (born 1984)

Claire Vaye Watkins is an American author and academic.

Dzanc Books is an American independent press book publisher. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) private foundation. Michelle Dotter is publisher and editor-in-chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion Forge Comics</span> American comic book publisher

Lion Forge Comics was an American comic book publisher founded in 2011 by David Steward II and Carl Reed. The company had a strong focus on culturally diverse creators and stories. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's merger with Oni Press. The merged company, Oni–Lion Forge Publishing Group, is owned by Polarity. As of 2022, the Lion Forge name is now "largely dormant with Oni Press taking over the publishing side of things".

Rivers Solomon is an American author of speculative and literary fiction. In 2018, they received the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses' Firecracker Award in Fiction for their debut novel, An Unkindness of Ghosts, and in 2020 their second novel, The Deep, won the Lambda Literary Award. Their third novel, Sorrowland, was published in May 2021, and won the Otherwise Award.

Hesh Kestin is an American journalist and novelist. Kestin describes his novels as "fiction hung upon a framework of the real".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthanna Emrys</span> American science fiction and fantasy writer

Ruthanna Emrys is an American science fiction and fantasy writer best known for The Innsmouth Legacy series: The Litany of Earth, Winter Tide, and Deep Roots.

<i>The Stars at Noon</i> 1986 novel by Denis Johnson

The Stars at Noon is a 1986 novel by Denis Johnson. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf on September 12, 1986. The novel follows an unnamed American woman during the Nicaraguan Revolution in 1984. It was adapted into the 2022 film Stars at Noon, starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn.

<i>The Girls in 3-B</i> 1959 lesbian pulp fiction novel by Valerie Taylor

The Girls in 3-B is a classic work of lesbian pulp fiction by Valerie Taylor which was published in 1959 by Fawcett. Its happy ending for a lesbian character was unusual for the time period. It was one of the first three novels of any pulp fiction genre to be reprinted in 2003 by Feminist Press.

<i>A Thousand Ships</i> Book by Natalie Haynes

A Thousand Ships is a 2019 novel by Natalie Haynes which retells the mythology of the Trojan war from the perspective of the women involved. It was shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction.

<i>A Beautiful Crime</i> 2020 novel by Christopher Bollen

A Beautiful Crime is a 2020 crime fiction novel by the American writer and editor Christopher Bollen. It is Bollen's fourth novel and was written in 2018 during a residency in Paris. The novel was first published in the United States by Harper on January 28, 2020.

<i>Agatha of Little Neon</i> 2021 literary fiction novel by Claire Luchette

Agatha of Little Neon is a 2021 literary fiction novel by American author Claire Luchette. Agatha of Little Neon was praised upon its debut and was included in several best of 2021 lists.

<i>Anon Pls.</i> 2022 novel by DeuxMoi and Jessica Goodman

Anon Pls. is a novel by the pseudonymous author DeuxMoi and Jessica Goodman. The novel is a work of autofiction and a retelling of the real-life DeuxMoi Instagram account, which publishes celebrity gossip.

References

  1. Howorth, Claire (2010-04-30). "A Novel for Our Time". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  2. "Fiction Book Review: American Subversive by David Goodwillie, Author . Scribner $24 (309p) ISBN 978-1-4391-5705-3". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  3. Watrous, Malena. "Book Review - American Subversive - By David Goodwillie" . Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  4. "'American Subversive': A Terrorist Love Story". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  5. "100 Notable Books of 2010" . Retrieved 2018-11-25.