An Arsonists Guide to Writers Homes..., Brock Clarke
An Arsonists Guide to Writers Homes..., Brock Clarke
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An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England

Author: Brock Clarke

Narrator: Daniel Passer

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/04/2007

Categories: Fiction, Satire, Humorous


Synopsis

Sam Pulsifer, the hapless hero of this incendiary novel, has come to the end of a very long and unusual journey, and for the second time in his life he has the time to think about all the things that have and have not come to pass.

The truth is, a lot of remarkable things have happened in Sam’s life. He spent ten years in prison for accidentally burning down poet Emily Dickinson’s house–and unwittingly killing two people in the process. He emerged at age twenty-eight and set about creating a new life–almost a new identity–for himself. He went to college, found love, got married, fathered two children, and made a new start–and then watched in almost-silent awe as the vengeful past caught up with him, right at his own front door.

As, one by one, the homes of other famous New England writers are torched, Sam knows that this time he is most certainly not the guilty one. To prove his innocence, he sets out to uncover the identity of this literary-minded arsonist. What he discovers, and how he deals with the reality of his discoveries, is both hilariously funny and heartbreakingly sad. For, as Sam learns, the truth has a way of eluding capture, and then, when you finally get close enough to embrace it, it turns and kicks you in the ass.

About Brock Clarke

Brock Clarke is the author of several novels, including the bestselling An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England, as well as three collections of short stories, the most recent being The Price of the Haircut. He lives in Portland, Maine, and teaches at Bowdoin College.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Oriana

You know, I really considered giving up on this about sixty pages in, and I probably should have; it never got any better. It was just so un-compelling. And the main character was really unlikeable, which drives me nuts. It reminded me of A Confederacy of Dunces, which I don't remember much but defi......more

1.5 stars What an incendiary turd this was... This seemed more the output from a sadistic creative writing class assignment, requiring Its MFA hopefuls to build a novel around a computerized random idea-generated premise, than anything Brock Clarke could've dreamed up. I absolutely loved his novel Ex......more

Goodreads review by Deborah

This book is a really fun read without being a frivolous read. In fact, the author takes on a myriad of dark themes, but in the voice of his main character, Sam Pulsifer, has a way of making even the most atrocious goings-on seem hilariously funny. Sam is a self-confessed bumbler, habitual liar, and......more

Goodreads review by Andrew

This was a great story with an interesting narrative style, ruined by yet another pinball protagonist. I'm sick of novelists annoying me with characters that bounce around while people do things around them and especially to them. Instead of acting, they choose the path of silence, the path of not d......more