The Convalescent

Fiction & Literature, Humorous, Historical, Literary
Cover of the book The Convalescent by Jessica Anthony, Grove Atlantic
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jessica Anthony ISBN: 9780802197009
Publisher: Grove Atlantic Publication: July 13, 2010
Imprint: Grove Press Language: English
Author: Jessica Anthony
ISBN: 9780802197009
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Publication: July 13, 2010
Imprint: Grove Press
Language: English

“One of the most amusing and poignant anti-heroes since Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drum” lives up to his misfit heritage in this ribald debut (Spike Magazine).

Ask Rovar Ákos Pfliegman about himself and he’ll say: “I have no life. I have no known relatives, no known friends. I’m barely human. I’m a hairy little Hungarian pulp. I am a sorry gathering of organs. That is all.” But there is more to Rovar than meets the eye. He has a pet beetle named Mrs. Kipner, he is a butcher plagued by rare ailments, he sells meat out of a broken-down bus next to a river in suburban Virginia, and he is the last of the Pfliegman line, a not-too-bright pagan clan that reaches back to pre-medieval Hungary. He also believes he’ll fulfill the ignoble destiny of inbred self-destruction that has wiped out all Pfliegmans before him. But against all odds, and the cruel laws of nature, this unlikely loner, seller of fresh mutton at unbeatable prices, unloved lover, and historian of the unimportant is still capable of being reborn in the most extraordinary way.

“Innocent and wise, grave and hilarious, bleak and hopeful, fast-paced and meditative, heartbreaking and heart healthy, evanescent and concrete” (Heidi Julavits), The Convalescent “nods to all sorts of greats—Kafka, Rushdie, Darwin and Grass, to name a few. But Anthony’s style—funny, immediate and unapologetically cerebral—carves out a space all its own” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“One of the most amusing and poignant anti-heroes since Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drum” lives up to his misfit heritage in this ribald debut (Spike Magazine).

Ask Rovar Ákos Pfliegman about himself and he’ll say: “I have no life. I have no known relatives, no known friends. I’m barely human. I’m a hairy little Hungarian pulp. I am a sorry gathering of organs. That is all.” But there is more to Rovar than meets the eye. He has a pet beetle named Mrs. Kipner, he is a butcher plagued by rare ailments, he sells meat out of a broken-down bus next to a river in suburban Virginia, and he is the last of the Pfliegman line, a not-too-bright pagan clan that reaches back to pre-medieval Hungary. He also believes he’ll fulfill the ignoble destiny of inbred self-destruction that has wiped out all Pfliegmans before him. But against all odds, and the cruel laws of nature, this unlikely loner, seller of fresh mutton at unbeatable prices, unloved lover, and historian of the unimportant is still capable of being reborn in the most extraordinary way.

“Innocent and wise, grave and hilarious, bleak and hopeful, fast-paced and meditative, heartbreaking and heart healthy, evanescent and concrete” (Heidi Julavits), The Convalescent “nods to all sorts of greats—Kafka, Rushdie, Darwin and Grass, to name a few. But Anthony’s style—funny, immediate and unapologetically cerebral—carves out a space all its own” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

More books from Grove Atlantic

Cover of the book The Big One by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book The Ancient Minstrel by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book A Flock of Fools by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book The Yoga Teacher by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book The Allies Strike Back, 1941-1943 by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book This Day's Death by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book Wait Till I'm Dead by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book No Man's Dog by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book The Lost Saints of Tennessee by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book The Unknowns by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book It's Not Love, It's Just Paris by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book Nobody's Perfect by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book Let's Put the Future Behind Us by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book Living in a Foreign Language by Jessica Anthony
Cover of the book Dead Wrong by Jessica Anthony
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy