American Rust
{{Short description|Novel by Philipp Meyer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{For|the television series based on the novel|American Rust (TV series)}}
{{Infobox book
| name = American Rust
| image = American Rust (Philipp Meyer novel).jpg
| caption = First Edition cover
| author = Philipp Meyer
| illustrator =
| cover_artist = Matthew Lenning
| country = United States
| language = English
| series =
| genre = Fiction, Novel
| publisher = Spiegel & Grau
| pub_date = February 24, 2009
| media_type = Print (hardcover)
| pages = 367
| isbn = 978-0-385-52751-4
| oclc =
| congress = PS3613.E976
| dewey =813.6
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
American Rust (2009) is a novel by American writer Philipp Meyer. It is set in the 2000s, in the fictional town of Buell in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, which is in a rural region referred to as "the Valley" of dilapidated steel towns. The novel focuses on the decline of the American middle class and well-paying manufacturing jobs, and the general sense of economic and social malaise. Meyer's novel received positive reviews, and many publications ranked it as one of the best novels of the year.
American Rust was published in 2009 in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and The Netherlands (in Dutch); in 2010 it was published (in translation) in France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Israel, Greece, and Serbia.
Writing style
American Rust is a third person, stream-of-consciousness work influenced, according to Meyer,ABC Radio National "Off the Shelf" June 16, 2009 by writers such as James Joyce, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, and James Kelman. Reviewers have compared it often to works by modernist writers: The Baltimore Sun compared it to Faulkner; Roger Perkins of The Daily Telegraph, Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times, and Ron Charles of The Washington Post all compared it to the works of Cormac McCarthy, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, and J.D. Salinger.
Geordie Williamson, head literary critic of The Australian, compared Meyer to Steinbeck in a radio interview, saying "Steinbeck is alive and well, and his name is Philipp Meyer."ABC radio interview, Deborah Cameron with Geordie Williamson, April 2009 Williamson also compared Meyer to Sinclair Lewis and Nathaniel Hawthorne in the print edition of his review.
Reception
=Reviews=
American Rust was released to general acclaim from book critics. Michiko Kakutani wrote for The New York Times: "'American Rust' announces the arrival of a gifted new writer — a writer who understands how place and personality and circumstance can converge to create the perfect storm of tragedy."{{Cite news|title = 'American Rust' by Philipp Meyer: Friends Sidelined in a Small Industrial Town|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/books/27book.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = February 26, 2009|access-date = January 28, 2016|issn = 0362-4331|first = Michiko|last = Kakutani}} Roger Perkins of The Telegraph called the novel "a terrifically impressive dissection of loyalty and honour."{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5361130/American-Rust-By-Philipp-Meyer-review.html |title=American Rust by Philipp Meyer: a review |last=Perkins |first=Roger |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=May 24, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}} Michael Heaton of The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) praised Meyer's "gift for illuminating his tense, grim story with sparse but glittering detail."{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/books/index.ssf/2009/03/is_american_rust_the_new_great.html |title=Is 'American Rust' the new Great American Novel? A conversation with author Philipp Meyer |last=Heaton |first=Michael |publisher=The Plain Dealer |date=March 18, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}} Vick Mickunas of Dayton Daily News wrote, "Novelists spend entire careers trying to write even one classic book. Philipp Meyer has accomplished that feat on his first attempt."{{cite web|url=http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/entertainment/so-how-can-philipp-meyer-top-american-rust/nYDmB/ |title=So how can Philipp Meyer top 'American Rust'? |last=Mickunas |first=Vick |publisher=Dayton Daily News |date=June 9, 2013 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}}
=Accolades=
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Idaho Statesman, The Economist, and Taylor Antrim of The Daily Beast all voted American Rust one of the best novels of 2009.{{cite web|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/09361/1023499-44.stm |title=Best books of 2009 |last=Hoover |first=Bob |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=December 27, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.economist.com/node/15009715 |title=Books of the Year: page-turners (2009) |publisher=The Economist |date=December 3, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/12/22/our-favorite-books-of-2009.html |title=Our Favorite Books of 2009 |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=December 22, 2009 |accessdate=April 5, 2015}} The novel also won the 2009 Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.{{Cite web |date=2010-04-26 |title=Awards: L.A. Times Book Winners; Carnegie Medal Shortlist |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1171 |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=Shelf Awareness}} It was a top-10 choice for The Washington Post, a top-100 choice for the Kansas City Star, and a New York Times Notable Book of 2009.{{Cite web|title = 100 Notable Books of 2009 |work=The New York Times|url = https://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/100-notable-books-of-2009-gift-guide/list.html|via = www.nytimes.com|access-date = January 28, 2016}} Additionally, it was named one of Newsweek's "Best. Books. Ever." in July 2009.
Plot
=Characters=
Isaac English: Nineteen year-old protagonist of American Rust. A recent high school graduate, who, despite his academic potential, does not attend college and has little hope for leaving his hometown or achieving economic mobility. Remains to help care for his elderly father. Becomes implicated in a murder at an old trainer plant, then resolves to ride the rails to Berkeley, California to become a student of physics with $4,000 stolen from his father's personal savings, but is ultimately unsuccessful and returns to Pennsylvania.
Billy Poe: Twenty-one year-old best friend of Isaac, former high school football star, though he does not share his friend's dedication to academics. Receives an opportunity for an athletic scholarship to play football at Colgate University, though declines. Becomes implicated in the aforementioned murder as he and Isaac try to leave Buell in the opening of the novel. Becomes incarcerated, sacrificing himself to allow Isaac to leave his hometown.
Lee English: Isaac's older sister who escapes their hometown to attend Yale University where she feels insecurity due to her social class and where she grew up. Lee lives in Connecticut and is married to the wealthy Simon, who does not appear directly in the novel. She also has an affair with Poe, whom she dated before she was married.
Grace Poe: Billy's mother, forty-one years old, who has an affair with Bud Harris, the local chief of police. Works as a seamstress, has a work-related repetitive stress injury in her hands. Fears that her job will be outsourced and that she will be reduced to working a minimum wage job.
Chief Dell Harris: Police chief who investigates the murder committed by Billy and Isaac and has an old relationship with Billy's mother Grace.
Steve Ho: Policeman and Harris's partner
Henry English: Father of Isaac and Lee. Old, sick, and wheelchair-ridden. Takes OxyContin at the conclusion of the novel to relieve some of his pain.
Television adaptation
{{Main|American Rust (TV series)}}
In November 2017, a television adaptation of American Rust was ordered to series by USA Network.{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title=USA Network Picks Up 'American Rust' Drama Series From 'The Son' Trio, Platform One Media & Michael De Luca|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/usa-network-american-rust-drama-series-platform-one-media-michael-de-luca-the-son-trio-1202207821/|accessdate=November 16, 2017|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=November 14, 2017}} The pilot episode was written by Brian McGreevy, Lee Shipman, and Philipp Meyer, and to be directed by David Gordon Green.{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title=USA Network Picks Up 'American Rust' Drama Series From 'The Son' Trio, Platform One Media & Michael De Luca|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/usa-network-american-rust-drama-series-platform-one-media-michael-de-luca-the-son-trio-1202207821/|accessdate=November 16, 2017|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=November 14, 2017}} The series was scrapped on January 25, 2018, after having trouble finding a leading actor for the show.{{cite news|last1=Goldberg|first1=Lesley|title=USA Network Scraps Straight-to-Series Drama 'American Rust' (Exclusive)
|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/usa-network-scraps-straight-series-drama-american-rust-1078613|accessdate=January 25, 2018|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 25, 2018}} In July 2019, the adaptation was recommissioned by Showtime. The series is written principally by Dan Futterman and stars Jeff Daniels as Harris; they both serve as executive producers.{{cite web|title='American Rust' Series Set at Showtime, Jeff Daniels to Star (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Joe|last=Otterson|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/american-rust-series-showtime-jeff-daniels-1203286789/|date=July 31, 2019|accessdate=April 10, 2020}} The series premiered on September 12, 2021.{{cite web|title='American Rust': Showtime Drops Premiere Date, First Look Teaser For Jeff Daniels & Maura Tierney Drama|url=https://deadline.com/2021/07/american-rust-showtime-premiere-date-teaser-jeff-daniels-maura-tierney-drama-1234776427/|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Alexandra|last=Del Rosario|date=June 16, 2021}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
{{refbegin}}
- [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/10/AR2009121003656.html The Washington Post: Ten Best Books of 2009]
- [http://www.economist.com/books/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15009715 The Economist: Best Books of the Year December 2009]
- [https://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/100-notable-books-of-2009-gift-guide/list.html The New York Times: Notable Books of 2009]
- [http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/1609350.html Kansas City Star: Top 100 Books of 2009]
- [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09361/1023499-44.stm Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Best Books of 2009]
- [http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/1024559.html Idaho Statesman: Top Books of 2009]
- [http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/06/bsw_20090616_1040.mp3 ABC Radio National "Off the Shelf" June 16, 2009]
- [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5361130/American-Rust-By-Philipp-Meyer-review.html The Telegraph: "American Rust: a review" May 24, 2009]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120310064557/http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/files/american_rust.mp3 ABC radio interview, Deborah Cameron with Geordie Williamson, April 2009]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102155107/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19954580.html Dayton Daily News, "Philipp Meyer's American Rust burns bright with characters" March 1, 2009]
- [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/24/AR2009022403636_pf.html The Washington Post "A Wealth of Despair Among the Impoverished" February 25, 2009]
- [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/books/27book.html The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani:"Steel Town Roots, Huck Finn Dreams" February 27, 2009]
{{Refend}}
Category:Novels set in the 2000s