Man Gone Down

{{Short description|2006 novel by Michael Thomas}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox book

| name = Man Gone Down

| title_orig = Man Gone Down

| translator =

| image = Man Gone Down.jpg

| caption = First edition

| author = Michael Thomas

| illustrator =

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| country = United States

| language = English

| series =

| subject =

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| publisher = Grove Press

| pub_date = Dec 2006

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| pages = 431

| isbn = 0-8021-7029-3

| dewey = 813/.6 22

| congress = PS3620.H6352 M36 2007

| oclc = 74492272

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Man Gone Down (2006) is the debut novel of U.S. author Michael Thomas. It won the 2009 International Dublin Literary Award, with Thomas receiving a prize of €100,000 (£85,000, US$140,000).{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/man-gone-down-wins-impac-dublin-literary-award-1770857.html|title='Man gone down' wins IMPAC Dublin Literary Award|date=2009-06-11|access-date=June 11, 2009|newspaper=Irish Independent}} Man Gone Down is also recommended by The New York Times.{{cite news |first=Kaiama L. |last=Glover |title=American Dream Deferred |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/books/review/Glover.t.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 4, 2007 }}

Plot introduction

The novel is about an African-American man estranged from his white wife and their children, and who must come up with a sum of money within four days to have them returned.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/11/debut-novelist-impac-dublin-prize|title=Debut novelist takes €100,000 Impac Dublin prize|date=June 11, 2009|access-date=June 11, 2009|newspaper=The Guardian | location=London | first=Alison | last=Flood}}{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0611/breaking49.htm|title=Debut novel by US writer wins Impac|date=June 11, 2009|access-date=June 11, 2009|newspaper=The Irish Times}} The plot focuses on an attempt to achieve the American Dream.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSLB71060020090611|title=African-American novel wins Irish literature prize|date=June 11, 2009|access-date=June 11, 2009|work=Reuters}} Thomas describes Man Gone Down as having a "gallows humour".

References