A Parisian from Kansas

by Philippe Tapon

Book Overview

A story-within-a-story explores the complex friendship between two Americans in Paris, Darren Swenson, who is world-weary and HIV-positive, and the author himself, Philippe Tapon, who agrees to write... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525942394
• ISBN13: 9780525942399
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Do you think you have read it all?

Are you bored of conventional writing styles? Are you looking for a good story to read and reflect about? Then look no further, because "A Parisian from Kansas" is all you need to enjoy yourself and see some things in life with wide-open eyes. Ambitious to its purpose and true to its kind, this story unfolds the life of Darren Swenson, an American dealing with AIDS who despises his roots and believes that a book about his life will immortalize him forever. Darren's life and the making of this biography both intertwine between each other, building up a concept worthy of admiration. In a few words, a story inside a story. Skills and originality describes this novel, at times quite confusing, but definitely a story that will change your view of how to read a book.

A daring novel that you'll either love or hate (I loved it)

Although I (and most people I know) loved the novel, there are a few that don't like it. Who will NOT like it? Those who insist that stories should be told in a linear fashion. This novel jumps back and forth in time and space, sometimes within a paragraph. For those who prefer traditional story telling, you may not like this. I enjoyed this unique style because it made me pay attention, and after all, no one in real life tells long life stories in a linear fashion, it's natural to jump around.Also, those who dislike gays/homosexuals may not appreciate the novel. Although this novel is certainly not a "gay novel," the protagonist is gay, and so it is hard to avoid the subject! Chapter 11 (in the middle of the novel) is graphic, so those who are sensitive to this, may want to skip the chapter and continue reading. However, in the end this novel is about creating a novel, the desire for immortality, and the works of literature that inspire writing.I've read many professional reviews of this book, and they are consistently positive. I can understand why some readers may not like the style. You never know if you are in or out of the novel. Sometimes you don't know if an event really happened. To some, this can be maddening. To most, however, it makes the novel thrilling and engaging. The novel is mostly true, but is in the fiction category, because there is some artistic license.I can't guarantee that you'll love it, although nearly everyone I know who has read it has love it. I recommend taking a small risk and buying it. I doubt you'll regret it, especially if you have any appreciation of literature and/or original writing styles. Philippe Tapon's next novel will be entitled "The Mistress" and it comes out in January 1999. I can't wait!

An original and thought-provoking first novel

Tapon's first novel is a wonderful journey into the mind of a first-time writer. The characters, all based on reality, come to life in the reader's mind as s/he joins Tapon in deciphering his way through that nebulous area between art and reality. I can't wait for his next novel

An amazing and thoroughly engrossing novel!

It's impressive that this book is so compelling while critiquing itself. Instead of just telling Darren's story, Philippe Tapon challenges his own subjectivity to keep the work honest and ensure its integrity. Most authors would prefer to evade such close scrutiny, but Tapon ambitiously and bravely draws attention to his complicity in the fabrication of this biography. "A Parisian from Kansas" captivates us with its daring and unforgettable voice and is impossible to put down.

The most incredible, original book you will ever buy.

As the author's brother, you might think that I'm favorably biased to his work. In reality, I read it even more critically than I would a "regular" book. Why? Because he asked me to critique the final draft. Despite my critical eye, I must say, objectively, that this is an incredible book. However, instead of reviewing it in a traditional way, I thought it would be helpful to give you my unique perspective into my brother's novel and tell you stories you wouldn't otherwise here about the making of the novel. Also, I will report what objective professional book reviewers have said about the book. BACKGROUND Over a year ago, my brother sent three chapters of the book to a famous semi-retired editor, William Abrahams. After reading the 3 chapters, Mr. Abrahams asked for the rest of the book. Although he had vowed to never edit someone's first attempt at a book (and kept that vow for over 40 years), he decided to break it for Philippe's book. Moreover, he decided to come out of his semi-retired state to edit it. Obviously, this book must have been extremely compelling to make such a famous editor take such significant action. Mr. Abrahams did it, "Because I've never read anything like this." In fact, that's what most people say after reading it, and I can almost guarantee that you will too. I cannot promise that you'll love it (though nearly everyone has), but I can promise you that you'll agree that it is extremely original and thought provoking. ANALYSIS Throughout the work the author makes allusions to great works such as T.S. Elliott's "Wasteland," Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby," and Irving's "The World According To Garp." It is a self-referential novel that makes reading it exciting. Even though the work is considered fiction, about 80-90% of the novel events actually occurred; so one can certainly say that it is based on a true story. What makes the book so fascinating is that it is simple enough to read casually and enjoy on a superficial level, and yet it is complex enough to be analyzed in a graduate school level English literature class. For example, the novel has a distinct "architecture" that borrows from the immortal "Odyssey" of Homer. Like the Odyssey, "A Parisian From Kansas" has 24 chapters, and significant events occur at each multiple of 3 and 4. Even stronger events occur in chapters 6, 12, 18, and 24. For example, in Homer's masterpiece, Odysseus describes his voyage to "hell" in Chapter 9. By Chapter 11 he recounts the deepest depths of the underworld. By Chapter 12, Odysseus snaps out of his flashback. Similarly, Philippe writes what he calls the Fragment Chapters (numbers 9-11) in his novel. Starting in Chapter 9 the writing style changes DRAMATICALLY, as Darren, the protagonist, begins to narrate. Philippe transcribes the thoughts that Darren has recorded on a tape. Chapters 9 through 11 delve into Darren's life from his perspective. Because of the different style, these chapters truly