Nixoncarver

by Mark Maxwell

Book Overview

Richard Nixon and Raymond Carver meet while walking on a California beach in this imaginative novel that creates a fictional bond between the ex-president and the short-story writer. In subtle ways,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312181469
• ISBN13: 9780312181468
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

This Book Was Written By My Teacher

I must admit, I might have a bit of bias, my Creative Writing teacher, Mark Maxwell, wrote this book, which is why I decided to read it. At first glance, I thought I would not be that interested, but I gave it a try. I learned that Mr. Maxwell is a very great writer, which I expected, but I had no idea that he was that good. I already knew he had a slightly twisted imagination and sense of humor to go along with it. His twisted imagination and sense of humor lends to this novel what makes it great. He offers in this novel what he offers in my class: inspiration, a stroke of genius, imaginative thinking, and a great sense of humor. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Forget that it has to do with a politician and a poet, it's so bizarre and out there that you wont care.

NixonCarver

This is a beautiful book. Richard Nixon is an unlikely vehicle for beauty, but Maxwell does it somehow-- his gentle portrait of Raymond Carver no doubt has a lot to do with it. He has created a tragedy that does what tragedies should do-- simply, it makes you feel for another human being. Also interesting in the same vein is Russell Lees' play "Nixon's Nixon"-- between the two of them these works do what history should do but can't.

excellent,definitely five stars, though it starts a bit slow

buy the book, better than any "real" biography of either man...it leaves you hungry for more!.

This book made me gag--buy it!

I do not like to fish, play poker or clean the garage, but I loved Nixoncarver! Maxwell must have a vivid imagination because some of the images he created gave me a physical response--I will never look at a bluebird or my mother's arse the same way! After I finished the book, I regreted reading it so fast. Now I miss my new friends Nixon and Carver. Perhaps there is a part two in the works? Nixoncarver: Heaven or Hell? I hope so!

A fascinating "what if?"

Real life people created as characters have always fascinated me.From "Ragtime" to James Ellroy's "American Tabloid", we bring our public knowlegde to these newly created characters and often are left shaking our heads in wonder or smiling in delight. That is certainly the case with this novel. Slowly but surely Maxwell peels back the public Richard Nixon and creates a new (albeit fictional) character with whom we must relate. Unlike Robert Coover's Nixon of "The Public Burning", this "Tricky Dick" is far more human, vulnerable and full of foibles than a monster in training. And Raymond Carver as foil - who could ask for a more perfect opposite for a fishing buddy! IT's not often we read a book and decide that we wish we could have been eavesdropping on characters' conversations in person. This is one where I wish I had, and I'm glad I got to meet these men again - for the first time.