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A review by havermeyer
Deus Ex Machina by Andrew Foster Altschul, Andrew Altschul
4.0
This is a clever book, and a great read. In short, its about an intense version of survivor controlled as if it was the truman show. It invites questions about who controls your life. Is there a difference between the producer and god? Sometimes it wears this questions a little too much on it's sleeve, but it's clever nonetheless.
It makes the decision that most creative writing professors will decry to date itself by including a number of real people and celebrities in cameo appearances (including one memorable one in the middle though, while funny, Altschul comes a bit short of capturing the celebrity's voice). It is the right choice for this book, which wants to place itself firmly in our world in order to make the firmest social statement possible.
It's a short and fun read, and it brings up more interesting and challenging questions than you would think. I read it for Stephen Elliot's Rumpus Book Club (highly recommended if you're not a member), so I'm looking forward to the club's conversation with the author. I'm also planning on reading his other novel, Lady Lazarus, so I'd say this book is recommended.
All the best,
-Eric
It makes the decision that most creative writing professors will decry to date itself by including a number of real people and celebrities in cameo appearances (including one memorable one in the middle though, while funny, Altschul comes a bit short of capturing the celebrity's voice). It is the right choice for this book, which wants to place itself firmly in our world in order to make the firmest social statement possible.
It's a short and fun read, and it brings up more interesting and challenging questions than you would think. I read it for Stephen Elliot's Rumpus Book Club (highly recommended if you're not a member), so I'm looking forward to the club's conversation with the author. I'm also planning on reading his other novel, Lady Lazarus, so I'd say this book is recommended.
All the best,
-Eric