For more than fifteen years now, St. Stephen’s has taught The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien to all of its sophomores. For those who were a fan of the author, like I was, his satire America Fantastica is a great, and maybe even easy, choice. This piece of fiction keeps the author’s voice but is, at the same time, so unlike his previous writing that it is able to capture a whole new audience. Even if you found  The Things They Carried to not be your cup of tea, this novel might just be your new favorite. 

America Fantastica, published thirty three years after The Things They Carried, replaces the often contemplative nature of O’Brien’s previous novel with pure action. It tells the busy and layered story of a Boyd Halverston: a compulsive liar, fake news journalist, divorcee, and eventual bank robber. As Boyd struggles across the country, on the run and plotting a secret revenge, he faces criminals, torture, tragic love stories, and mass corruption. The businessmen of the novel, a family full of incredulous wealth, financial crime, and even murder, embody every capitalist stereotype and yet manage to feel remarkably new. This satire pairs over-the-top characters with current world events to present our country’s politics, media, and rich into what O’Brien knows they really are: buzzing, lying, obscene, and most of all, ridiculous. The novel has so many layers, turns, and twists that the first section can feel almost cloudy; there’s a lot of characters, a lot of connections between them, and not a whole lot of explanations. However, the writing is so sharp, and the story is so intricate and hilarious, that working out the plot feels like a puzzle, not a burden. It only makes the conclusions more rewarding, when the cloud slowly clears and the full tragic story is unveiled for readers. 

It’s hard to review this book without spoilers, and without six pages to explain all the characters and all of their journeys, but it’s even harder to express its greatness without them. Don’t let yourself be put off by this satire’s shockingly low ratings or the excess of complaints about its dark humour. For fans of Tim O’Brien, or just for fans of good reads, I cannot recommend America Fantastica enough; you truly have to read it to believe it.