A brilliant satire from one of the great novelists of his time.

In his first novel in nearly twenty years, Alexander Theroux, National Book Award Nominee, returns with a compendious satire, a bold and inquisitorial circuit-breaking examination of love and hate, of rejection and forgiveness, of trust and romantic disappointment, of the terrors of contemporary life. Eugene Eyestones, an erudite sex columnist for a Boston cultural magazine, becomes enmeshed in the messy life of a would-be artist named Laura Warholic, who, repulsing and fascinating him at the same time, becomes a mirror in which he not only sees himself but through which he is forced to face his own demons. Not only does she inadvertently supply him with material for his columns, but she exemplifies all that Eugene considers wrong with contemporary America (of which the publishing profession and its recognizable denizens serves as a microcosm) — a garish and dunce-filled Babylon that Theroux scorches with inventive and relentless satire. Nostalgic for the old days and old manners, a way of life lost to grace, loving from afar a mysterious beauty named Rapunzel Wisht, Eugene fights against the rising tide of stupidity, focusing on Laura in the hope that by saving her he can validate his ethical beliefs. But feckless Laura and the colorful but bizarre cast of characters surrounding Eugene — brilliant bigots, nihilists, Generation-X slackers and zanies of all sexual persuasions — threaten to pull him under, leading to the novel's unforgettable conclusion, a climax of betrayal and redemption of Dostoevskyan power.

As in all of Theroux's works, his maximalist and pyrotechnic prose style and searching intellect are the chief attractions, capable of outrageous comedy, nuanced philosophical discussions, winsome love scenes, flame-throwing tirades, subtle theological musings, and an unflinching genius for a profound if merciless look at the human condition. Horrifying and hilarious, damning and demanding, Laura Warholic in its uncompromising power will surely be one of the most talked-about novels of the season, and for years to come.

"Mad, erudite, word-drunk, Rabelaisian, Joycean, Sternean." Anthony Burgess

"It is hard to imagine finding all these sentences in any other mind." Smithsonian Magazine

"Theroux writes 'maximalist' fiction, which prizes wide learning, pique, and sheer hard work in his fiction, as opposed to the flat-chested minimalism of Bobbie Ann Mason and Raymond Carver." James DeRossit

"I must confess at the outset that I love Alexander Theroux's work as I love no other." Steven Moore

"A massive compendium of vituperation against contemporary society, jabs at pop culture, exposés of office politics, and exploration of life and love in modern times...a funny, sad and original satire of our funny, sad contemporary culture." Rain Taxi

"[T]he work of a manic genius, and Theroux's first novel in nearly 20 years will satisfy his fans who have been waiting for it." Library Journal

"Undeniably funny and compelling, linguistically and intellectually dazzling, as well as offensive and outrageously prolix." Booklist

Alexander Theroux is the author of three highly regarded novels — Three Wogs, Darconville's Cat, and An Adultery — and of several books of essays, fables, and poetry. He lives in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, with his wife, artist Sarah Son.