Synopses & Reviews
I am guilty not because of my actions, to which I freely admit, but for my accession, admission, confession that I executed these actions with not only deliberation and
premeditation but with zeal and paroxysm and purpose . . . The true answer to your question is shorter than the lie.
Did you? I did. This is a confession of a victim turned villain. When Ishmael Kidder's eleven-year-old daughter is brutally murdered, it stands to reason that he must take revenge by any means necessary. The punishment is carried out without guilt, and with the usual equipment--duct tape, rope, and superglue. But the tools of psychological torture prove to be the most devastating of all.
Percival Everett's most lacerating indictment to date, The Water Cure follows the gruesome reasoning and execution of revenge in a society that has lost a common moral ground, where rules are meaningless. A master storyteller, Everett draws upon disparate elements of Western philosophy, language theory, and military intelligence reports to create a terrifying story of loss, anger, and helplessness in our modern world. This is a timely and important novel that confronts the dark legacy of the Bush years and the state of America today.
Review
"If Percival Everett isn't already a household name, it's because people are more interested in politics than truth." Madison Smartt Bell
Review
"Percival Everett is a genius. He's a brilliant writer and so damn smart I envy him." Terry McMillan
Review
"A sharp satirical voice only predictable in its provocation." Playboy Magazine
Review
"Some readers will resist this, balking at the nonlinear, often nonsensical words on the page. For others who don't mind leaving the tidy structure of mainstream fiction, The Water Cure can be a bold adventure into the darkness of one man's heart." San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Daring, exasperating and occasionally brilliant, The Water Cure works best neither as political diatribe nor as psychological study but as the extended solo of a ravenous, indignant mind." Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
I am guilty not because of my actions, to which I freely admit, but for my accession, admission, confession that I executed these actions with not only deliberation and premeditation but with zeal and paroxysm and purpose....The true answer to your question is shorter than the lie. Did you? I did.
This is a confession of a victim turned villain. When Ishmael Kidder's eleven-year-old daughter is brutally murdered, it stands to reason that he must take revenge by any means necessary. The punishment is carried out without guilt, and with the usual equipment duct tape, rope, and superglue. But the tools of psychological torture prove to be the most devastating of all.
Percival Everett's most lacerating indictment to date, The Water Cure follows the gruesome reasoning and execution of revenge in a society that has lost a common moral ground, where rules are meaningless. A master storyteller, Everett draws upon disparate elements of Western philosophy, language theory, and military intelligence reports to create a terrifying story of loss, anger, and helplessness in our modern world. This is a timely and important novel that confronts the dark legacy of the Bush years and the state of America today.
Synopsis
Everett's lacerating novel follows the gruesome reasoning and execution of revenge in a society that has lost a common moral ground, where rules are meaningless. A master storyteller, the author creates a terrifying story of loss, anger, and helplessness in the modern world.
About the Author
Percival Everett is a professor of English at the University of Southern California and the author of sixteen books, including American Desert, Erasure, and Glyph. He lives in Los Angeles.