Synopses & Reviews
The Festival of Earthly Delights is a humorous coming-of-age story set in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Puchai. Boyd Darrow has recently moved there with his unfaithful girlfriend to give their relationship a second chance. His adventures, and misadventures, are relayed in a series of letters to a mysterious recipient.
Matt Dojny co-authored the illustrated essay "Impossible Sightseeing" in A Public Space, as well as contributing an illustrated piece to THE MOMENT: Wild, Poignant, Life-Changing Stories from 125 Writers and Artists Famous and Obscure. This is his first novel. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Review
a perfect summer read, armchair travel in a higher key. It moves through the familiar tropes with heightened silliness, with characters who are surprisingly moving.
Dojny manages the near-impossible trick of being hilarious without going over the top. Of the American-abroad books I've read this year, this one is the most fun.” Los Angeles Times
"There's... no comparison to reading a novel that it's clear a writer had a ton of fun writing. For a light-hearted book, there's a lot of heart in The Festival of Earthly Delights." The Rumpus
"A delightfully funny and heartfelt novel from a fresh voice in fiction." Barnes and Noble, "The Long List"
"The Festival of Earthly Delights is a thoroughly enjoyable and eminently funny book that can keep a whimsical, humorous tone intact whilst addressing very valid, topical issues. The balancing act is as impressive as you're likely to find in any modern comedy or debut novel..." Tottenville Review
"...one of the most imaginative books I have read all year, an epistolary novel bursting with wonders and surprises." Largehearted Boy
"If Puchai were a real country, I'd be a citizen by now, or at least an illegal alien. What a glorious novel!" Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story
"Dojny has created an entire country filled with characters that are so fresh and endearing, you'll find yourself wishing Puchai were a real place. I love this book." Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, The Daily Show)
"Comic novels can be whimsical, or clever, or delightful, or witty, or canny, or powerful. Rarely are they all of those things. Matt Dojny's large-hearted, bright-minded novel has drawings and letters and love and loss, and now you do, too." Ben Greenman, author of What He's Poised to Do and Superbad
"Matt Dojny's novel is a true delight. I can't think of any writer since Kingsley Amis who's been able to write high-minded comedy that packs such a punch. I've never enjoyed a comic novel more." John Wray, author of Lowboy
Synopsis
The Festival of Earthly Delights is a laugh-out-loud bildungsroman set in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Puchai.
About the Author
Matt Dojny co-authored the illustrated essay Impossible Sightseeing” in A Public Space, as well as contributing an illustrated piece to THE MOMENT: Wild, Poignant, Life-Changing Stories from 125 Writers and Artists Famous and Obscure. This is his first novel. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son, and dog.