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American Rust: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle) Paperback – January 12, 2010

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 2,945 ratings

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NOW A HIT STREAMING SERIES • A “bold, absorbing novel” (The New York Times Book Review) of the lost American dream, the acts of friendship, loyalty, and love that arise from its loss, and two young men, bound to their hometown, who crave an escape.

“Powerful . . . gripping . . . in the tradition that stretches from Ernest Hemingway to Cormac McCarthy.”—
The Washington Post

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:
New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Economist, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Newsweek, Kansas City Star, Idaho Statesman
 
Left alone to care for his aging father after his mother dies by suicide and his sister escapes to Yale, Isaac English longs for a life beyond his hometown, a beautiful but economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town. But when he finally sets out to leave for good, accompanied by his temperamental best friend, former high school football star Billy Poe, they are caught up in a terrible act of violence that changes their lives forever.

Evoking John Steinbeck’s novels of restless lives during the Great Depression,
American Rust takes us into the contemporary American heartland at a moment of profound unrest and uncertainty about the future. It is a dark but lucid vision, a moving novel about the bleak realities that battle our desire for transcendence and the power of love and friendship to redeem us.
"Layla" by Colleen Hoover for $7.19
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more

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From the Publisher

Publisher’s Weekly says, “Meyer has a thrilling eye for failed dreams… Fans of Cormac McCarthy…”

The New York Times ays, A bold, absorbing novel.american rust;showtime series;Philipp Meyer

USA Today says, “Ambitious and impressive.”american rust;showtime series;Philipp Meyer;family life

The Washington Post says, “Powerful… Brilliantly drawn.”american rust;showtime series;Philipp Meyer

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for American Rust


“A novel as splendidly crafted and original as any written in recent decades,
American Rust is both darkly disturbing and richly compelling. Philipp Meyer’s first novel signals the arrival of a new voice in American letters.”—Patricia Cornwell, author of Scarpetta

“With its strong narrative engine and understated social insight,
American Rust is reminiscent of the best of Robert Stone and Russell Banks. Author Philipp Meyer locates the heart of his working class characters without false sentiment or condescension, and their world is artfully described. An extraordinary, compelling novel from a major talent.”—George Pelecanos, author of The Turnaround


“This is strong, clean stuff. Philipp Meyer deserves to be taken seriously.”—Pete Dexter, author of
Paper Trails

“Philipp Meyer's
American Rust is written with considerable dramatic intensity and pace. It manages an emotional accuracy, a deep and detailed conviction in its depiction of character. It also captures a sense of a menacing society, a wider world in the throes of decay and self-destruction.”—Colm Tóibín, author of The Master

“Meyer has a thrilling eye for failed dreams and writes uncommonly tense scenes of violence . . . Fans of Cormac McCarthy or Dennis Lehane will find in Meyer an author worth watching.”—
Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Philipp Meyer grew up in Baltimore, dropped out of high school, and got his GED when he was sixteen. After spending several years volunteering at a trauma center in downtown Baltimore, he attended Cornell University, where he studied English. Since graduating, Meyer has worked as a derivatives trader at UBS, a construction worker, and an EMT, among other jobs. His writing has been published in McSweeney's, The Iowa Review, Salon.com, and New Stories from the South. From 2005 to 2008 Meyer was a fellow at the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas. He splits his time between Texas and upstate New York.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Trade Paperbacks; Spiegal & Grau Paperback Edition (January 12, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385527527
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385527521
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.47 x 0.83 x 8.23 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 2,945 ratings

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Philipp Meyer
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Philipp Meyer grew up in a working class neighborhood in Baltimore, where he dropped out of high school and got a GED. After five years working as a bike mechanic and an orderly in a trauma center, he decided to attend college, getting into Cornell University at the age of 22. He graduated with a degree in English and he got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader. After paying off his student loans, he left Wall Street hoping write full time, but after several years of failure moved back to Baltimore and took jobs as an EMT and construction worker. In 2005 he received a fellowship from the University of Texas’s Michener Center for Writers. In 2009 he published his first novel American Rust, which won a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was an Economist Book of the Year, a New York Times Notable Book, a Washington Post Book of the Year, and made numerous other “best-of” list. Meyer is a Guggenheim Fellow and one of the second generation of the New Yorker’s 20 best writers under 40. His second novel, The Son, is being published in fifteen languages. He lives mostly in Austin, Texas.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
2,945 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the honest storyline and well-written writing style. The characters are described as wonderful, authentic, and believable. Readers find the pacing fast and engaging. The style is described as beautiful, colorful, and thought-provoking.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

144 customers mention "Readability"137 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it interesting, well-written, and thought-provoking. The premise is believable and the story keeps readers hooked until the end.

"This is a very good American Noir Novel set in south west Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh...." Read more

"...It's gritty, but, man, it's good. Both the content and the form are compelling, and, in my estimation, far better than what you get these..." Read more

"...While the premise of the book is believable; such murders could happen. The actions of the two young men are sometimes a stretch to buy into...." Read more

"...Despite all this the book was engaging, thought provoking and well written. He has a distinct voice...." Read more

140 customers mention "Story quality"102 positive38 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging story. They find it honest and hard to put down. The plot is suspenseful and the characters are believable. The basic framework of the book is interesting, but some readers found the ending disappointing.

"...There is one main storyline and the story is told from the perspective of numerous characters. Parts of the story are very dark, some very tense...." Read more

"...My hat is off to Philipp Meyer for writing a book that is suspenseful, layered with meaning, thought-provoking - and one that is likely to stand the..." Read more

"...the end, it just ended..not tied up with a pretty bow, but still tied up nicely...." Read more

"...The characters march to their destinies and those destinies aren't pretty...." Read more

105 customers mention "Writing style"90 positive15 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style. They find it well-written and engaging. The author uses a different writing style from most authors, with sparse yet brilliant descriptions. However, some readers felt the writing was a bit slow. Overall, the book depicts what has happened to small communities.

"...Secondly he writes very well describing scenery. Both of these items matter as much to me as the story...." Read more

"...is off to Philipp Meyer for writing a book that is suspenseful, layered with meaning, thought-provoking - and one that is likely to stand the test..." Read more

"...Meyers writing is sparse, yet his descriptions are brilliant. He creates fully drawn characters with all many complications...." Read more

"...Despite all this the book was engaging, thought provoking and well written. He has a distinct voice...." Read more

91 customers mention "Character development"82 positive9 negative

Customers find the characters well-developed and authentic. They find the writing engaging and transporting them into the characters' lives and environments. The narrator is described as knowledgeable.

"...told from multiple perspectives, but we still have this sort of all-knowing narrator. Just fantastic!..." Read more

"...He creates fully drawn characters with all many complications...." Read more

"...Poe may be the book's most fascinating character. This would be a much less interesting novel if it was the standard male-bonding, no-snitching tale...." Read more

"...It's train of thought for the characters, full of thoughts that change direction mid-stream...." Read more

32 customers mention "Pacing"25 positive7 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They appreciate the author's stream-of-consciousness writing style that keeps them engrossed. The inter-personal relationships feel realistic, and the local atmosphere is vividly described. Readers also mention the author's ability to make time palpable and move through it smoothly.

"...Their sense of place is delicious." Read more

"...the problems facing working class whites -- there's a lot of sincerity behind the book, but that doesn't change the fact that it simply isn't very..." Read more

"...failures and regrets as well as unique family dynamics in an intimately local setting...." Read more

"...This is not a hopeful, uplifting story. The further one goes into it, the more tragic and depressing it becomes...." Read more

12 customers mention "Style"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's style. They find it thought-provoking and colorful. The story provides a backdrop of what is going on in many parts of America. The character development is described as painted in many shades of gray.

"I enjoyed this book. A good look at the American dream" Read more

"...I liked the style of the book, where each chapter was through the eyes of one of the characters, and the basic framework of the book was..." Read more

"...I read and liked his style in that book. The Monthly also mentioned Meyer's first book which is this book...." Read more

"Well written in an interesting style. I will follow this author." Read more

57 customers mention "Depressing content"24 positive33 negative

Customers have different views on the book's content. Some find it poignant and thought-provoking, describing it as a well-constructed story that tugs at their emotions. Others find it depressing and dull, not a feel-good story.

"...It is clearly written but it is not a light read. I am definitely going to look for another novel by this author, but not immediately...." Read more

"...for writing a book that is suspenseful, layered with meaning, thought-provoking - and one that is likely to stand the test of time...." Read more

"...a very well written novel, but one that I just found impossible to like very much...." Read more

"...The author does a wonderful job of conveying the sense of desperation, hopelessness and despair of the residents of this failed town...." Read more

13 customers mention "Pace"5 positive8 negative

Customers have different views on the book's pace. Some find it good and engaging, while others feel it's slow and boring. The conclusion is praised for being quick-paced.

"I almost quit this book several times - because it moved so painfully slow. But the magic of the characters kept bringing me back...." Read more

"...of their town after the closing of its steel mill create a fast-moving, suspenseful drama. I love reading books I don’t want to put down...." Read more

"...However, toward the end, the pace suddenly speeds up, the conclusion comes far more quickly than the rest of the story was told, and the conflict..." Read more

"Book was a little slow in the beginning when the author was throwing a lot of people at you at once...." Read more

Great read. From a former Fayette co. Resident.
5 out of 5 stars
Great read. From a former Fayette co. Resident.
Philipp Meyers did an amazing job with this book. Growing up in "fayettenam" I was taken back at how well the author captured the essence of the people and the environment they are surrounded by. He did a great job.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024
    This is a very good American Noir Novel set in south west Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh. There is one main storyline and the story is told from the perspective of numerous characters. Parts of the story are very dark, some very tense. It is clearly written but it is not a light read. I am definitely going to look for another novel by this author, but not immediately. I need to find something lighter for the moment. This is intense,

    As far as writing, the author accomplishes at least two things that matter to me when I read fiction. First he makes me care about the characters and identity with them. Secondly he writes very well describing scenery. Both of these items matter as much to me as the story. As a retired Pennsylvania State Policeman who worked in Fayette County the story, although slightly unrealistic, really captivated me. Obviously that may be idiosyncratic. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
    I bought this book as a birthday gift for my husband and ended up reading it myself. This is the kind of book that, two years ago, I would have stayed up all night finishing in one sitting. Now I have a kid, so I had to settle for reading it over the span of a week. One of the minor sacrifices that comes with being a parent.

    I had very high expectations for the book after reading only the epigraph, and, ultimately, I wasn't disappointed. My hat is off to Philipp Meyer for writing a book that is suspenseful, layered with meaning, thought-provoking - and one that is likely to stand the test of time. It's gritty, but, man, it's good.

    Both the content and the form are compelling, and, in my estimation, far better than what you get these days from most contemporary novels.

    Regarding the novel's form, the mode of narration is pure genius - nothing else would have done for this story. A great many novels these days are told "from multiple perspectives," so much so, that, frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. Sometimes I wonder if the disappearing omniscient narrator is a sign of the times. The closer we move toward moral relativism, the less likely we are to trust a narrator who claims to have the market on objective truth. The god-like narrator is dying, a shame in my eyes. And herein lies the brilliance of Philipp Meyer. The mode of narration throughout is third-person selective omniscient; however, the "selective" part alternates from character to character. So, in a sense, the story is told from multiple perspectives, but we still have this sort of all-knowing narrator. Just fantastic!

    The content of the novel is so rich, cut from the same mold as other existentialist-type stories I've really enjoyed, like The Stranger, Siddhartha and The Plague. The universe in which the characters find themselves is a godless one, and, as a result, they are constantly bumping up against the absurdity of their existence as they try to make moral choices, define themselves and live honorable, dignified lives. Dripping from every page is this sense of total despair at the seeming irrationality of it all. The ideas that anchor the book combined with the author's knack for verisimilitude make this a chilling read. I felt like I was transported to the setting of the novel.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2013
    Two rather hapless young men "accidentally" murder a homeless man. Well, maybe not accidentally, but they didn't start out to do that act which provides the basis for this entire story. Set in a depressed section of Pennsylvania after the collapse of the steel industry, this story is told from the perspective of six individuals whose lives are drastically affected by this murder: the two young men, a sister and father to one, the mother of the other, and a local sheriff who is also the mother's lover.

    While the premise of the book is believable; such murders could happen. The actions of the two young men are sometimes a stretch to buy into. One is supposedly brilliant which opportunities to go to Ivy League schools; the other was a football hero with opportunities to attend any number of good colleges on a football scholarship. Both manage to throw away their futures. Isaac runs away from a disabled father hitch-hiking to California and goes from bad to worse to pathetic. Poe finds himself in a horrible prison arrested for the murder (which was actually committed by Isaac)and refuses to help himself; he blindly seems to accept his fate.

    The narratives told by each of the six characters telling the story vary according to style. There is a lot of angst and stream of consciousness in Isaac's telling. The style of writing is quite different when the father, sister or sheriff tell the story. This is obviously a very well written novel, but one that I just found impossible to like very much. All of these characters had such tremendous character flaws and none seemed really to want to help themselves other than the sister who made it out of this town to Harvard. Yet, even she though newly married comes back and has an affair with Poe whose life consists of drinking beer in front of the TV. I found it a bit hard to believe that an old high school boyfriend could still be that alluring.

    I read this after reading Meyer's The Sonnewest novel "The Son" which was absolutely wonderful. I was disappointed in this one.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Dale W.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Novel
    Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2022
    I just finished reading "American Rust" and extremely happy with the purchase. The story is told through 6 different characters and how their lives are affected by a single act. It's a great read and hard to believe it's the author's first book. It's a masterpiece. I look forward to reading Philipp Meyer's next book titled "The Son".
  • Miss Shirley J Moore
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2020
    I'm still reading this book and really enjoying it. The tale is of real people and describes situations in life that cause a knock on effect to those around them, the lives of human beings that overlap one another's sometimes with disasterous effects. The descriptions of the corrosion of Industrial America and the American Dream for the characters is visual and palpable, and gives us recognizable evidence of the changing times and loss of values.
    The book arrived within a few days of my ordering it and in perfect condition. I will pass this book onto friends to read and I shall look at other of Philipp Meyer's books.
  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent roman
    Reviewed in France on November 1, 2016
    Après avoir lu "Le fils" du même auteur, j'ai souhaité découvrir son premier roman "American rust" où j'ai retrouvé un style et une écriture dignes des grands romanciers américains. A lire absolument!
    Report
  • Gerhard Mersmann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Downfall and Desperation
    Reviewed in Germany on August 11, 2012
    Young Philipp Meyer marked in his biography milestones that could be of advantage for becoming a good writer. He grew up in Baltimore and knows what it means if a city or region is facing decline from a former prosperity. Meyer himself quitted school, worked with traumatized youngsters, travelled around and had jobs as a construction worker. All is not the pre-condition for good writing but concerning the ability to identify and emphasize social context it can be very helpful.

    American Rust, a narrative masterpiece of current american prose fiction is chosen to happen in the aera of Pittsburg P.A., the former El Dorado of coal and steel, the black country itself in the United States. Like Englands black country and Germans Ruhrgebiet it went down in the eighties and nineties and there was no limit of suffering not to be reached. The downfall of a whole region had consequences on every aspect of life: Former good earning workers lost their jobs, became poor clients living from funds, lost their prospects and self esteem. Family dramas followed, alcoholism, drug abuse and growing criminality.

    Meyers protagonists in American Rust are youngsters who remained in the region despite the chance to get out there. In a normal constellation of daily struggle something fatal happened and somebody lay dead on the ground. Poe, the strong buddy with a loyal soul, is charged for murder and Isaac, the introversed antipode, is hitting the road to California where he never will be seen. Isaacs father Henry and his sister Lee, Poes mother Grace and her time to time lover Harris, the police agent in charge, are the actors of a masterful written drama. Meyer changes the point of view and the progress of the social texture with these people who are all very interesting characters with their own history and motivation, with their own traumas and tragedies.

    It becomes clear that at the end there will be no winners. The further going question wich remains during the process of reading is who will lose most and who less. We get an impression of the whole dimension of desolation caused by the economic downfall of thatregion. Like the German writer Stefan Heym, who was for some years in exile in the U.S and who lived as a journalist in Pittsburg P.A. in the early fifties, the characterization of the people in his novel Goldsborough (1953), although done in a time of prosperity, comes to similar results as Meyers. And it reminds of the people in other black countries. Even in in times of downfall and desperation they are heros. A beautiful book for those who love human beings who never give up, whether it makes sense or not.
  • Linda Gregory
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and interesting read.
    Reviewed in Australia on January 2, 2016
    An excellent read. Very insightful about the state of the decline in some parts of the US, and how lives are affected.
    Easy to read and at the same time captures the reader into the lives and events of the characters.