All the Sad Young Literary Men - Rilegato

“A debut novel from Russian-born translator Gessen that skewers the literary and romantic ambitions of three well-educated, tightly wound young men.

This black-comedy-in-stories alternates among three protagonists, Mark, Sam and Keith, who have little contact with one another but who have in common age, bafflement and hunger for literary fame. Mark is a Ph.D. student in Russian history who's dismayed again and again to find that erudition about the Mensheviks and finely honed skills of historical analogy avail him little—fine, avail him nothing—in sussing out his erotic life. They aren't much help, either, in getting his dissertation finished. Meanwhile, Sam gets a contract early in his 20s to produce a ‘great Zionist epic,’ but it quickly runs aground, and he has to pay back the advance. Soon he's reduced to temp work doing spreadsheets, and to watching his Internet presence (his identity!) tragically dwindle, an index of squandered promise. In one delightful scene, he calls Google and asks if they might ‘shift the algorithm a little’ until he can get back on his feet. When this draws an uncomfortable laugh, Sam waxes indignant: ‘You couldn't do anything in this country anymore...without someone thinking you were a creep.’ Finally there is Keith, a subtle, earnest cultural critic and Russian immigrant who seems to have much in common with his author (Keith's sections are presented in the first person). Gessen strikes a marvelous balance between pitilessness and affection toward these young men, and manages the impressive feat of being simultaneously savage and tender.

A fiercely intelligent, darkly funny first novel.”
—Kirkus, Starred Review
“In his first novel, Russian-born Gessen (founder, n+1) continues many of the same themes of his excellent short story ‘Like Vaclav,’ often with hilarious results. The book focuses on Sam, Mark, and Keith, young "literary men" with ambitious plans to change the world. Unfortunately, these plans are often derailed by their difficulties in dealing with young adulthood. Mark is not so diligently working on a dissertation about the Mensheviks in dreary Syracuse, NY, while reeling from a recent divorce. Sam plans to write a great Zionist novel despite never having been to Israel. And Keith, the son of Russian immigrants and the most thoughtful of the three, struggles with family issues and alienation. Though the three never meet, their lives intertwine as they arrive at their own forms of adulthood. The themes of "Like Vaclav" aren't quite as sustainable in novel form, but Gessen still manages to tackle serious political subjects while poking fun at how seriously his characters take themselves. Strongly recommended for most general fiction collections.”
—Library Journal

"Here is a funny, felt book by a writer supremely attuned to the vagaries of love and history, or at least to the wounding abstractions that often seem like the vagaries of love and history, especially to overwound young men. The distinction, I think, lies at the heart of this powerful, surprising fiction. Whether we like it or not, Keith Gessen has written an engaged and engaging debut."
—Sam Lipsyte, author of Home Land and Venus Drive

"Before age 30, Gessen made his mark as a public intellectual and literary critic. But his artistic debut may dwarf those other, considerable contributions. Gessen's fiction teases out subtle insights into travails both political and romantic, and with powerful humor. Heaven will take note."
—Mary Karr, author of The Liar's Club and Cherry

"Cruelty and affection and erudition and innocence are so perfectly balanced in these stories, they almost make me wish I were young again."
—Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections and The Discomfort Zone

Keith Gessen was born in Russia and educated at Harvard and Syracuse. He is a founding editor of the literary magazine n+1. This is his first book.