Broken People: A Novel

ISBN: 1335900993

Author: Lansky, Sam

Condition: New

Product DescriptionHe fixes everything thats wrong with you in three days.This is the alluring promise that first hooks Sam when he overhears it at a party in the Hollywood Hills: the story of a globe-trotting master healer who claims to perform open-soul surgery on the emotionally damaged. And the shaman seems convincing-enough for neurotic, depressed Sam to sign up for a weekend under his care. But as Sam begins his slippery descent into the seductive world of modern mysticism, hell be forced to reckon with his troubled past, his self-delusions and the very nature of what it means to be well.At turns tender and acid, bracing and wise, Broken People is a dazzling modern parable about hope, faith and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.ReviewDont underestimate Broken People: it may be full of delightful, razor-edged cultural commentary, but so too is it a journey of the soul. Too vulnerable to be blithely satirical and too self-aware to serve or fall for easy platitudes, Sam Lanskys debut novel sends up LAs consumerist wellness obsession while exploring the nature of health, acceptance, and human connection. The result is profound and affecting-as savvy as it is searching, as critical as it is compassionate.-Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists"An epic journey of self-forgiveness that confronts us with the ways in which we're all broken, then, with the assured hand of a most talented writer, conjures the healing magic within. A mesmerizing read."-Steven Rowley, bestselling author of Lily and The Octopus and The EditorSam Lanskys debut novel Broken People goes spelunking into the caves of one mans insecurities. Hes written a piercing book about many topical things-gay sex and love; addiction; real estate; the dumb binary of American coastal identity-while also tapping into something frighteningly universal. Lanskys book is a harrowing taxonomy of want, the material and the metaphysical gnawing away in bitter chorus. Weve all ached like Sam, despite the foreign and rarefied circumstances of his experience. Both grim satire and nourishing, empathetic cri de coeur, Broken People is among the strangest and most thrilling reading experiences Ive had this year. What terrible, selfish lives we all lead-and how beautiful our struggle to transcend them can be.-Richard Lawson, author of All We Can Do Is WaitBroken People leads us through the winds of time and memory to offer a riveting portrait of transformation. I am better for having read it.-Jamie Lee CurtisBroken People is an intimate and raw story of pain and healing. Sam Lansky proves he has command of a poignant and strikingly vulnerable new voice in fiction. Brave, wise, and beautifully unflinching.-Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The SixA searing read about truth and identity.-Harpers BazaarCuts to the quick of Los Angeles life.-VogueA haunting, honest, and humorous portrayal of how hard it is to find shelter from the ghosts of one's past.-O, The Oprah MagazineRiveting With humor, verve, and cut-to-the-bone revelations, Lansky takes readers on an enthralling adventure Lanskys mesmerizing descriptions are unflinchingly raw.-Publishers WeeklyVividly realizedremains the story of one mans deep personal struggles while at the same time speaking to and for all the broken people in this world.a deeply felt journey.-Library JournalRevelant.. bittersweet and delightfully circuitous...reminding us of the inconveniently true maxim that in order to heal, you first have to make some semblance of peace with yourself.-Vogue, Best Books for Summer"Explores intimacy and sobriety, materialism and mysticism, and how the body absorbs heartache and trauma."-PureWowLanskys writing [has] an easy humor combined with some of the rough edges of early Bret Easton Ellishe writes with depth and candor.-USA TODAYPoignant."-Bustle, Best Books of