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American Rust
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
The debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Son BONUS: This edition contains a reader's guide. Set in a beautiful but economically devastated Pennsylvania steel town, American Rust is a novel of the lost American dream and the desperationas well as the acts of friendship, loyalty, and lovethat arise from its loss. From local bars to trainyards to prison, it is the story of two young men, bound to the town by family, responsibility, inertia, and the beauty around them, who dream of a future beyond the factories and abandoned homes. Left alone to care for his aging father after his mother commits suicide and his sister escapes to Yale, Isaac English longs for a life beyond his hometown. 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 Steinbecks 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. Newsweek's list of "Best. Books. Ever" A Washington Post Top Ten Book of 2009 A New York Times Notable Book of 2009 An Economist Best Book of 2009 A Kansas City Star Top 100 book of 2009 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Best Books of 2009 Idaho Statesman's Best Books of 2009
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Donna1980
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Find me a better book! Perfect reading and sunshine after months of rain! A great Sunday.

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Therewillbebooks
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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We can't quite believe it but we've hit 100 episodes! To celebrate, we've decided to have a relaxed look back on some of our favorite books, biggest surprises, and Matt's unaired thoughts! Thank you for listening and supporting us and we hope you enjoy the next 100 episodes!

https://anchor.fm/peter-murphy8/episodes/Episode-100-A-Celebration-and-Look-Back...

Ruthiella 🥳🥳🥳 congratulations! 2y
40 likes1 comment
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swishandflick
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

Good. But surprisingly, I think I preferred the show 🙊

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swishandflick
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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While browsing shows/movies on the plane this weekend, I stumbled on American Rust on Showtime and got HOOKED.

After a while I started to figure it had to be based on a book, and what do you know 🤦🏽‍♀️. But I'm too invested in the show to stop now 😆

Therewillbebooks The book is very good! 3y
swishandflick @Therewillbebooks That doesn't surprise me considering how good the adaptation is! 3y
Leftcoastzen I love the show ! Jeff Daniels is such a great actor. 3y
73 likes3 comments
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TH3F4LC0N
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

This was a really good book! Written in a Faulknerian manner heavy with stream of consciousness, it was never hard to read. It dealt with the Great Recession and the decline of the steel industry and the local middle class without ever getting preachy or too political. The characters were great, but the ending was not so much an ending as just an abrupt stop. Really left too much hanging. Still, a well written and enjoyable book about hard times.

Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
TH3F4LC0N Thnx so much! 😊 3y
10 likes2 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Mehso-so

American Rust was a chore to read. It wasn't terrible by any means and painted an excellent picture of a community devastated by industry closure. Characterisation was hit and miss. I'd give it 3 stars and a so-so rating on here.

This does mean I've got my first bingo on #bookspinbingo though! @TheAromaofBooks (Will post my square soon)... it's also a winning number read!

TheAromaofBooks Yay bingo!!! 4y
RaeLovesToRead @TheAromaofBooks it was harder than I thought it would be! Pleased with myself though! 😊 4y
23 likes2 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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#bookspinbingo #popsugarreadingchallenge

This book will fulfil the prompt for this year's PopSugar prompt "A Western" and also is one of the lucky numbers for BookSpin Bingo! Let's get started...

I've already read one Philip Meyer book (The Son) which was fantastic but VERY violent. Well worth a read if you have a strong stomach, but perhaps not everyone's cup of tea!

RaeLovesToRead Hmmm... actually is this a Western?? The Son was a Western... 4y
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Therewillbebooks
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

Episode 16, entirely devoted to our September book of the month, American Rust, is out now.
https://anchor.fm/peter-murphy8/episodes/Episode-16-American-Rust-September-Book...
It's an amazing book. Deep, timely, true, and heart-wrenching. The best book I've read in a long time.
#bookclub #bookpodcast #therewillbebooks

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Therewillbebooks
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Episode 12 is out today! We make our September #bookclub pick from one of the books in this pile. Enjoy.

#bookpile #bookstagram #podcast #therewillbebooks #tbr

https://anchor.fm/peter-murphy8/episodes/Episode-12-Skateboards-and-September-Bo...

CrowCAH Welcome to the Litsy family!!! 📚 4y
Therewillbebooks Thank you! 4y
Blueberry Listening to this one today. 4y
Therewillbebooks @Blueberry Thanks! I really liked this one 4y
16 likes4 comments
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Mcoun
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
Pickpick

I liked this book better than The Son. It is a depressing story, set in a small town in Pennsylvania, after the steel mills have closed. But, there are some deep messages about hope, loyalty, and friendship.

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msford88
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

Just finished this one. Excellent read. Can't recommend it highly enough. Though its SOC style has turned some people off (as seen in other reviews)

Rcoco What does SOC stand for? 7y
msford88 @Rcoco Stream-of-conciousness. I was being lazy :) 7y
34 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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BarbaraBB
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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The cover of my current read (at the right) forms a nice pair with the tagged book, that I read some years ago 😀 #coverart

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Lola
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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This unassuming cardboard box with the words "Book Exchange" Sharpied on the front is my morning Starbuck's version of a very unfancy Little Free Library. Quite charming in its own way, there are some really good books in there today, including this one which has been on my list since I read The Son by the same author.

Tamra The Son has been in my TBR stacks for ages! 7y
CareBear Loved both The Son and American Rust! @tamra 7y
Lola @Tamra It was in mine for a loooooong time, too! I finally read it when one of my book clubs chose it. Loved it. 7y
Lola @CareBear Good to know! I loved The Son so have high hopes for 7y
33 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Kristelh
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Finished, #readingroadtrip, #1001, @JenP Can't believe I am already through 2 books and into Ohio on my road trip.

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Kristelh
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Just started this for #readingroadtrip, #1001 and it works for #sizzlinsummerbooks #getawaysgonewrong

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BarbaraBB
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

In a bankrupt mining town in Pennsylvania two friends accidentally murder someone. The consequences of this murder are described from their own perspective and that of their families. These stories sketch a depressing picture of the demise of the American dream. Dark, but worth reading. #1001books

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Minervasbutler
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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April Reading
9 books read
6 male authors, 3 female
7 fiction 2 non-fiction
1 anthology
7 new (to me) authors
Book of the month - a tie between American Rust ( Philipp Meyer) and The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy)

Megabooks Awesome! 8y
Cinfhen Great 👍🏻 8y
kspenmoll 👏👏 8y
61 likes3 comments
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Minervasbutler
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
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Pickpick

Set in a dying town in the rustbelt, two friends just out of high school, both extraordinary in their different ways, one commits a murder, the other takes the rap for complicated reasons. Told mainly through the interior monologues of these two and the secondary characters this is a gripping tale of conflicting loyalties amidst a setting of decay and desperation.

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Justin_Hunter
American Rust: A Novel | Philipp Meyer
Pickpick

Interestingly, I think Meyer's debut here is much better than the Son. The characters are so real it's hard to pull yourself back out of the book. It stretches the bounds of literary fiction.