War of the Encyclopaedists
 Initial release cover | |
| Author | Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
Publication date | 2015 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 448 (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | 9781476775425 |
War of the Encyclopaedists is a novel by Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite.[1] Published by Charles Scribner's Sons on 19 May 2015, the novel follows two friends, Mickey Montauk, a National Guard officer who is deployed to the Iraq War, and Halifax Corderoy, a graduate student at Boston University.[1][2] The deployment of Montauk separates the two and they stay in touch via editing a Wikipedia entry.[2]
Background
[edit]The plot draws from the two authors' personal experiences, Robinson called the main characters "more despicable versions of us".[1] Kovite fought in Baghdad during the Iraq War between 2004 and 2005 and Robinson is a poet.[3] The authors met in 2005 at a poetry program in Rome, writing of this novel started in 2009 and it took around four years.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]Michiko Kakutani writing for The New York Times claimed that while the article can seem "ad hoc and overly stage-managed" with characters crossing paths with "startling ease", it does so in a "intimate" and "breezy" way, concluding with calling the novel "captivating".[2] Ben East of The Observer wrote that while the book accurately portrays both "bohemian academia" and "unpopular military operations", "the narrative itself never quite coheres into a satisfying whole".[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Maloney, Jennifer. "'War of the Encyclopaedists' Debuts May 19". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ a b c Kakutani, Michiko (2015-05-11). "Review: 'War of the Encyclopaedists,' by Christopher Robinson and Gavin Kovite". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "A poet and a soldier collaborate on novel about Seattle millennials". The Seattle Times. 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ East, Ben (2015-06-07). "War of the Encyclopaedists review – lost souls fail to deliver". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-04-20.