A modern-day Faust embarks on a wild romp through the peculiar and preposterous American landscape When the Devil shows up in Wakefield's living room to announce that his time is up, the bookish "de-motivational" speaker tries to strike a deal. The Devil agrees to prolong Wakefield's life-for now-on the condition that within the next year he finds a more authentic existence. For Wakefield, who is estranged from his family, nearly friendless, and excellent at his job of lowering expectations in a positivity-crazed world, living "authentically" is a tall order. But he will try: an extra 12 months might be worth it. Wakefield's bargain sets in motion a cross-country quest to find his life's purpose. Along the way, he encounters an array of all-American weirdness from plastic surgeons and sadomasochistic strippers to phony New Age yoga gurus and billion-dollar tech start-ups. Codrescu's astute observations and quick wit illuminate the comedy found in our national culture of narcissism and self-improvement.
"One of our most prodigiously talented and magical writers, [Codrescu] manages to be brilliant and insightful, tough and seductive about American culture."
The New York Times Book Review
"Perverse, romantic, profound, hilarious, cynical, moving, always surprising, and gorgeously written, Wakefield is hell-bent comic poetry, and the best kind of fun: the sort that forever changes the way you look at the world, from picayune details to the meaning of life."
Elizabeth McCracken
"Wakefield zig-zags on wheels of comic brilliance, totally flattening a lot of useless architecture"
