false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172341839m/165531.jpg 165531 5 Deadpan comic and grandly imaginative, <I>The Real McCoy</I>, Darin Strauss's recounting of the life of a legendary grifter, is a sparkling, memorable novel. Strauss (author of the highly acclaimed <I>Chang and Eng</I>) tells the story of Virgil Selby, or "Kid" McCoy, turn-of-the-century flimflammer, welterweight champion, and the speculative origin of the famous titular catch phrase. After witnessing the death of a small-time boxer named McCoy, young Selby adopts his name and reputation and leaves his Indiana home to achieve renown. Taking up residence in Louisville, McCoy befriends brilliant Chinese con man Jonnie Gold, who teaches McCoy the twist fist fighting style and the art of the flimflam. The naive and monomaniacal McCoy soon departs for New York City, where he uses his newfound trickery to conquer the boxing world, marry a Broadway starlet, and become a minor celebrity and the origin of a national phenomenon. However, McCoy's perpetual mythmaking catches up with him, revealing the cost of his attempts to turn a life of fiction into immortality.<p>Strauss has created a resounding personal narrative and cultural allegory with <I>The Real McCoy</I>. The hopeful, starstruck McCoy embodies the obsessive American tendency toward self-improvement and reinvention, and demonstrates the consequences of these ideals. Like its hero's successful though obvious scams, <I>The Real McCoy</I> is wonderfully entertaining fiction that reveals no small amount of truth. <I>--Ross Doll</I> 159824 2002 The Real McCoy total:25|5:6|4:4|3:13|2:2| 25 89 56 3 3 0 false false Tue Mar 17 07:20:30 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 13:38:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 17 07:15:09 -0700 2008 Mon Nov 10 14:48:26 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Oct 15 11:14:52 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 15 11:16:00 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Fri Nov 20 13:51:50 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 20 13:51:50 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 13 20:29:56 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 20:29:56 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 03 14:28:47 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 14:28:47 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 23 23:40:30 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 23 23:40:30 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 13 05:58:59 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 13 05:58:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Aug 01 19:04:37 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 01 19:04:37 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sat Aug 01 09:16:25 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 01 09:16:25 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 22 10:54:21 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 10:54:21 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Jul 07 09:55:38 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 09:55:38 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jun 17 13:58:10 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 17 13:58:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Jun 09 13:39:20 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 13:39:20 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Jun 03 15:08:17 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 15:08:17 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Feb 26 13:11:28 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 26 13:11:34 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Feb 10 12:59:36 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 10 12:59:36 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Fri Jan 30 20:11:24 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 30 20:11:24 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Nov 17 12:54:26 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 17 12:54:26 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Thu Nov 13 04:42:23 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 04:42:23 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=165531