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We Should Have Killed the King
This novel tells the story of Jack Straw, born in the US during the 1950s, at the height of its imperial power. Like his ancestors he is discontented with his lot. He wanders through the "air conditioned nightmare" of modern America, consorting with outcasts and radicals, barely making enough money as a wage slave to survive. Ultimately he becomes an anarchist, working to cast down all authority so that people can live in a free, cooperative society in harmony with the earth.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 16, 2025
language-wise this is landing itself closer to blue collar americana labor writing than the zen interpretationism that it shoots for now and again. some decent crystallizations of terms and analogues. absolutely banger in terms of scratching the low brow anarchist publication itch. reading this unedited manuscript feels akin to watching the penguin random house print hell go up in flames with every executor inside. well intentionedly radical and never more boring than something political should be.
July 13, 2014
A novel about the travels and seemingly disjointed life(s) of a somewhat nomadic restless young(ish) radical exploring the american underground and finding his anarchy.
The rapid time shifts are a really nice touch and keep you on your toes, but poor construction of this story makes it feel like it should be ultimately unsatisfying, and yet somehow it isn't, it comes at you in a series of slightly disjointed memories and stories, some of which never quite seem to be resolved, it is in that respect perhaps more true to life, the content is at the least interesting and engaging enough to stand up for itself, though it is no where near as wildly inventive as the other JG Ecarius novel i have read, 'the last days of christ the vampire' but non the less quite brilliant at times and always giving an amazing insight into the workings of underground and radical movements in the united states.
A book themed around the concept of the tragic missed opportunity in many respects feels like a missed opportunity itself, though of course not a tragic one; the opening chapter which covers the peasants revolt is the most interesting bit of the book, and could quite easily have filled a novel itself, and i wish it did! and there's about 3 further sections that could have done the same, especially the rather intriguing end.
The rapid time shifts are a really nice touch and keep you on your toes, but poor construction of this story makes it feel like it should be ultimately unsatisfying, and yet somehow it isn't, it comes at you in a series of slightly disjointed memories and stories, some of which never quite seem to be resolved, it is in that respect perhaps more true to life, the content is at the least interesting and engaging enough to stand up for itself, though it is no where near as wildly inventive as the other JG Ecarius novel i have read, 'the last days of christ the vampire' but non the less quite brilliant at times and always giving an amazing insight into the workings of underground and radical movements in the united states.
A book themed around the concept of the tragic missed opportunity in many respects feels like a missed opportunity itself, though of course not a tragic one; the opening chapter which covers the peasants revolt is the most interesting bit of the book, and could quite easily have filled a novel itself, and i wish it did! and there's about 3 further sections that could have done the same, especially the rather intriguing end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews