-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
In this timely and comedic take on ambition, consumerism, and the sticker price of privilege, an ad exec who bombs the biggest pitch of his career decides to forgo capitalism and live off the land of his suburban Connecticut home. Perfect for readers of Rufi Thorpe and Taffy Brodesser-Akner.
Alan Anderson is a powerful advertising executive who has built a successful life and thriving business by making people buy stuff they don't actually need. He's up for the biggest pitch of his career and the account everyone wants, US Dairy: cow's milk sales are plummeting, and the C-Suite wants to see trendy oat milk kicked to the curb. But when an anarchist farmer tanks Alan's presentation, Alan bombs the pitch but ends the day with an epiphany. No longer will he exploit the insecurities of others in the service of capitalism. Alan is opting out.
This development is anathema to his wife, Vivian. She's just a few positive affirmations, a swimming pool, and an exacting series of social tests away from finally becoming part of the elite women's club, the Queen Annes, in their adopted town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As if contending with a daughter who wants to write plays (!) and another who has an unnatural empathy with animals isn't enough to manage, she can only watch as Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land and—worse—spend time with the family. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan's commitment to a less-is-more lifestyle seems to be catching on. Could everyone want what Alan's not selling?
Funny, sexy, intelligent, and poignant, Alan Opts Out is the most ambitious novel to date by celebrated author Courtney Maum, acclaimed for her stories that tackle big, chewy subjects of our post-modern America with wit and heart.
"[A] pitch-perfect satire...Packed with Maum's gimlet-eyed observations...the novel offers a fierce and funny portrait of late-stage capitalism and its limited supply of happiness. It's a gem." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Sharp observations...Witty dialogue...Maum's writing relies on humor and quick pacing to examine consumption, ambition, and social performance, presenting a study of suburban life that questions the cost of success and perfection." —Booklist (starred review)
"Beautifully written, laugh-out-loud funny, and profound. Alan Opts Out is a delight." ―J. Courtney Sullivan, author of The Cliffs and Maine
"Witty, sharp, and tender, Alan Opts Out skewers late-stage capitalism and material ambition while keeping human hearts—a family of them—at its center. Courtney Maum's eye for details is unmatched. She creates a family you quickly embrace, along with one of most unforgettable fictional parties of all time. Beneath the critique is a case for love: when the trappings fall away, love is what remains." ―Rachel Khong, author of Real Americans
This information about Alan Opts Out was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Courtney Maum is the author of five previous books, including the romantic comedy Touch (New York Times Editors' Choice) about a tech worker's efforts to reclaim her humanity and the memoir The Year of the Horses chosen by the Today show as one of the best reads for mental health awareness. The author also of the groundbreaking publishing guidebook Before and After the Book Deal and the bestselling Substack newsletter by the same name, Maum is an educator and writing coach helping people hold on to the joy of art making in a culture obsessed with turning artists into brands. In addition to her creative writing, teaching, and advocacy work for writers at the Authors Guild, Maum worked internationally as a brand strategist and corporate namer in the advertising world for twenty years. Learn ...
If you liked Alan Opts Out, try these:
The low brow and the high brow
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
