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Published Oct 2011
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A sizzling, darkly funny, propulsive new novel - his most daring yet - by the author of Snow Falling on Cedars: a sweeping, dazzling story of destiny, desire, and destruction.
In Seattle, 1962, Walter Cousins, a mild-mannered actuary - "a guy who weighs risk for a living" - takes a risk of his own, and makes the biggest error of his life. He sleeps with Diane, the sexy, not-quite-legal British au pair who's taking care of his children for the summer. Diane gets pregnant and leaves their baby on a doorstep, but not before turning the tables on Walter and setting in motion a tragedy of epic proportions. Their orphaned child, adopted by an adoring family, becomes Edward Aaron King, and grows up to become a billionaire Internet tycoon and an international celebrity - the King of Search - who unknowingly, but inexorably, hurtles through life toward a fate he may have no power to shape.
A thrilling reimagining of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex: a riveting new novel that brings a contemporary urgency to one of the greatest stories of all time.
"The novel's worldview doesn't allow for heroes or gods, and treats fate as if it were mere coincidence. But the story is propelled by irony, much of it delightful, and if we're able to mock ourselves, we can't be all bad. Can we?" - Publishers Weekly
"What commences as a sophisticated, Franzen-like look at the foibles and dashed dreams of the American family devolves into a melodrama that just doesn't feel authentic. Still, Guterson has a reputation for handling hot-button topics, and his fans will likely clamor for this." - Library Journal
"Starred Review. Exuberantly rambunctious, Guterson's bold pondering of the Greek classic is a fiendishly tantalizing romp." - Booklist
This information about Ed King 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.
Photo: Alan Berner
David Guterson is the author of several novels: the national best seller Snow Falling on Cedars; East of the Mountains; Our Lady of the Forest, a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year; The Other; and Ed King. He is also the author of two story collections, two books of poetry, a memoir, and the work of nonfiction Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, he lives in Washington state.
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