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Alan Opts Out

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What to expect

'The eat-the-rich farce we need, from one of our funniest writers' Lit Hub

'Sly, propulsive and painfully hilarious family drama' Caro Claire Burke, author of YESTERYEAR

'Chicken-soup for the late capitalist soul' Steven Rowley, NYT bestselling author of LILY AND THE OCTOPUS

'Vivid, lacerating and funny' Carl Hiaasen, author of FEVER BEACH

'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' Rachel Khong, author of REAL AMERICANS

'A smart, funny, and all-too-timely tale of Americans on the edge of collapse . . . Maum delivers wry humor without sacrificing compassion' Elizabeth Gilbert

'A brilliant, hilarious referendum on the American obsession with more' Nathan Hill, author of THE NIX

After successful ad exec Alan Anderson bombs the biggest pitch of his career, he has an epiphany. His entire career has been about making people buy stuff that they don't need so they feel perpetually unsatisfied and less-than. After a lifetime of striving for capitalism, Alan is opting out.

He retires to the ridiculously extravagant playhouse in his family's suburban Connecticut garden (a classic example of something the Andersons didn't need), gives up showering, shoe-wearing, and purchases of all kinds. He might even read a book! This is all very upsetting for his wife Vivian, who is on the verge of being accepted into the insanely elite Queen's Anne Club - guaranteed to make all her insecurities disappear and her children popular.

But maybe everyone will want to buy what Alan's not selling? And, in losing his ambition, might he find what we're all looking for?

For anyone who has ever cared more about how it looked than how it felt, ALAN OPTS OUT is a hilarious take on consumerism, capitalism and wellness.

Critics Review

Beautifully written, laugh out loud funny, and profound. Alan Opts Out is a delight
J Courtney Sullivan, author of THE CLIFFS
The eat-the-rich farce we need, from one of our funniest writers
Lit Hub
Sly, propulsive and painfully hilarious family drama . . . reminded me how much fun a novel can be . . . It's as if The Corrections had been written a full decade after the confirmed death of American dream
Caro Claire Burke, author of YESTERYEAR
Chicken-soup for the late capitalist soul. Or should I say lobster bisque? . . . Funny, surprising, empathetic . . . If this books lands in your hands, I beg you to opt in
Steven Rowley, NYT bestselling author of LILY AND THE OCTOPUS and THE GUNCLE
Vivid, lacerating and funny
Carl Hiaasen, author of FEVER BEACH
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, NYT bestselling author of REAL AMERICANS
Alan Opts Out is a smart, funny, and all-too-timely tale of Americans on the edge of collapse, trying to figure out how to lead lives of authenticity and connection while also drowning in late-stage capitalism. Maum delivers wry humor without sacrificing compassion, offering what is both a sharp satire and also a surprisingly tender portrayal of people who are way, way over their heads, and just trying to be free
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER
Courtney Maum exposes how much of our lives-and our bank accounts-we sacrifice just to fit in. A brilliant, hilarious referendum on the American obsession with more
Nathan Hill, author of THE NIX
Author Courtney Maum
Narrator Jason Culp, Jenny Lee
Duration 10 hours and 44 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781399829205
Format Audiobook
Publisher John Murray Press
Genre Humorous fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Interior life
Availability AU, GB, IE

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