Next: A Novel

James Hynes

Mar 2010 · Sold by Reagan Arthur Books

About this ebook

Kevin Quinn is a standard-variety American male: middle-aged, liberal-leaning, self-centered, emotionally damaged, generally determined to avoid both pain and responsibility. As his relationship with his girlfriend approaches a turning point, and his career seems increasingly pointless, he decides to secretly fly to a job interview in Austin, Texas. Aboard the plane, Kevin is simultaneously attracted to the young woman in the seat next to him and panicked by a new wave of terrorism in Europe and the UK. He lands safely with neuroses intact and full of hope that the job, the expansive city, and the girl from the plane might yet be his chance for reinvention. His next eight hours make up this novel, a tour-de-force of mordant humor, brilliant observation, and page-turning storytelling.

Ratings and reviews

A modern update of Mrs. Dalloway that blows The Hours out of the water. Hynes's protagonists may seem self-centered, wimpy, and annoying, but stick with it and pay attention to the author's approach to narrative time. The ending brings the entire book together with a satisfying, completely necessary clap. It is surprisingly uplifting and, frankly, brilliant. Not a book to be read lightly, it rewards the careful reader.

About the author

James Hynes is the author of the novels The Lecturer's Tale, Wild Colonial Boy, the stories Publish & Perish (all New York Times Notable Books of the Year), and the novel Kings of Infinite Space. He lives in Austin, Texas.