The acclaimed writer Eugene Marten discusses his new novel Pure Life (Strange Life, 2022), with Joseph Planta.

Pure Life by Eugene Marten (Strange Light, 2022). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Pure Life

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Eugene Marten joins me now. The acclaimed novelist has just published a new book, Pure Life. It’s described as a sports saga and sprawling thriller. Its central character is called Nineteen. He makes his way to the pros, becomes the quarterback, and takes on mythic proportions. He marries the owner’s daughter, and reaches the sort of greatness that aspiring athletes aspire to. He retires, and assumes he’ll be playing golf, with celebrity endorsements and real estate investments. But as the market tanks and his family disintegrates, he’s contending with a brain that he feels isn’t all there. He ends up going to the Mosquito Coast of Honduras in search of restoration. It’s a miracle brain damage treatment that’s forbidden in the United States, and it soon plunges him into darkness, violence and a lot of horror he couldn’t have imagined. I’ll talk to Mr. Marten about our hero, and what he depicts in the book, like the world of professional sport, capitalism, fame, and myths. Eugene Marten was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and at the age of two, emigrated with his parents to the United States. His works include the novella Waste, and the novels In the Blind, Firework, and Layman’s Report. This new book is published by Strange Light, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Mr. Marten joined me from Cleveland, Ohio two and a half weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Eugene Marten; Mr. Marten, good morning.

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