X Out Of Wonderland

by David Allan Cates

X Out of Wonderland is a farce, modeled after Candide, that takes on the Global Free Market and just about every other aspect of contemporary life.
X, the novel’s decent and brave protagonist, maintains his optimistic pursuit of love and The Good Life even as a string of catastrophes brutalize him through a series of misadventures that take him around the world. While pointing up the absurdities of our own times, X Out of Wonderland also shows clearly the universal predicament of all humans in all cultures in all the need to find meaning and dignity in our lives despite the certainty of death and suffering. The story makes clear that despite our folly, we’ve got a few things going for faith, hope, love, and the capacity to endure.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

David Allan Cates is the author of five novels, a chapbook of poetry, a full collection of poetry, and a collection of short stories. His travel writing has appeared in the New York Times Sophisticated Traveler and Outside, among other magazines. He is the executive director of Missoula Medical Aid and lead many dozens of groups of medical professionals on trips to Honduras, where he worked in rural communities and hospitals as an interpreter.

Reviews

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my ABC reading challenge, and I was really interested in reading it. It’s a satirical look at capitalism and America from the POV of X, a man who’s an eternal optimist and patriot for his country (Wonderland) but not everything is as it seems, at least not from X’s point of view, because Wonderland is incredibly flawed. This seemed right up my alley, but the author spent way too much effort trying to be profound, while also writing in a very unserious way that just didn’t work.

[Cat Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one I read specifically because of it's title. I'm in an Alphabet Reading Challenge group and I needed something for the letter X. I looked on Amazon until I found something that sounded good, and this was it!

I really enjoyed it, but I really enjoyed Candide as well. It's quite political, in a left-leaning, anti-capitalism sort of way. Which I also really enjoyed, but would really NOT recommend to anyone that doesn't enjoying reading political books.

I thought the story was great and the end surprisingly satisfying, for the kind of book it is. All in all, it was a great read.

*5 Stars

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

So...I'm not a fan of political satire or vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity. This really wasn't for me. I did like the ending's focus on found family and friendship but not enough to make me like the book.

[Alex Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was free. 140 pages and I needed a break from my protracted reading of "Sense and Sensibility." As much as I say I like Austen, her books are unreasonably hard to get into.

It's a satire all right. Made in 2005, you can clearly see the commentary on the Bush administration, such as the a scene where the protagonist was said to be a terrorist, so he was arrested on the spot. More or less mocking the black and white distinction that Bush made between us and them, and how that ended up with us entering the Iraq war.

It also mocks laissez fare economics throughout it, in addition to growing commercialization. That's about as much as I want to go in there, I don't know the context.

Just saying that makes me realize that I found the book to not be that interesting. I like to say that it goes without saying that every book I read I recommend, but this one, it's just there. Why I read so many classics is that I feel that they have been tried and tested against time, yet with contemporary books it is hard to tell. And in this book's case, I don't think it will stand against time. It's a delicate balance with satire and for "X Out of Wonderland" it was unsuccessful.

[Sage Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a class from David, and he was great. This book is seriously under rated. It will make you laugh and want to cry and make you think of wtf is everything. read it and you will see. FIVE STARS DAVID!

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were times during this book when I had to put it down and wonder what on earth I was reading. So yes, it's a farcical satire of American commercialisation and consumerism, so there are no rules, but this was at points too silly even for me. The story such as it was kept me engaged, but that's about all I can say that is positive. There was no real climax, only a drawn out resolution.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently, I read and really enjoyed this satirical take on capitalism and the state of the global marketplace. Unfortunately, since I read it years ago, I have very little recollection of the book itself. Perhaps a quick one to revisit!

[CJ Reads A Lot · Rating 1 out of 5]

You're supposed to look for the deeper meaning behind the words, I get it but it seems unfinished. It's definitely not my style of storytelling.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Allan Cates pens a scathing critique of the global consumer culture in his novella X Out of Wonderland. The titular protagonist, identified solely as X, begins the tale as a successful home improvement radio show jockey enamored with the mystery woman known as C. Downsizing costs X his job, a freak storm his home, and the free market his insurance. Travelling with a woman in a pink dress, X leaves his home of Wonderland to experience a series of misadventures. His is jailed as a terrorist, works his own market business, gets stuck as a worker drone, moves to the penthouse, is booted back to the streets, signs on with a seafaring crew, lies about himself for a job interview, enlists with the military, absconds with primitive locals, returns to factory work, and ends up living back in Wonderland with the pink-dressed woman and their companion. David Cates never lets up on the gas pedal from the onset of this satire, kicking X out of his comfort zone and into the various ways of the world. Intended to be a discourse on American ideals and global economies, the book uses X's life to explore the hunt for happiness. Cates exposes the belief that work at any cost will deliver peace, yet it is only when poor and unfettered does X actually attain some measure of relief. The book as a whole is ushered at break-neck speed, and does take every opportunity to fire shots at the problems created by American greed. However, this also manages to sidestep any moral quandaries, scientific merits, and any other advantages also created by that economy. X Out of Wonderland does offer readers a reminder that the American dream has changed, but does take itself quite far down the rabbit hole in its attempts to prove this point.

[Deb Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

X Out of Wonderland is an intriguing book with an unusual premise, but it falls short in execution. While the story starts off strong and offers some moments of clever commentary, the pacing feels uneven, and the characters lack depth. Overall, it’s an okay read—not particularly memorable, but it might appeal to readers looking for something a bit different.

[Jasmin Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satire at its finest

This book is a breath of fresh air, kept me enthralled from start to finish. The relationship between the characters and the world is ever changing and always evolving.

[K · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I think I would have appreciated this overwhelming social / cultural commentary more if reading it hadn't felt like homework. X✅

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't understand anything and I hated the book, but I couldn't hate X.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

- You can finish this book in one or two sittings.
- Satire on the free market and consumer society/activity.
- It's ridiculous and interesting.
-Extremely fast-paced.

It's reaaaalllly weird. I think it was supposed to be funny, but I guess it wasn't in line with my humor.
Not a bad read, but not great. I do appreciate how short the book is though. :)

[Armand · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-moving modern satire of the free market and globalism, this Candide-like novella keeps a frenetic pace with plot twists, horrific bad luck, and unfortunate coincidences thrown like spit in the eye of the ever-optimistic title character. The book is small and smart and surprisingly well-written, but it is hard to get over the whole obviousness of the endeavor. The extreme plot turns start to feel piled-on, even though that's the part of the point. I am glad that something like this exists, and I think that Cates did a fine job executing, I'm just not sure my time wouldn't be better spent reading a non-fiction treatment of the financial crisis instead.

[Nic Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will say that this book is rather strange. Yes, I said strange.

It's mainly about the Free Market, capitalism, and the man. I kept thinking to myself, "My gawd...this poor character [X] is going to hate life." But throughout the story, he keeps his faith in humanity.

It's a great story, very comical actually, of how the world revolves and works, in a very drastic scale, but how human emotions play into "the world of The Man."

Can be somewhat hard to follow, but would highly recommend it.

[Amy Stapleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an incredibly rich, ridiculous romp through the absurdity of modern life in a consumer society. You might not agree with the perspective, but you can't argue with the fact that Cates has created a highly entertaining story. I have no idea where he comes up with some of the concepts, the scene transitions, the characters and the dialog. It's a real trip. And given the fact that you can read it in just a few hours, why wouldn't you?!

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended to me. David Allan Cates is local to Missoula (my hometown) and I looked forward to reading it, as it had been compared to several of my favorite authors (Tom Robbins, Vonnegut, and Douglas Copeland). As hard as the book tried, it fell short of amazing me. The parable feels forced and I never became attached to the characters.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderland is where X lives until an earthquake. He comes back to the same place at the end of the book. X has two women that play a significant part in his story. Some of the book is dedicated to how he finds them after being separated. Part of the story is how X feels about the world in general and the places around him.

It is a book you need to read and make you're own opinions.

[Catamorandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a tongue-in-cheek satire on the world condition. It is very interesting. None of the characters have names. I thought it was well-written also. I would read another David Allan Cates' book.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

This was in the SF section next to something else I was looking at. It caught my eye, and it was small, so I decided to snag it. However, the satire here is a little too timely. Somehow that made it not that funny.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly quite an eye oening and mildly depressing book. But due to my own less patriotic tendancies I enjoyed it. Bottom line if you are a fan of America you probably shouldn't read this or you may find you're no longer a fan.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 2 out of 5]

although I never wanted to give up on the book it did not feel like one i wanted desperately to complete either. A farcical view of the world and our pursuit of happiness? I am not sure if it achieved what it set out to do

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

really made me appreciate being a beneficiary of capitalism/globalization, instead of one of the billions of fucked-over who are just as capable as anyone else. depressing!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read, tons of allusions and metaphor.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced satire of the global free market.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely...and timeless. Highly recommend.

[Miss.terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up liking the book better than I thought I would at the beginning of it.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Told Well Made Storyteller's Story.

[Mandy Nadyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this now X