Culdesac

by Mike Nagel

Mike Nagel has no idea what’s going on around here. Fresh out of the duplex, he and J have rented a house in a fantasy-themed neighborhood where people walk backwards, his neighbors weedwack constantly, and mysterious arrows have begun appearing on all the sidewalks. In this follow up to his surprise smash hit, Duplex, Culdesac once again finds Mike contemplating the joys and absurdities of modern life against the looming backdrop of the American suburbs.

98 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

Reviews

[Kevin Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Culdesac is a cosmic-poetic exploration of the American suburbs, a profound meditation on the meaning of life while sipping Jamba Juice and assembling IKEA furniture. In a world where too many writers are pushed on us as ‘hilarious,’ Mike Nagel is the real deal. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say he’s the funniest writer alive.

[Josiah Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I turn 25 this year. Mike Nagel turns 35 in this book. It’s not the main plot of the story, but in a sort of round about way, it is. Middle-age, middle-America, middle-modernity. I don’t think middle-modernity is a thing, but for sake of consistency, it’s exactly what this book is about.

Nagel isn’t too amped about much. He isn’t too bummed about much either. He’s pretty middle-ground about it all, ya know? I think it’s important to read authors that have a zeal for it all. That really exemplify the wonder of the world in front of us—poets & theologians & stuff. It’s also good to blow that all apart. Call the world for all its bullshit and lament what we never were meant to understand. Philosophers & prophets & stuff. But sometimes, you need an author to be middle about it all.

“I don’t have any answers. I don’t have any questions. The crack through the house keeps getting bigger, but I’m not too worried about it. I try to accept my circumstances with the nonchalance of a man who doesn’t think any of it is really his problem. The hands-off approach of a life-long renter.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, I think. And the wisdom to know that I pretty much can’t change anything.”

Thanks middle-Mike.

[Nick Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The king does it again! Reads like if Nate Bargatze was posted up next to you at a dive bar, drinking a mocktail but explaining why. Can't wait for... Condominium?

[Abigail Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nagel is a master of tone & voice & being pithy without trying. A tour-de-force of a book about a man wandering through the suburbs (which are, of course, his life). Nagel’s attention to detail & callbacks to things that read, at first, as asides make this feel cohesive & whole, even to the very end of the acknowledgements page. A treat.

[Josh Iden · Rating 5 out of 5]

More laugh-out-loud heart-panging absurdism from one of the best going. If you're into that sort of thing.

[Elaine Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading Culdesac, my fiancé Jordan kept looking over at me and asking “what’s so funny?” I told him he’s just going to have to read it himself.

[Nick Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in an airplane flying over various Midwest Culdesacs. It's a good airplane book. It's slim, so you can slip it in your pocket when your hands are full and you're trying to find your seat and it doesn't add a bunch of weight to your luggage. And it's not too long so you can hit your reading goals much quicker. The writing is fast-paced and filled with good humor which makes the flight fly by. If you're in a shitty mood because you didn't get enough sleep and had to rush your airport beer to make the flight it will make you feel much less shitty. It's also good for reading on couches and park benches and in the car (but don't read and drive, you might laugh and jiggle the wheel.) You can read this book almost anywhere at almost any time.

No one writes like Mike Nagel no matter how hard they try. He's got such a fresh look at life.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Nagel has done it again. The king of "nobody else could write this book," his voice is completely singular. Who else can move a reader to hysterics through complete nonchalance? He writes about the quotidian with a mix of such normalcy and absurdity, like this could all take place on any block in America, but simultaneously it could only be his on his culdesac. After reading his first book, Duplex, and now Culdesac, I'll follow any arrows painted on the ground, and read any books he writes.

[Tyler Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't get to read "just for fun" anymore. There's so much to do, to be reading for this podcast I do "just for fun." That's what I tell myself, anyway. Mike Nagel's good, though. It's easy to say fuck it. When dread and cosmic worry are packaged like stand-up comedy, yeah, the rest of the world can wait. And it's true. My worries were all right there waiting when I laughed and set down this book.

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duplex & Culdesac. Two ridiculous, absurd, tender, laugh-out-loud slim books by Mike Nagel. Maybe not sequels, but certainly kindred spirits. Adjacent compendiums. I finished (and loved) Duplex back in 2022 & I finished (and loved) Culdesac last month. I heard Nagel read at AWP & it was one of the funniest readings I've heard. He writes humor so damn well. Read Culdesac. Read Duplex. Read everything he writes.

[Joey Hedger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing follow up to Duplex! (Though it still feels fresh, new, and interesting.) A handful of times, I actually laughed audibly while I was reading it in one sitting in the other room. When Kate saw me open this after it arrived in the mail, she immediately said, "So who gets first dibs?" Highly recommend.

[Stacey Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than just 5 stars! Starting the year off with Mike Nagel's book 'Duplex' and now 'Culdesac' was definitely the right move. His keen observations and witty storytelling captured the essence of suburban life in a way that had me laughing and nodding along. 'Culdesac' is a must-read. Looking forward to more from Mike Nagel!

[Meg Tuite · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,”the Bible tells us.
The DSM-5 has another name for this.” -Mike Nagel, CULDESAC

Truly a HILARIOUS MASTERPIECE! Get a copy! Go find him at AWP! This is going to be the BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR! ❤️🔥❤️🔥

Writing a review that will be published in : Publishing Genius with Adam Robinson

[Kirsti MacKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was told there would be zero accountability for my rating






(In all seriousness, it absolutely lives up to the hype. Mike Nagel is one of the funniest writers in American letters. Duplex and Culdesac are laugh-out-loud every page and you’ll be shoving this book into the hands of everyone you know. Embrace Costco-core.)

[Andrew Boylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is one or more laughs on every page. That is more than 85 laughs. When was the last time you laughed 85 times in a row?
Sometimes I don’t know why I still read but 85 laughs is as good a reason as any.

[Cody Shrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent follow-up to Duplex with the same hilarious voice and riffing on modern suburban life. It’s a book about everything and nothing all at once, in the best possible way. It’s what you want. I could read 10 more of these so keep ‘em coming, Mike.

[Andrew Bertaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that makes you laugh at the same time as it makes you feel sad. Love these books!

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book to read at work instead of working. I loved Duplex and now I love Culdesac too. At this point, I'll read anything Nagel writes.

[Calvin Westra · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the funniest and most charming books i’ve ever read. wonderfully structured. smiled the whole time i was reading it

[Charles Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nagel's knack for sandwiching profundity between hearty slices of observational and situational hilarity is just plain delightful.

Culdesac culdeSMACKS.

[Josh Rank · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect after dinner mint after you finish a book about evil dolls and someone chopping their own arm off. Or whatever book it is you just read.

[Anthony Verdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not great at making male friends in my mid thirties but I won this book from Mike for a pun contest and having finished it I think I need to work on becoming his friend.

[Sarah Bakeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Nagel inducted into my personal Hall of Fame

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My expectations might have been overly optimistic, or perhaps my sense of humor doesn't quite match that of the author's. The book provides straightforward observations of suburban life that managed to elicit a few smiles from me.

However, it fell way short of being the non-stop comedy tour I anticipated based on the reviews I read here. If you're in search of a decent way to spend an hour, this might suit you. But if you're expecting to discover a 'minor masterpiece' as touted on the book's back cover, you might want to look elsewhere.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had a tooth extracted and was craving Jamba Juice, which made me remember this book. Any book that has little things that I remember from time to time gets five stars. This one also gets five starts because it's really good and I imagine other people who read it would also like it.