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The Debris Field: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 27 Apr 27Win a free print copy of this book!
2 days and 07:12:43
15 copies available
U.S. only
The beloved memoirist and bestselling author of RUNNING WITH SCISSORS returns with his first novel in nearly thirty years.
Set in 1990s New York City, The Debris Field follows a wealthy nuclear family—a photographer mother, an early dot-com squatter father, their loner son, and fashion-obsessed daughter—who have everything. Or do they?
Living bored in the ultimate apartment, enjoying fancy takeout, their household help, and the ultimate white privilege—the luxury of being dispassionate—the Biltstone family finally comes to life after seeing something on TV. A plane crash in suburban Ohio is dominating newly available twenty-hour-hour cable news, and it takes an event of this magnitude to unify the family, or even get them out of the house. They all know instantly what they must embark on an absurd journey—a family vacation of sorts—to experience the scene of their and the country’s obsession. And once they are there, we come to find out, truly, who they are.
Augusten Burroughs’s first novel in twenty-seven years, The Debris Field is distinctly Augusten scathing and funny, it wickedly skewers white privilege via a family and decade that come vividly alive, from the clothes, food, and furniture to the casual racism and distinctly pre–9/11 mélange of ease and doom. It is provocative and satisfying, with writing that is lyrical and potent, darkly funny and deeply true.
Set in 1990s New York City, The Debris Field follows a wealthy nuclear family—a photographer mother, an early dot-com squatter father, their loner son, and fashion-obsessed daughter—who have everything. Or do they?
Living bored in the ultimate apartment, enjoying fancy takeout, their household help, and the ultimate white privilege—the luxury of being dispassionate—the Biltstone family finally comes to life after seeing something on TV. A plane crash in suburban Ohio is dominating newly available twenty-hour-hour cable news, and it takes an event of this magnitude to unify the family, or even get them out of the house. They all know instantly what they must embark on an absurd journey—a family vacation of sorts—to experience the scene of their and the country’s obsession. And once they are there, we come to find out, truly, who they are.
Augusten Burroughs’s first novel in twenty-seven years, The Debris Field is distinctly Augusten scathing and funny, it wickedly skewers white privilege via a family and decade that come vividly alive, from the clothes, food, and furniture to the casual racism and distinctly pre–9/11 mélange of ease and doom. It is provocative and satisfying, with writing that is lyrical and potent, darkly funny and deeply true.
- GenresFiction
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 27, 2027
About the author
Augusten Burroughs
31 books9,418 followersAugusten Burroughs born Christopher Robison, son of poet and writer Margaret Robison and younger brother of John Elder Robison.
Burroughs has no formal education beyond elementary school. A very successful advertising copywriter for over seventeen years, he was also an alcoholic who nearly drank himself to death in 1999. But spurned by a compulsion he did not understand, Burroughs began to write a novel. Never outlining or consciously structuring the book, Burroughs wrote, "as fast as I could type, to keep up." Seven days later, Augusten Burroughs had written his first book. He had also stopped drinking. The book was published one year later. Burroughs remains sober to this day. And Sellevision stands as Burroughs's only published novel. It is currently in development as a feature film.
Augusten's second book was a memoir. It was also a publishing phenomenon that helped to ignite a kind of memoir fever in America and abroad. Running with Scissors was released in 2001 to virtually unanimous critical acclaim. The memoir would ultimately remain on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years, eight months of which were spent in the #1 position. The film, starring Annette Benning, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jill Clayburgh and Alec Baldwin was released in 2005.
He has since published four additional autobiographical volumes (Dry, Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking and A Wolf at the Table), all of them bestsellers. Currently published in over thirty countries, Augusten's book readings have become massively popular events on numerous continents. He has also headlined for the most prestigious literary festivals in the world, most recently the 2008 Melbourne writer's Festival, where he and Germaine Greer delivered the keynote addresses on opening night. In addition, Burroughs speaks regularly at colleges and universities on topics ranging from alcoholism and sexual abuse to the art of authoring one's own life and humor as serious medicine.
Twice honored by Entertainment Weekly as one of 25 funniest people in America, Burroughs shocked fans and the media alike with the release of A Wolf at the Table in early 2008. The brutal, terrifying and decidedly unfunny book instantly generated a storm of publicity and controversy. Critics were deeply divided, and the book received some of the worst -and best- reviews of the author's career. The book tour for A Wolf at the Table, spanned some six months and four countries, as Augusten performed for the largest crowds of his career. A Wolf at the Table is Augusten's bestselling hardcover to date.
While critics continue to challenge the veracity of Burroughs's books, questioning everything from his alcoholism and advertising career to his earliest childhood memories, the author remains nonplussed, even philosophical. "To be a journalist with a major American newspaper or magazine, you have to have an A-list college education. And to get into that A-list college, you had to do very well in the right high school. So the chances are, you were not being fucked up the ass at age twelve by a pedophile. The facts of my life are generally questioned by extremely privileged and well-educated people who, more likely than not, learned most of what they know about life's dangerous, shocking and sometimes unbelievable underbelly from books, television and the occasional Quentin Tarrantino film. The reason my books continue to sell, despite frequently being dismissed as "unbelievable," is because the people who read my books recognize the truth that is in them. They know the scent. They have smelled it. The very details the media view with such suspicion are the same details that prove to my reader, this guy was there. I remember that, too."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/august...
Burroughs has no formal education beyond elementary school. A very successful advertising copywriter for over seventeen years, he was also an alcoholic who nearly drank himself to death in 1999. But spurned by a compulsion he did not understand, Burroughs began to write a novel. Never outlining or consciously structuring the book, Burroughs wrote, "as fast as I could type, to keep up." Seven days later, Augusten Burroughs had written his first book. He had also stopped drinking. The book was published one year later. Burroughs remains sober to this day. And Sellevision stands as Burroughs's only published novel. It is currently in development as a feature film.
Augusten's second book was a memoir. It was also a publishing phenomenon that helped to ignite a kind of memoir fever in America and abroad. Running with Scissors was released in 2001 to virtually unanimous critical acclaim. The memoir would ultimately remain on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years, eight months of which were spent in the #1 position. The film, starring Annette Benning, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jill Clayburgh and Alec Baldwin was released in 2005.
He has since published four additional autobiographical volumes (Dry, Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking and A Wolf at the Table), all of them bestsellers. Currently published in over thirty countries, Augusten's book readings have become massively popular events on numerous continents. He has also headlined for the most prestigious literary festivals in the world, most recently the 2008 Melbourne writer's Festival, where he and Germaine Greer delivered the keynote addresses on opening night. In addition, Burroughs speaks regularly at colleges and universities on topics ranging from alcoholism and sexual abuse to the art of authoring one's own life and humor as serious medicine.
Twice honored by Entertainment Weekly as one of 25 funniest people in America, Burroughs shocked fans and the media alike with the release of A Wolf at the Table in early 2008. The brutal, terrifying and decidedly unfunny book instantly generated a storm of publicity and controversy. Critics were deeply divided, and the book received some of the worst -and best- reviews of the author's career. The book tour for A Wolf at the Table, spanned some six months and four countries, as Augusten performed for the largest crowds of his career. A Wolf at the Table is Augusten's bestselling hardcover to date.
While critics continue to challenge the veracity of Burroughs's books, questioning everything from his alcoholism and advertising career to his earliest childhood memories, the author remains nonplussed, even philosophical. "To be a journalist with a major American newspaper or magazine, you have to have an A-list college education. And to get into that A-list college, you had to do very well in the right high school. So the chances are, you were not being fucked up the ass at age twelve by a pedophile. The facts of my life are generally questioned by extremely privileged and well-educated people who, more likely than not, learned most of what they know about life's dangerous, shocking and sometimes unbelievable underbelly from books, television and the occasional Quentin Tarrantino film. The reason my books continue to sell, despite frequently being dismissed as "unbelievable," is because the people who read my books recognize the truth that is in them. They know the scent. They have smelled it. The very details the media view with such suspicion are the same details that prove to my reader, this guy was there. I remember that, too."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/august...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow! It was worth the two decades to finally get another shot at reading the brilliant Augusten Burroughs again. This, by far is his masterpiece and surely outshines any of his contemporaries in the field. I was riveting by this book and couldn’t put it down. He has outdone himself with this creation of the Biltstone family and aptly captured the world of the 1% and their mentality and lack of self awareness and their capacity to undermine humanity and their fellow humans.
Thank you to #NetgalleyARC #AugustenBurrroughs for his brilliant mind and for sharing with us #TheDebrisField #Dutton
Release date April 2027!
Thank you to #NetgalleyARC #AugustenBurrroughs for his brilliant mind and for sharing with us #TheDebrisField #Dutton
Release date April 2027!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Dutton for my gifted copy!
If you’ve read anything by Augusten Burroughs, you know of his fondness for shiny things. How, in his youth, he’d boil coins and polish them until they looked like jewels. And even later in life, with his fine jewelry and antiques store. It was like returning home; this gleaming world Augusten crafted. Only the finest furniture, art, slick luminous marble. It reminds me of Debbie and Uncle Fester’s mansion. Shiny and sharp. And two of our main characters, Dave and Beth, are our own Uncle Fester and Debbie. I loved the bold, old wealth of the Biltstone family, and I especially loved Dave and Beth. Theirs was a fresh take on the usual toxic waspy billionaire marriages. Dave truly got Beth’s madness, and it was sweet.
In truly ironic timing, I started this book after a horrific video of a private jet crash went viral. I heard the copilot scream her last words and that fear and unreality echoed throughout this book. It gave it this unsettling Uncanny Valley feeling. It made the Biltstone Family’s transformation more tangible. Almost like the movie, Pleasantville. When we first meet them, they orbit the same luxury, but it’s a world of black and white. The before of the infomercial. After the crash, after the endless CNN footage, this nuclear family bleeds color and they find out they all have the same unhinged weirdness; brought together by the tragedy of a plane crash. It was such a unique concept, such a unique plot. Augusten’s novel Sellevision really showed through.
I can imagine it was a lot of pressure to write and expose your first novel in 27 years to the general public. But Augusten was my first favorite author. His words are why I paint my nails a new color every day. His words are why my brain is so weird. And I personally think this return to fiction was strong. He pushed the mold, and I loved it. Highly recommend this weird ass book.
If you’ve read anything by Augusten Burroughs, you know of his fondness for shiny things. How, in his youth, he’d boil coins and polish them until they looked like jewels. And even later in life, with his fine jewelry and antiques store. It was like returning home; this gleaming world Augusten crafted. Only the finest furniture, art, slick luminous marble. It reminds me of Debbie and Uncle Fester’s mansion. Shiny and sharp. And two of our main characters, Dave and Beth, are our own Uncle Fester and Debbie. I loved the bold, old wealth of the Biltstone family, and I especially loved Dave and Beth. Theirs was a fresh take on the usual toxic waspy billionaire marriages. Dave truly got Beth’s madness, and it was sweet.
In truly ironic timing, I started this book after a horrific video of a private jet crash went viral. I heard the copilot scream her last words and that fear and unreality echoed throughout this book. It gave it this unsettling Uncanny Valley feeling. It made the Biltstone Family’s transformation more tangible. Almost like the movie, Pleasantville. When we first meet them, they orbit the same luxury, but it’s a world of black and white. The before of the infomercial. After the crash, after the endless CNN footage, this nuclear family bleeds color and they find out they all have the same unhinged weirdness; brought together by the tragedy of a plane crash. It was such a unique concept, such a unique plot. Augusten’s novel Sellevision really showed through.
I can imagine it was a lot of pressure to write and expose your first novel in 27 years to the general public. But Augusten was my first favorite author. His words are why I paint my nails a new color every day. His words are why my brain is so weird. And I personally think this return to fiction was strong. He pushed the mold, and I loved it. Highly recommend this weird ass book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
When I heard Augusten Burroughs was back with a new novel, I was super excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The NetGalley gods answered, and thank goodness I was able to dive into THE DEBRIS FIELD—a story about a family so privileged that they're completely disconnected from reality and morality.
Beth, an heiress to a feminine hygiene fortune, and her husband, Dave, a wealthy man in his own right, meet in college and soon embark on a nontraditional journey of exclusivity and isolation. There aren't a lot of people like this (only carrying $100 bills, and who puts them in Beth's purse? Gucci sandals aren't comfortable? Throw them out and buy two more!).
Their children are equally interesting. Their daughter, Grace, is quiet, studies every fashion magazine, and is beautiful, but is there any substance to her? Their son, Ben, is obsessed with serial killers, guns, and information about school shootings.
Collectively, they operate almost as individuals until a violent, history-making airplane crash in Ohio brings them all together—a sight they simply cannot get enough of. The family becomes obsessed with updates from the site and watches CNN like it's their new religion. This voyeurism isn't enough for them, though. They soon embark on a journey aboard a souped-up tour bus to the crash site, where we discover even more about just how morally corrupt these characters really are.
I enjoyed this read for the most part. It was fresh and quite different from his other books. The characters were a win for me. They were all unlikable, yet I couldn't help but want to get to know them more. The pacing, however, was a bit off. It took some effort to push through much of the book, and things didn't really start revving up until the last 20%.
Still, I'm excited that he's back, that we got a fresh novel, and hopefully that there's more to come!
When I heard Augusten Burroughs was back with a new novel, I was super excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The NetGalley gods answered, and thank goodness I was able to dive into THE DEBRIS FIELD—a story about a family so privileged that they're completely disconnected from reality and morality.
Beth, an heiress to a feminine hygiene fortune, and her husband, Dave, a wealthy man in his own right, meet in college and soon embark on a nontraditional journey of exclusivity and isolation. There aren't a lot of people like this (only carrying $100 bills, and who puts them in Beth's purse? Gucci sandals aren't comfortable? Throw them out and buy two more!).
Their children are equally interesting. Their daughter, Grace, is quiet, studies every fashion magazine, and is beautiful, but is there any substance to her? Their son, Ben, is obsessed with serial killers, guns, and information about school shootings.
Collectively, they operate almost as individuals until a violent, history-making airplane crash in Ohio brings them all together—a sight they simply cannot get enough of. The family becomes obsessed with updates from the site and watches CNN like it's their new religion. This voyeurism isn't enough for them, though. They soon embark on a journey aboard a souped-up tour bus to the crash site, where we discover even more about just how morally corrupt these characters really are.
I enjoyed this read for the most part. It was fresh and quite different from his other books. The characters were a win for me. They were all unlikable, yet I couldn't help but want to get to know them more. The pacing, however, was a bit off. It took some effort to push through much of the book, and things didn't really start revving up until the last 20%.
Still, I'm excited that he's back, that we got a fresh novel, and hopefully that there's more to come!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The writing is chefs kiss.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews