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The Nowhere Man
"Marlon Fick is one of the most fluent writers in American today." -Robert Hass "Impressive and magnificent-a serene lyricism and narration which is both tender and passionate. Destined one day to be a classic." -Myriam Moscona for National Public TV, Mexico
"Marlon Fick is a writer of high energy, imagination, and intelligence. His work is for the human voice and the human ear." -Thomas Lux
"Marlon L. Fick joins an honorable group of ex-patriot American writers-Katherine Ann Porter, Hart Crane-making the most out of the Latin Experience." -Jonathan Holden
The Nowhere Man follows the life and travels of an American novelist, Bolivar Collins, from his youth to adulthood through the later half of the 20th century, a time of war and political turmoil. Socially awkward and introverted, Collins looks for answers in books of philosophy, trying to understand the chaos around him and the chaos he feels. When he cannot find explanations for the mysteries of human behavior, human sexuality, love, war, etc., he attempts to apply philosophical explanations, which in turn results in a dark irony. Rapid changes in settings-from the United States, to France and Spain, then to Gabon, the Congo, and Zaire, then to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico-echo Collin's own evolution, while external forces beyond his control place him directly in the path of history: The man, who began as a bookish adolescent, is compelled to participate in the Nicaraguan Civil War, presumably as "a spy." Caught between allegiances (the United States vs. his family, now Cuban) Collins becomes a fugitive, wanted by the FBI and the CIA.
"Marlon Fick is a writer of high energy, imagination, and intelligence. His work is for the human voice and the human ear." -Thomas Lux
"Marlon L. Fick joins an honorable group of ex-patriot American writers-Katherine Ann Porter, Hart Crane-making the most out of the Latin Experience." -Jonathan Holden
The Nowhere Man follows the life and travels of an American novelist, Bolivar Collins, from his youth to adulthood through the later half of the 20th century, a time of war and political turmoil. Socially awkward and introverted, Collins looks for answers in books of philosophy, trying to understand the chaos around him and the chaos he feels. When he cannot find explanations for the mysteries of human behavior, human sexuality, love, war, etc., he attempts to apply philosophical explanations, which in turn results in a dark irony. Rapid changes in settings-from the United States, to France and Spain, then to Gabon, the Congo, and Zaire, then to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico-echo Collin's own evolution, while external forces beyond his control place him directly in the path of history: The man, who began as a bookish adolescent, is compelled to participate in the Nicaraguan Civil War, presumably as "a spy." Caught between allegiances (the United States vs. his family, now Cuban) Collins becomes a fugitive, wanted by the FBI and the CIA.
202 pages, Paperback
Published August 20, 2015
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May 28, 2017Marlon Fick's The Nowhere Man follows an exotic protagonist to exotic locales around the globe. It is the most-engaging, well-crafted, thought-provoking multidimensional novel I've read in a long time. How Fick simultaneously illustrates philosophical concepts in a way for all to comprehend while moving the plot forward in colorful fashion is baffling. This work kept me glued to the page, sometimes forcing me to read on when I desperately needed to sleep. What a wonderful dilemma to face.
As a writer, I quickly turned The Nowhere Man into a study of ideas, structure, and prose as any student does the actions of a master at work. Small wonder that former Poet Laureate, Robert Hass deems Fick "one of the most fluent writers in America today."
As a writer, I quickly turned The Nowhere Man into a study of ideas, structure, and prose as any student does the actions of a master at work. Small wonder that former Poet Laureate, Robert Hass deems Fick "one of the most fluent writers in America today."
February 7, 2021
This is a really special novel, because it is somehow more than a novel: it is full of philosophy and some politics and a good dose of drama... The narrator is either a dreamer or a spy or intellect who wanders around the world -- from Missouri to Africa, to Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico. One is never quite sure what his 'real job' is, or even 'what side' he is on and that's what makes it interesting. On a more personal level, there's love and heartbreak, and grief, and some more love. There are no easy answers in this life full of risks, loves and bust-ups. But Fick gives us that rarest of narrators -- a person who cares -- about all of it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews