The Escapist

by David Puretz

It's 2011 in America, the Iraq War is coming to a close, and the Occupy Wall Street movement has been gaining steam. And at twenty-one years of age, Billy Chute is sitting in the breakdown lane on the side of the highway in his '98 Altima with his drugs in the cooler on the passenger sear floor, in the midst of escaping yet another stale reality. Still high on an opioid and amphetamine kick, his new escape crystallizes in a journal entry: Find Dad. And those few simple words seal Billy's fate- what started as another of his impulsive flights becomes a mission, and it terrifies him, for his father is like wildfire, burning all in its path, yet confronting his traumatic past may be Billy's only sustainable way forward.

A propulsive story with profound insights about freedom and imprisonment, motion and stasis, chance and destiny, The Escapist delves deeply into the internal and external calamities that shape this special human life and mind. Mental health, family conflict and abuse, drug addiction, and sexuality are intricately woven together in a turbulent pre-Trump America in this dynamic and layered narrative of violence and hope.

Genres: Contemporary

243 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2020

About the author

David Puretz is the Editorial Director at Global City, an independent press that publishes the literary and cultural journal Global City Review, and a growing list of other books and anthologies, including his own. As Editorial Director, he oversaw the relaunch of the journal and the publication of the newest online and print journal issue, Legacies. He is also the creator and founder of burly bird zine, a publication of Fortroyal Foundation, a non-profit for the conservation and preservation of the arts. Puretz teaches writing at Yeshiva University in New York City, where he currently resides. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the City College of New York, CUNY. The Escapist is his debut novel.

Reviews

[Amanda Staffieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Escapist by David Puretz is a complex novel about life. The story begins with a journal entry. “Find Dad.” Billy Chute is traveling across the country to find his Dad. Billy struggles with drug addiction and is the king of escaping life and responsibilities. His flight compulsion actually turns into a mission to find his Dad, who also escaped his own life and disappeared. His mental health state and the flashbacks of his path keep him moving forward.

This book isn’t for everyone. While there is something for everyone to learn by reading this book, the pace is pretty slow. However, I really love the complexity of this story. So Billy struggles with mental illness and drug addiction. BUT, he uses his journal to be self-reflective. It begs the question, is his reflection reliable? While unreliable, it is still honest. The feelings and emotions are what make this story really relatable.

On top of the emotion, the story takes place with the backdrop of The Occupy Wall Street and the Iraq War. These events have a critical impact on Billy’s life and have led him to this moment. Even though the pace of the book is pretty slow, it makes up for it with complex layers and characters. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author and JKS Communications for the opportunity to read this book!

[Asher Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is my first year writing professor so to see his passion and love for writing reflected in the journey of Billy as he uses journaling to process his mental health issues was really enjoyable.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although, I don't think this book will be for everyone this was a great story that I enjoyed. It will make you want to keep those you love near you and the mental health issues were done very well. I loved the characters and the story and I will come back to read this one again.


Go Into This One Knowing: Mental Health, LGBT Themes

[Marissa DeCuir · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Puretz crafts a captivating narrative that takes your breath away. The themes of abuse and family dysfunction make you reflect on your own life and remind you to value those close to you. There are LGBTQ themes as well which was really nice to see within a literary fiction novel.

[Books Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Escapist tastefully weaves topics like substance abuse, family dysfunction, and sexuality into a narrative framework that truly makes you think. I loved the focus on escape throughout the novel and though that it was super relatable for the world that we are living in today where we do everything not to face our problems. This was a very enjoyable read.

[Emily Wieman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow! Such an amazing literary fiction piece with absolutely captivating narration. A beautiful encapsulation of turning to writing as a means of escape both mental health and societal issues. Will be reading again.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely phenomenal and talented debut. I was blown away with how Puretz handled the nuances of addiction and mental health, and I felt so connected to Billy and his journey throughout the entire book. This is one that stands out of the crowd, and I highly recommend picking it up!

[Paul]

Very solid and talented story teller. This has Drama (cap D) deals with pretty serious issues very skillfully. It's also a bit a "thinker". Recommended.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

[Lolo Onda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was complex and absolutely not for everyone, but I found a lot of interesting points to be made throughout the text. I really enjoyed how Billy turned to writing to deal with his mental and emotional stress. I found myself more interested in the back story than anything else and with that some elements to the backstory were more fully developed and played out! Overall interesting book!