Lying Bastard

by Clint Margrave

A darkly comic literary novel, LYING BASTARD is set in Long Beach, CA, and is narrated by adjunct English professor Berlin Saunders, who, as the book opens, is playing dead on the classroom floor after a school shooting. The story revolves around a father-son relationship between liberal professor, Saunders, and his conservative student, Adam Rowan, a returning Iraq veteran, who tries to recruit Saunders into a quixotic plot to steal the Liberty Bell. But when an act of betrayal disrupts their plans, Saunders is left to wonder who has betrayed whom? And could that betrayal be the motivation behind the violent situation in which the professor currently finds himself? LYING BASTARD is a story about one man on the brink, searching for authenticity in an education system that exploits both teacher and student, in a country that exploits both civilian and soldier. Along the way, the reader is introduced to a colorful cast of characters, such as the sweaty, brown-nosing tenure-track job-seeking Tom Corona, the villainous chair of the English Department and self-published author, Harry Crawford, and the narrator’s best friend, a former adjunct-turned-rock star, Will De Freitas. LYING BASTARD is a story for and about contemporary America, a story that addresses the themes of school shootings, guns, truth vs. fiction, and a failing education system.  

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2020

About the author

Clint Margrave is the author of several books of fiction and poetry, including the novel Lying Bastard, and three poetry collections, Salute the Wreckage, The Early Death of Men, and most recently, Visitor. His work has appeared in The Threepenny Review, Rattle, The Moth, Ambit, and Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Reviews

[Dave Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a collection of Margrave's poems a couple years ago and thought it was excellent. This novel is also top notch. Besides being a lot of fun, it's a lot of honest. Set in the academy, and narrated by Berlin Saunders, LYING BASTARD is about the insanity of a world where everyone treats being woke as a career opportunity and no one, save our narrator, makes any effort at introspection. This is a novel about the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we tell each other and the desperate need for something resembling truth. It's about careerism in all its ugly forms--professional, romantic, familial. It's that rare book that uses a lyrical and accessible voice to give our daily struggles meaning by finding the perfect words in the perfect order. Never has failing read so funny. Never has fakeness sounded so real. Excellent and highly recommended.

[Ricky Novaes · Rating 5 out of 5]

While “satire” and “fiction” are labels that describe this book, Margrave exceeds in flouting his poetic sensibilities throughout his prose so that the characters and narrative he creates also gesture to ideas that exceed the book’s written words. Lying Bastard provides a smart critique of academia, inviting the reader to cringe and laugh and sigh and question the process of schooling. At times the situations seem too absurd, too hilarious, to be true, but then the prose will hit a line of reality that brings it all together—as if absurdity itself is now familiar. The mystery of the plot makes the book hard to put down, and the ending is satisfyingly open. There were times when I wanted to grab the main character and shake him by the shoulders and shout “Say something!” or “Do something!” only to realize that there are more times in which I should do the same to myself. Maybe that’s the point, Berlin.

[stylelover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fast read very much for its witty yet somber satire. The story drew me in immediately and the ending reveal was surprising yet apropos. A disturbing message about the mundane lives of professors and the dullness and despair they suffer at the hands of the system, this book is a reminder that we should all strive for honesty and fulfillment lest we succumb to the tragedy of depression and hopelessness.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This is satire at it's best. Admittedly, I'm a fan of satire, so I'm guessing I am the target audience. Along with being madly hilarious at times, this book brings up some uncomfortable issues that are near and dear to the collective American heart: including guns, education, and what freedom really means. If that sounds lofty, it is. But Margrave is up to the task--not of answering any particularly perplexing questions, but of shining a light on those dark spaces in the American psyche. Honestly, this book really deserves a wider audience. Here's to hoping it finds one.

[Cassie Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Type of book that goes over people heads as it points out the hypocrisy of wokeness and how it has become a stock commodity of career advancement. Must be able to laugh at social media idiots to get this one.