What do you think?
Rate this book
Horizontal Rust
It’s 2013 and a jobless Graham Mercy has just returned home to Wilkes-Barre, PA, after graduating from Columbia University. With his country still mired in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and with nothing better to do, Graham sets out to fulfill a family obligation by attending the weekend-long convention of a failing regional life-insurance co-op. Expecting nothing but tedium and a $600 stipend, Graham instead gets a surprise job offer he can neither accept nor decline, develops a sudden infatuation he can neither pursue nor ignore, and unwittingly enters into an absurd power struggle that could render him a pariah within his own family and ancestral community.
Horizontal Rust, the debut novel by Ned Russin of Title Fight and Glitterer, is a story about trying to understand boredom, abstract expressionism, family, personal narratives, and Wilkes-Barre.
“[Horizontal Rust’s] offbeat realism offers readers much to consider.” - Kirkus Reviews
Horizontal Rust, the debut novel by Ned Russin of Title Fight and Glitterer, is a story about trying to understand boredom, abstract expressionism, family, personal narratives, and Wilkes-Barre.
“[Horizontal Rust’s] offbeat realism offers readers much to consider.” - Kirkus Reviews
171 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 13, 2021
Disclaimer: I’m from where the book takes place.
I took a political geography class in college, and at some point in the class my professor gave us this statistic that could be summed up as follows: Of all the counties in the USA, if you were born in Luzerne County(where Wilkes-Barre, Kingston lies) you were most likely to also die there. A dramatic way to say that people from here tend to not move. I found that stat going through my head a lot while reading this. There is more of a desperation to leave a place like Kingston or Wilkes-Barre than other places and to prove you can make it on your own, especially in the younger generations as more and more of the local economy is based on awful warehouse gigs.
I know that isn’t much of a review, so I’ll just conclude by saying: pretty good!
I took a political geography class in college, and at some point in the class my professor gave us this statistic that could be summed up as follows: Of all the counties in the USA, if you were born in Luzerne County(where Wilkes-Barre, Kingston lies) you were most likely to also die there. A dramatic way to say that people from here tend to not move. I found that stat going through my head a lot while reading this. There is more of a desperation to leave a place like Kingston or Wilkes-Barre than other places and to prove you can make it on your own, especially in the younger generations as more and more of the local economy is based on awful warehouse gigs.
I know that isn’t much of a review, so I’ll just conclude by saying: pretty good!
July 20, 2021
This is definitely not a new favorite, but I did really enjoy the perspective of Graham and I found a lot of his ideas and thoughts to be relatable, albeit a bit pretentious (but he's a creative writing grad from Columbia, so i guess that's to be expected). I didn't expect this book to be set over just a weekend, and I also didn't know that it would have such a strong focus on the SBO convention, but I didn't fully mind it. I did skim/skip altogether large sections that were just monotonous meeting notes, role calls, and group prayers. I understand why they were kept in, because I think the point of this book, as Graham sort of details later in the story, is to play with themes of longing and boredom and waiting for the "good part" etc., and I enjoyed that premise a lot more than I would have thought I would. I think if you're a fan of Catcher in the Rye or Kerouac, you'd like this a lot more than I did. Stylistically it's not something I'd care to reread, but I do think the themes will stick with me for a long time to come.
June 8, 2021
Horrifically mundane in a way that I loved. True terror in how relatable a lot of the themes were. Ending gave me a lot of dread
Occasionally a little difficult to follow with the lack of quotation marks.
June 11, 2021
Interesting read, but painfully mundane at parts. As a whole worth a read, but probably won’t recommend to those with no context of Ned Russin’s artistic endeavors
January 27, 2024
This book reminds me of a quote in a short story I read that said “I cling so hard to the things I believe might be worth it and leave bloody fingernail marks all over it when it inevitably isn’t”. The feeling of trying so hard to make your life meaningful that you inevitably become so self-absorbed and mess it all up, but still try your hardest to find something of beauty in it. How often we self-sabotage without even being cognizant of it.
April 26, 2023
I’m a big Title Fight fan so I got this as soon as Ned released it and I’ve read it a few times since then as a “comfort book.” It’s a fantastic comfort book and an easy read but also makes you think far too much about where you grew up—if you stayed in that same place for a long time like I did.
November 28, 2023
I feel like I would have loved a book of essays from Ned that included a lot of the more introspective passages in this book. There were several times I had to stop and say whoooa…
“The bowler-hat crowds we see in the earliest film footage saw things back then as they really were, not as the primitive cameras of the day captured them. It’s a useful reminder that, one day, all the hi-def imagery of our present-day selves, which seems so perfect and true to life, will be comically dated, a sign of how stupid we were to think we had captured the truth.”
“The weight of any current moment outweighs any semblance of sentiment. My loneliness cannot be cured by past instances of comradery because they’re not here right now, in the pre-eminent present, which is when I need them.”
There was definitely a lot to consider while reading but unfortunately the plot wasn’t really my favorite. Title fight forever though! <3 rip
“The bowler-hat crowds we see in the earliest film footage saw things back then as they really were, not as the primitive cameras of the day captured them. It’s a useful reminder that, one day, all the hi-def imagery of our present-day selves, which seems so perfect and true to life, will be comically dated, a sign of how stupid we were to think we had captured the truth.”
“The weight of any current moment outweighs any semblance of sentiment. My loneliness cannot be cured by past instances of comradery because they’re not here right now, in the pre-eminent present, which is when I need them.”
There was definitely a lot to consider while reading but unfortunately the plot wasn’t really my favorite. Title fight forever though! <3 rip
December 24, 2023
A previous reviewer wrote “This is definitely not my new favorite” and that is a very good way to describe my feelings after reading “Horizontal Rust”.
I received this book as a gift and was super excited as i am in Title Fight’s 1% of listeners on Spotify. I was hoping the first novel from vocalist Ned Russin would be about his experiences with the legendary band, essays, and introspection on the alt rock scene.
This book tries to be about nothing in a “Catcher In The Rye” way but unfortunately “Catcher” is a Michael Bay film compared to this. Almost nothing happens. The protagonist is boring, the setting is boring, the characters are boring and the novel’s message is non existent. I’m a little disappointed.
I received this book as a gift and was super excited as i am in Title Fight’s 1% of listeners on Spotify. I was hoping the first novel from vocalist Ned Russin would be about his experiences with the legendary band, essays, and introspection on the alt rock scene.
This book tries to be about nothing in a “Catcher In The Rye” way but unfortunately “Catcher” is a Michael Bay film compared to this. Almost nothing happens. The protagonist is boring, the setting is boring, the characters are boring and the novel’s message is non existent. I’m a little disappointed.
July 25, 2023
Let me preface by saying that I am a huge title fight fan and also from a small PA town. I really enjoyed a lot of the themes Ned presents in the book. I kept thinking about myself and how I felt similar to Graham upon graduating college. I’d say its worth a read.
Not sure if I am dumb but I seriously don’t understand why there wasn’t any quotation marks.
Not sure if I am dumb but I seriously don’t understand why there wasn’t any quotation marks.
July 5, 2025
Stumbled across this book due to Russin’s more musical ventures and decided that i should start reading again after years of not reading.
Overall, an enjoyable novel, however it can sometimes be difficult to follow dialogue with its unstructured structure. For the more seasoned reader, this is a wonderfully bite sized novel that still holds an interesting story.
As for the actual content, Russin creates an almost comforting atmosphere in what can only be described as an incredibly boring setting, further, he creates a surprisingly stressful scene with the actual events within the novel.
Overall, an enjoyable novel, however it can sometimes be difficult to follow dialogue with its unstructured structure. For the more seasoned reader, this is a wonderfully bite sized novel that still holds an interesting story.
As for the actual content, Russin creates an almost comforting atmosphere in what can only be described as an incredibly boring setting, further, he creates a surprisingly stressful scene with the actual events within the novel.
August 11, 2024
i have a lot of thoughts and feelings but mostly that things that i felt so alone in the past year, two years, three years, my whole life since age 13, i’m not really alone in. the practically inane and unrealistic fantasies of my future, the inescapable awkwardness of existence, the complex but not complex relationship of returning to my hometown and it feels both like home and not. it all cut deep. it didn’t bring me closer to answering my own questions or quieting my own fears about my future, but it reassured me i’m not the only person experiencing these things, and i am not the first or the last person to experience all of these things.
January 3, 2024
Probably closer to 3.5 but w/e, did a great job capturing that feeling of early 20’s uncertainty and small town minutiae. Not sure I loved the ending, felt a bit rushed. Overall enjoyable!
May 25, 2025
I picked this up after discovering that Ben Lerner is a big influence on Ned Russin. I am also a Title Fight fan which helps.
The prose isn’t as impressive as Lerner, but you can really see the influence. Overall an enjoyable read.
The prose isn’t as impressive as Lerner, but you can really see the influence. Overall an enjoyable read.
June 5, 2024
It's refreshing to read a piece that doesn't hide away from reality. This book emphasizes a lot of our mundane existence, our family, the way we are supposed to perceive success. I think its core has a lot of deep reflections on humanity but the execution wasn't there (yet). The long stretches of the SBO were distracting and some of the dialogue came off as unrealistic. Still, the messaging was there and I think in time with new projects the translation of these feelings will have more strength across the page.
December 23, 2022
Boring in a profound way? Or maybe just profoundly boring.
A talented writer to make me so invested in an insurance convention. Unlike almost any other book, which I appreciate but I dont think its for me.
As a Title Fight fan, it was cool to learn more about the town which I had unknowingly been vaguely familiar with through the music, and to understand the shared experiences I have with Russin that likely draws me to it.
A talented writer to make me so invested in an insurance convention. Unlike almost any other book, which I appreciate but I dont think its for me.
As a Title Fight fan, it was cool to learn more about the town which I had unknowingly been vaguely familiar with through the music, and to understand the shared experiences I have with Russin that likely draws me to it.
Read
January 4, 2022I liked it!! This definitely feels like a self aware, modern version of Catcher in the Rye which I’m here for bc I love Catcher in the Rye. I can for sure see myself returning to this in the future. Good job Ned!! I hope u write more books!!
August 8, 2025
its a book ive read for sure
October 20, 2026
El protagonista sin duda alguna es una extensión del autor, Ned Russin. Ambos nacidos en Wilkes Barre, PA, fascinación por el lugar donde crecieron, egresados de la universidad de Columbia, clase social media, entre tantos más detalles que solamente Russin sabrá proyecto en su personaje. Se me hace importante señalar esto ya que temía leer este libro engañándome de su calidad solamente porque soy fan del autor.
En lugar de eso pude apreciar el inmenso cariño que Graham Mercy le tiene a su ciudad natal que vincula directamente con su personalidad. La inhabilidad de adaptarse a la vida metropolitana Nuevo Yorkina, narrando fragmentos incomodos con compañeros en la universidad y experimentando “amistades” que apenas rozan la superficialidad, la necesidad por formar parte de algo o alguien persiste en él. Con todo conocimiento que su condado no es considerado algo espectacular, una ubicación con pocos ofrecimientos atractivos, su estima nunca falta. Parte de esta novela es una carta de amor a Kingston, desde su particularidad modesta habilita memorias recónditas en sus habitantes, sus contados puntos recreativos como la pizzería Angelos, el abandonado Hotel Sterling y el río Susquehanna. (No olvidar el hotel Genetti sede de la convención SBO, donde la mayor parte de la historia tomara parte.) El impacto es palpitante, llevo a preguntarme a mí mismo ¿Qué tanto de mi personalidad habrá sido moldeada por el lugar donde crecí?
Graham batalla por buscar conexiones que lo harán sentir satisfecho, desde la busca de trabajo, su interés romántico, Ollie, o el arte de Franz Kline. Es en esta búsqueda que esta el corazón de este libro. El marco de la historia es dolorosamente cotidiano, con intención. El atrevimiento de centrarla en un acontecimiento consuetudinario presta la narrativa para explorar la mundanidad a partir de monólogos internos y objeciones personales. El clímax de una típica novela es reemplazado por intento de entendimiento individual bajo el arte abstracto, cuestiona la devoción de los miembros de SBO en salvar una organización que inevitablemente morirá y de cierta manera rompiendo la cuarta pared, indaga en la necesidad de la premisa del mismo texto. Se reconoce que la historia podría aburrir, en sus problemas de bajo riesgo, detalles superfluos, eventos anodinos, etc. Sin embargo, opino que es el punto fuerte de la obra. Se pinta el aburrimiento como esencial en la escritura del autor, la idea de escribir historias sin propósito acerca al lector a la realidad establecida del libro. Personajes cuyos arcos narrativos son inexistentes y privados de significado o representación se vuelven fáciles de visualizar en la vida real, ya que así se trabaja en nuestro día a día, contrario a una obra ficticia. Similar a una pintura abstracta y a través de todas las páginas se pinta una ambigua idea de un relato. Es inconsecuente. Es meramente una herramienta para exponer el criterio de Russin como escritor. Toda interpretación es personal bajo este contexto.
La relación intrínseca entre Ned Russin y Wilkes Barre, PA. Inesperadamente relato algo que solamente leyendo la contraportada se podía desestimar con gran desinterés, pero cuya función sirve como una fotografía del espacio mental que se habitó al escribir Horizontal Rust. Creo que la proposición fue suficientemente interesante para terminar de leerlo todo a pesar de la falta de un mensaje conciso. La complejidad de dejar toda una vida atrás, incómodamente navegar relaciones y crear nuevas, sobre todo tener una relación complicada con aquel lugar donde creciste, temer la incertidumbre de conseguir trabajo y por ende el futuro son ideas que fuertemente resonaron conmigo, ya que como mencione, la fortaleza del libro es lo familiar que puede llegar a ser sin hacerlo obvio. Me alegro de que Ned no haya decidido simplemente relatar sus días como musico o la escena hardcore (Cuyo conocimiento es vasto) y eligió demostrar conexiones intimas con sus ideas y lugar natal bajo una premisa poco convencional. Estoy convencido de que este libro es buen primer paso para encontrar su voz como escritor. A pesar de este libro fue publicado en el 2021 sin ninguna señal de una nueva novela desde entonces, profundamente deseo no sea la última.
En lugar de eso pude apreciar el inmenso cariño que Graham Mercy le tiene a su ciudad natal que vincula directamente con su personalidad. La inhabilidad de adaptarse a la vida metropolitana Nuevo Yorkina, narrando fragmentos incomodos con compañeros en la universidad y experimentando “amistades” que apenas rozan la superficialidad, la necesidad por formar parte de algo o alguien persiste en él. Con todo conocimiento que su condado no es considerado algo espectacular, una ubicación con pocos ofrecimientos atractivos, su estima nunca falta. Parte de esta novela es una carta de amor a Kingston, desde su particularidad modesta habilita memorias recónditas en sus habitantes, sus contados puntos recreativos como la pizzería Angelos, el abandonado Hotel Sterling y el río Susquehanna. (No olvidar el hotel Genetti sede de la convención SBO, donde la mayor parte de la historia tomara parte.) El impacto es palpitante, llevo a preguntarme a mí mismo ¿Qué tanto de mi personalidad habrá sido moldeada por el lugar donde crecí?
Graham batalla por buscar conexiones que lo harán sentir satisfecho, desde la busca de trabajo, su interés romántico, Ollie, o el arte de Franz Kline. Es en esta búsqueda que esta el corazón de este libro. El marco de la historia es dolorosamente cotidiano, con intención. El atrevimiento de centrarla en un acontecimiento consuetudinario presta la narrativa para explorar la mundanidad a partir de monólogos internos y objeciones personales. El clímax de una típica novela es reemplazado por intento de entendimiento individual bajo el arte abstracto, cuestiona la devoción de los miembros de SBO en salvar una organización que inevitablemente morirá y de cierta manera rompiendo la cuarta pared, indaga en la necesidad de la premisa del mismo texto. Se reconoce que la historia podría aburrir, en sus problemas de bajo riesgo, detalles superfluos, eventos anodinos, etc. Sin embargo, opino que es el punto fuerte de la obra. Se pinta el aburrimiento como esencial en la escritura del autor, la idea de escribir historias sin propósito acerca al lector a la realidad establecida del libro. Personajes cuyos arcos narrativos son inexistentes y privados de significado o representación se vuelven fáciles de visualizar en la vida real, ya que así se trabaja en nuestro día a día, contrario a una obra ficticia. Similar a una pintura abstracta y a través de todas las páginas se pinta una ambigua idea de un relato. Es inconsecuente. Es meramente una herramienta para exponer el criterio de Russin como escritor. Toda interpretación es personal bajo este contexto.
La relación intrínseca entre Ned Russin y Wilkes Barre, PA. Inesperadamente relato algo que solamente leyendo la contraportada se podía desestimar con gran desinterés, pero cuya función sirve como una fotografía del espacio mental que se habitó al escribir Horizontal Rust. Creo que la proposición fue suficientemente interesante para terminar de leerlo todo a pesar de la falta de un mensaje conciso. La complejidad de dejar toda una vida atrás, incómodamente navegar relaciones y crear nuevas, sobre todo tener una relación complicada con aquel lugar donde creciste, temer la incertidumbre de conseguir trabajo y por ende el futuro son ideas que fuertemente resonaron conmigo, ya que como mencione, la fortaleza del libro es lo familiar que puede llegar a ser sin hacerlo obvio. Me alegro de que Ned no haya decidido simplemente relatar sus días como musico o la escena hardcore (Cuyo conocimiento es vasto) y eligió demostrar conexiones intimas con sus ideas y lugar natal bajo una premisa poco convencional. Estoy convencido de que este libro es buen primer paso para encontrar su voz como escritor. A pesar de este libro fue publicado en el 2021 sin ninguna señal de una nueva novela desde entonces, profundamente deseo no sea la última.
March 13, 2024
I grew up in Scranton which is the sister city 20 minutes north of Wilkes-Barre. The music of Title Fight, a band whose songs were both a love letter and exasperated cry to SWB, is something that has remained dear to me for 15 years now. I have been meaning to finally read this.
This novel captures well the feeling of being a bit lost in your early 20s and the conflicted feelings one has about where they grew up. The scenes feel expressly Northeast Pennsylvanian. Some of the minutiae which I appreciated may not really land well with readers from outside of NEPA. With that said, the themes are still able to be appreciated by most any reader. Some of the conference scenes dragged a bit, but overall I found this novel to be a very quick read.
I hope Ned continues writing. Horizontal Rust shows huge potential for future work.
This novel captures well the feeling of being a bit lost in your early 20s and the conflicted feelings one has about where they grew up. The scenes feel expressly Northeast Pennsylvanian. Some of the minutiae which I appreciated may not really land well with readers from outside of NEPA. With that said, the themes are still able to be appreciated by most any reader. Some of the conference scenes dragged a bit, but overall I found this novel to be a very quick read.
I hope Ned continues writing. Horizontal Rust shows huge potential for future work.
April 15, 2026
i love ned russin as an individual. i think he has a lot of good qualities, however writing novels is not one of them. there were a couple of moments in which the characters and the relationships between them were really compelling, but for the most part, the narrator was really pretentious, which distracted me from what i did like. i also quite liked the dialogue. the formatting entertained me, even if the subject matter bored me to death. it was interesting seeing how it pieced together and i loved how every comma had intent in it.
a footnote: the allusions to the catcher in the rye really annoyed me. there was no reason to do so save for an attempt to get the reader to compare horizontal rust to catcher. at least holden is interesting. graham just got on my nerves.
a footnote: the allusions to the catcher in the rye really annoyed me. there was no reason to do so save for an attempt to get the reader to compare horizontal rust to catcher. at least holden is interesting. graham just got on my nerves.
October 29, 2024
Disclaimer: I’m from PA, I’m also a big fan of title fight.
The book was ultra pretentious. It’s obvious to see the themes the author wanted us to get and the way they were delivered leaves a lot to desire. Maybe the author was hoping the premise would be boring enough to convey how boring it is to grow up in PA but both premise and delivery are just plain bad. Here’s the silver lining through: the author has a distinct voice. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done but I am looking forward to the next book.
The book was ultra pretentious. It’s obvious to see the themes the author wanted us to get and the way they were delivered leaves a lot to desire. Maybe the author was hoping the premise would be boring enough to convey how boring it is to grow up in PA but both premise and delivery are just plain bad. Here’s the silver lining through: the author has a distinct voice. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done but I am looking forward to the next book.
May 2, 2025
Overall a solid book that does a very good job capturing what it’s like to be a recent college grad living back home with your family. I am from the Lehigh Valley, a place very similar to Scranton (and fairly close), and thought he did a good job showcasing the region as well.
The story is a bit short and I would have liked to see Graham interact with Ollie a little more but I guess that was point. Life in the suburbs is about these shorts bursts of slightly interesting events that usually have lackluster conclusions.
The story is a bit short and I would have liked to see Graham interact with Ollie a little more but I guess that was point. Life in the suburbs is about these shorts bursts of slightly interesting events that usually have lackluster conclusions.
January 25, 2026
Really enjoyed the writing style and the book read easily. Would have love some more character development amongst the main players. Some really poignant moments encapsulated between what I believe to be intentionally dry, ordinary moments. I found a few pages with lines that really resonate with me and as someone who grew up in the shadow of Bethlehem Steel, I could sympathize with the plight of Wilkes Barre. Overall, enjoyed it.
June 2, 2024
I checked this book about because the author is Ned Russin from Title Fight - but it ended up surprising me and I connected with this book. My favorite parts were when the narrator talked about Franz Kline’s paintings and his interpretations of them, specifically Horizontal Rust. This book gave me a new understanding of what it means to properly look at a painting.
December 14, 2025
wonderfully mundane, i suppose there may be a bias here being that i love title fight and glitterer, this book imo was a look into a world within a world that, if you think about it, that existence itself contains endless worlds. a highly relatable story which i am sure most of us have had the thoughts our main player graham tells us.
July 7, 2022
I completely respect this being a piece that’s real and shows that actions have consequences and how life feels dramatic in the moment but really all it is is a moment. I loved the small arc with graham and ollie. I wish there was more to their story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2023
A piece that was noticeably written for fun which was definitely catering to whom would be familiar with the entire lore behind Title Fight and the role Wilkes-Barre played in their music, a story of a nerd archetype who in the end just needed to get by in a town that had little to offer.
April 23, 2026
This book is beautifully mundane and unexpectedly philosophical, I love Title Fight and glitterer and was interested to see how a member of one of my favorite bands of all time would handle being an author and I'm pleasantly surprised with the result.
Read
December 25, 2022I lied. I didn't read tjis book, in fact, I just heard about this book. ned russin made a freaking book and I didn't know about it until now!?
June 14, 2023
i was going to say it was boring but then i read page 119
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews