Horizontal Rust

by Ned Russin

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

171 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2021

Reviews

[John Devers · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Mary Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Kyle Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Bayley Braddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[gab · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kellsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Samantha Lindenbusch · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Ed C · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[AJ Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Will Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[finola&#x1fabb; · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Dan Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Seamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Riley Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Serena Ramsey]

I 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!!

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[JEB · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Clay Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Jack Diener · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Codycvlp · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Liz Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Chris Hoyos · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Pepper!]

I 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!?

[annakathaleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was going to say it was boring but then i read page 119

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring story mostly about nothing at all but at the end that’s nothing is everything ? Idk just move to New York City.

[Ali Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Ned's life if Title Fight didn't happen in my opinion

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

between a 3/4 but I’m bumping down bc I fear the 4 star would be my title fight fan bias speaking. good read but didn’t change my life.

[Jakob · Rating 2 out of 5]

its a book ive read for sure