Pure Life: A Novel

by Eugene Marten

A harrowing, intense, powerful new novel that reads like a classic, from one of the great writers of his generation.

Nineteen battles his way into the pros, becomes the quarterback, becomes the myth. Marries the owner’s daughter, touches greatness few will ever dream of, retires into what he assumes will be the promised afterlife of days on the golf course, celebrity endorsements, and cushy real estate investments. But markets tank, family disintegrates, fame fades, and the holes in his mind and memory from a career of punishment on the field become too large and frightening to ignore. When he hears of a miracle brain damage treatment forbidden in the U.S., he travels to the Mosquito Coast of Honduras in search of a chance to restore himself to the man he was. Instead, he finds himself on a journey that plunges him into a darkness more violent and horrific than he could have possibly imagined—at once a fight for his life and to hold onto the shards and fragments of the life he’s fighting for.

A sports saga, sprawling thriller, and existential reckoning with the rot at the core of the west, told by an unheralded, singular master, Pure Life is a daring, complex, and brutal confrontation with and demolition of our modern myths in the most primal of settings—one as perilous as it is imperiled.

Genres: Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

Published May 3, 2022

About the author

Eugene Marten lives in New Mexico. He is also the author of the novels In The Blind (Turtle Point), Waste (Ellipsis), and Firework (Tyrant Books).

Reviews

[Rachel Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely extraordinary book, easily the best thing I've read this year.

[Amy Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love is an undisclosed location."

I had won a copy this book from @strangelightbooks a while ago. Won't regret not reading it sooner, because every book has its time but, maybe I should have read it a little sooner. By having read two or more back to back books that were 100% dead on amazing, noting it feels like it might jinx me.

This is a book about the myth of success and celebrity worship. As described in the book jacket, it's also a sports saga and a thriller but honestly the existentialism of it all really had me in its grip. It's existentialism done just in the right way that suits my own existential dread reading tastes. It's full of what happens after the sun of success has set and the body and mind are failing because of the hell it's been put through for the sake of others.

The writing is amazing. The book is amazing. High recommend.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struggled to rate this because I didn’t enjoy reading it, and I never want to read it again, but it was gorgeous and depressing and atmospheric and unique and I loved the story.

The writing is not for everyone, but I’m super drawn to these sort of stream-of-consciousness novels where narration and thought and dialogue are blurred together, and this book does it so well.

Slow but intriguing in the first third, middle third sort of lost me, and the final third was page-turning.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one but Eugene Marten could have written this.

God bless Eric Raymond, Ken Baumann, and anyone else who brought this book to light.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A champion that touched but never quite grasped greatness has to confront the rot at the heart of the West, his family, and himself, and out of desperation, walks into hell. A brutal, incredible book. Every sentence crackles. A masterclass in moving through time and flashbacks. "He should have know better and he will have to pay, but so will everyone."

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old school American writing. Best book I've read in years. Digs deep like classic DeLillo with a touch of Conrad and maybe Lowry.

[alex]

eugene marten rules

[Michael Bertrand]

Did not finish.

This book is the story of Nineteen- a former NFL quarterback. The main character is identified by his jersey number. In the pages that I read, he's never given a proper name.

The 114 pages that I slogged through detailed the rise and fall of Nineteen's career. He found fame and fortune in the NFL and then lost it all in the years that followed. I quit at the point when- addicted, divorced, and morally / financially bankrupt- Nineteen travels to Honduras to undergo an "experimental" stem-cell treatment that is supposed to cure him.

Why did I quit?

Because I'm in recovery from addiction myself, and the plot is massively triggering. Nineteen experiences blackouts due to his substance abuse and due to his sports injuries. His addictions and their consequences are described in detail.

I've got seven years of sobriety. I *could* power through if it was worth it.

It isn't.

There aren't any real characters. Nineteen is just a number. Other characters are named either by a) their jersey number or b) their relationship to Nineteen [Nineteen's Girlfriend, for example] or c) their job [waiter, journalist, coach] or d) their attitude towards sports [the non-athlete]. Around page 113, a bartender tells Nineteen his name- which is the only proper name I recall reading. Everyone else is just an object. I recognize that the author is making a Statement with this naming convention, but given the other issues I have with this book, it isn't worth my time to decipher it.

The prose reads more like poetry in many places. At times it's hard to tell what the author is talking about. At other times, the author tosses in irrelevant details that distract from the plot. And if you don't know/ don't care about football, much of the 114 pages that I read won't make much sense.

The end result is that this book is massively triggering and difficult to read. I'm not going to give it a rating because I am clearly not the intended audience.

[Paige Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I really did not enjoy this one. I wasn't engaged at all in any of the characters and the writing style makes the plot confusing. I think a first-person POV would have helped to better connect with Nineteen and understand the struggles that motivate him to go to Honduras. Ultimately, I think the story lacked direction or cohesion. It felt like a bunch of elements combined that didn't really complement each other or go well together. Not worth the read.

[Samuel Luther · Rating 2 out of 5]

while i could sympathise with the MC and his journey as written in the book, i think the entire premise of the story was just something i’m not interested enough in. the plot progression was well done, yet i constantly found myself disengaged. i cared about the MC, but that was the extent of my engagement with the text. the writing didn’t move me much either.

[Christopher Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enormous energy in the language of this book—it's somewhere on a spectrum between an ebullient Kerouac and hepped-up Delillo. It a breeze to read! I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion, but maybe that's not the point. The ride itself is a huge rush, the compression and acceleration, drop-dead observations, language cloven of unnecessary verbiage. I wanted more!

[Sagelikefool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for a book club.

Interesting use of different sentence structures and cohesive to incoherent narrative to show the crumbling of a person's mind as the book goes on.

I liked the writer's choice to not give the name of most (nearly all) of the characters in the book. It made the characters both a bit anonymous but also more relatable at the same time somehow.

[Dominic Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt stupid reading this book at first. It took me a while to adjust to his writing style. Insinuated writing that leaves the reader filling in gaps. Blunt, no nonsense writing, and at the same time, writes, as an another reviewer puts it, in stream of consciousness.

Haven’t read a book like this one before.

I would’ve given this book 4 stars, but the ending is perfect. Really enjoyed this.

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely absorbed by this book. The descent from fame into physical and mental ruin is written with brutal honesty, and the journey to Honduras becomes both terrifying and deeply philosophical.

[Susan Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to the audio version but probably didn't fully enjoy this. The ending is cofussing.

[Scott Wahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tour-de-force that doesn't fit neatly into any genre. Thrilling and moving.

[Chris Knutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best new fiction I’ve read this year. Very much reads like a movie, in the right directors hands (William Friedkin channeling Sorceror) this could be an all time great.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome novel. Fantastic writing.

[Steve Mills. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I assumed it was based on football when I bought it.
Turns out to be a pointless hostage adventure full of holes,incomplete thoughts and guesses.
Pure Life is Pure Rubbish.

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of like being on a road trip of wacky adventures with our main character 19. Enjoyable, but we never get too invested in the outcome.

[Kutalp (Kutalp!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best thing I’ve ever read. My ruin. Pure Life. (or Rip Blue Ride X Lucky Smash Zero Naked Grace Set Go)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Dragged too much in first half. But loved the concept.