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Gregory Simpson is thirty and trying to quit, keeping ten fingers glued to a keyboard in order to fight their incessant ache to hold a burning paper tube filled with dead leaves. In twenty entries in twenty days for twenty to a pack -- one word for each cigarette inhaled over the course of ten smoke-filled years -- he examines his life in tense, withdrawal-induced fits and starts: the friendships cemented and defined by nicotine; the intimate relationships crushed or stifled; the acrid, immoral and rebellious satisfactions. But with strength of purpose and improved concentration comes the sobering revelation that his habit is more political than personal. Even if he kicks, Gregory realizes, he's still living in a tobacco world.
Gregory Simpson, a thirty-year-old man attempting to quit a decade-long smoking habit, documents his withdrawal through twenty entries written over twenty days. As he navigates the physical and psychological tremors of nicotine cessation, Gregory reflects on the social rituals, failed relationships, and personal history defined by his addiction. He faces opposition from his own ingrained habits, the persistent presence of his elderly companion Walter, and the looming, systemic influence of the tobacco industry. The narrative unfolds through a self-referential, fragmented structure that blurs the line between his attempt to quit smoking and his burgeoning compulsion to write.
This novel is characterized by its playful, inventive approach to the theme of addiction and the mechanics of narrative voice. The text suggests a focus on the absurdity of modern habits, blending personal memoir elements with a broader critique of corporate influence. Readers likely encounter a protagonist whose struggle with nicotine serves as a vehicle for examining the deeper, often stifling nature of human dependencies. The work stands as a stylistic experiment that prioritizes wit and observation over traditional linear progression, reflecting the erratic mental state of a man in the throes of withdrawal.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
1997-01-01
Publisher:
Flamingo
ISBN-10:
000649790X
ISBN-13:
9780006497905
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