American Rust by Philipp Meyer

American Rust

Philipp Meyer

This could have been just another novel on the decay of industrial America. But although the tale of Isaac and Billy is bleak and shocking I was riveted by their story and read the last half of the book in one sitting - I just had to know what happened to them! There are wonderful descriptions of both the industrial decay and the natural world around it. Highly recommended.

Extract
Walking again, his legs had gotten stiff while he slept and he made slow progress. It was long after dark that he passed under the Mon City bridge, the train tracks ran through a long industrial zone with brightly lit warehouses and he walked the treeline, at the edge of the light, passing dozens of old shipping containers, a house sagging into the water, tractor trailers sitting with their tires flattend and their paint weathered away.... Ahead of him was a long dark stretch through the high forest, the polished railtops caught what little light there was from the stars, glowing faintly. As soon as he was in the darkness he felt safe again.
Parallels
  • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  • No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy