Boswell

by Stanley Elkin

First published 1980

James Boswell muscles his way through life as a professional wrestler and world-class gate crasher. He operates on a simple theory: if you cannot achieve greatness yourself, surround yourself with those who have. Boswell cons his way into the inner circles of celebrities and powerful figures, collecting them like trophies. He mooches off their fame with epic skill, believing their proximity will somehow shield him from his own mortality. But death proves a tougher opponent than any wrestler he has faced in the ring. His most heroic match comes against the Angel of Death itself. Boswell schemes and hustles, convinced he can cheat his way out of the human condition through sheer audacity and celebrity connections. His quest becomes increasingly desperate as he realizes that borrowed glory cannot save him from the fate that awaits everyone.

Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction, 21st-century

Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: anti-hero, quest

Period: 20th Century, 21st Century

448 pages · Paperback · Warner Books

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