Pharmakon
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'An ambitious and memorable novel' Jay McInerney 'In Pharmakon Dirk Wittenborn has given us a fascinating portrait of a family living on the edge in the barely post-medieval age of 1950s psychopharmacology. Both victims and perpetrators, poineers and innocents, the saga of the Friedrichs will stay with you long after the book has been read' Richard Price 'An old-fashioned novel about a modern subject surprising - sometimes shocking don't be surprised if you find yourself moved to tears' Bret Easton Ellis 'What's best about Pharmakon is Mr Wittenborn's colorful, affectionate evocation of a complex family story A smart, eccentric coming-of-age story about an entire culture's maturation process, not just one about the workings of a single family. And Mr. Wittenborn is able to channel a lifetime's worth of psychiatric symptoms into one improbably universal story' New York Times
Product Description
'I was born because a man came to kill my father.' It is 1950s America and madness is in the air. In a world where the 'cures' for craziness include coma therapy, cyanide treatment, sulphur injections and full-frontal lobotomies, Dr. William T. Friedrich's ambitions are more modest. He just wants to find a way to prescribe happiness. Friedrich, a young, ambitious professor of psychology at Yale has stumbled upon a drug that promises to make him famous. Derived from an exotic plant, 'The Way Home' seems to possess the secret ingredient of happiness. But Friedrich and his colleague Bunny Winton must find subjects willing to test their hypothesis, and in Casper Gedsic, a fiercely intelligent, socially inept, near-suicidal maths student they seem to have found their perfect guinea pig. But when their experiment goes awry and Casper's thirst for revenge turns murderous, his actions will have consequences that haunt Friedrich and his family forever. Friedrich's youngest son, Zach, who owes his existence to the fallout of those turbulent months, grows up in the shadow of Casper Gedsic. For him and his family, the bogeyman is real. Despite Friedrich and his wife's best efforts, they remain defined and imprisoned by the memory of Casper, and his presence continues to haunt them as they move from their well-ordered suburban life of post-war America through the chaos and freedom of the counterculture into the drug-fuelled, media-crazed eighties and beyond, each pursuing their own quest for happiness while tainted indelibly by the past.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sensational storytelling,
By John Fraser "John" (St Albans) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pharmakon (Paperback)
I read Wittenborn's last novel, Fierce People, some years back and loved it: a no-holds-bared pacy version of The Great American Novel, with a rich narrative that stayed (just about) this side of melodrama, I'm pretty sure I read it in one sitting. I'd begun to wonder what had happened to him (it was about six years ago now) and Pharmakon gives us the answers.
If John Irving had a bit more edge and slightly less in the way of sentimentality, he might have written Pharmakon. Much like Fierce People it has a brilliantly pageturning plot (which I discovered in a piece in yesterday's Times is based, unfeasibly, on the author's life) but it's a much more grown up, emotionally considered piece of writing. It's a little like Jay McInerney, but with more likeable characters; a little like Brett Easton Ellis, but without the snarling cynicism. A little Tom Wolff, perhaps, but more generous-spirited and funnier. Wittenborn gives us an amazing portrait of family life (albeit a pretty dysfunctional family) in 1950 America and then takes the protagonist, Zach, on a compelling journey as he slides inextricably into drug addiction and personal crisis. On the way we meet some wonderful characters, not least Caspar, the sociopathic guinea pig who tries to kill Zach's family. There's a wonderful sense of redemption at the end of the novel, but it never feels forced or pat. I'd have to say, this is one of the best books I've read in a good few years! For anyone who's a fan of modern American literature and great storytelling, it's a must.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different, fresh and fascinating,
This review is from: Pharmakon (Paperback)
This is a great book! Don't let the other reviews put you off.
If it can be compared to any other author I would have to say John Irving. The storytelling meanders along at a steady pace, engaging, never losing one's attention, painting colourful characters with beautiful prose and humour. I found myself laughing several times. I can't fault it. It's different, granted, but that's what I like about it. And as for the criticisms by lower rating reviewers - I have to defend the book here: It starts off with an introduction by the main character and then goes into the main part which consists of recounting his parents' and subsequently his life up to a point where the character picks up from the beginning closing the loop and concluding the story. Maybe non-linear stories are a bit more difficult for some... Hope this helps!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Falls flat,
By
This review is from: Pharmakon (Paperback)
I have to agree with a number of the reviewers at amazon.com.
Excellent first half and more ( I hotly recommended the book to a friend while I was on about page 250) but disappointing later. Still a good read, just not as good as it started out, by a long chalk.
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