Franklin Flyer
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Book Overview
In this shimmering work of fiction, Nicholas Christopher follows the remarkable life of Franklin Flyer-a restless young inventor named after the train on which he was born-through the tumultuous years of the Great Depression, into the Second World War. Raised by his suffragette aunt, at various times a vagabond and tycoon, Franklin travels across the U.S.A and around the globe, seeking adventure and enlightenment, charting his fate by pursuing the unexpected. He encounters a glittering cast of characters: among them Rita Hayworth, Josephine Baker, OSS founder "Wild Bill" Donovan, and a host of political zealots, opportunists, and dreamers thrown together in a world on the brink of collapse. With each new invention-devices that help to revolutionize everything from early television to the technology with which the Allies respond to the Axis powers-Franklin makes his mark. Gaining fame and fortune, he also suffers terrible heartbreak, and through numerous transformations discovers that a man's own life is truly his most difficult, and rewarding, invention. A brisk, vivid blend of history and imagination, Franklin Flyer brings to life an American hero as unforgettable as his times.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0385336616
ISBN13:9780385336611
Release Date:March 2003
Publisher:Delta
Length:336 Pages
Weight:0.75 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 6.0" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Delirious fun
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
At one point in the picaresque journey of Nicholas Christopher's Franklin Flyer, he takes a job creating heroes for pulp-fiction magazines of the Depression era. This is perfectly appropriate because Flyer himself eventually becomes such a heroic figure himself, working as a spy for the OSS during World War II, when he's not becoming a tycoon, inventing a paint-mixing machine, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, dabbling in Ancient Egyptian mysticism, or looking for a mysterious woman in a photograph--all the while keeping a firm hold on his yellow fedora (yes, that fedora--the one on the front cover).Christopher's fast-paced tongue-in-cheek homage to the genre is 180 degrees from his previous novel, the long, languid, "A Trip to the Stars," and maybe it doesn't measure up to that masterpiece.But it's definitely a fun, provocative read, and it will keep you out of mischief for a couple of days.
Delightful!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
My husband and I both really enjoyed this book (i.e. it will appeal to both men and women). It's a nice change of pace from the same-old, same-old. Great characters and an episodic plot as incredible, quick-paced, and satisfying as the pulp comics that Franklin gets his start in. Good and evil are pretty black and white here, but Christopher's ultimate outlook on life seems as sunny as Franklin's yellow fedora.
A weekend with Nicholas Christopher's new Novel
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
The third novel from Nicholas Christopher, Franklin Flyer is another wonderful story of character and powerful ideas. There is such a sense of completeness to the book I'm thinking about starting all over again for a second shot of experience. Everything seems to be interconnected in our lives, everything and everyone matters on some level. Franklin Flyer (the person) has a wonderful sense of wanderlust and powerful ideas of invention. Franklin Flyer (the book) sets a tone of poetry and depth of character within the pre and World War II United States and Europe. There is mystery here. There is romance here, although it is less romantic than emotional. Franklin Flyer sits just this side of mystical, but remains well grounded and ultimately complete. Strongly recommended...
Change is good.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
This book expands on some of the themes of Christopher's previous novel, A Trip To the Stars - namely fate,destiny, chance and all that - while introducing another: personal and metaphysical transformation. Think Ovid and Heraclitus (i.e. everything eventually changes into its opposite) with some ancient Egyptian religion added for some creepy atmosphere. This novel is beautifully written. It's also obscure. But you'll love the journey, from the moment Franklin's yellow fedora flies through an office window, to the book's coda, which takes place almost a century later. Throughout the book, characters appear in different guises, motivations change, and people are evidently reborn. If you enjoy books such as Helprin's Memoir of Antproof Case, as well as Chistopher's ealier works, you'll definitely enjoy this.
Everyman Hero
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I just loved this book. Christopher's style is crisp, cleasr and compelling. You're never quite sure where the story is headed but suspensefully, it takes you along for the ride. The ending is wonderfully satisfactory. A great mixture of history, fiction and a touch of sci-fi.Franklin is an everyman hero. I was surprized at how much I related to him personally.
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