Hunting Mister Heartbreak by Jonathan Raban

Hunting Mister Heartbreak by Jonathan Raban

A New York Times Notable Book

In an era of jet tourism, Jonathan Raban] remains a
traveler-adventurer in the tradition of . . . Robert Louis Stevenson.
--The New York Times Book Review

In 1782 an immigrant with the high-toned name J. Hector St. John de Cr vecoeur--Heartbreak in English--wrote a pioneering account of one European's transformation into an American. Some two hundred years later Jonathan Raban, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, arrived in Cr vecoeur's wake to see how America has paid off for succeeding generations of newcomers. The result is an exhilarating, often deliciously funny book that is at once a travelogue, a social history, and a love letter to the United States.
In the course of Hunting Mr. Heartbreak, Raban passes for homeless in New York and tries to pass for a good ol' boy in Alabama (which entails renting an elderly black lab). He sees the Protestant work ethic perfected by Korean immigrants in Seattle--one of whom celebrates her new home as So big So green So wide-wide-wide --and repudiated by the lowlife of Key West. And on every page of this peerlessly observant work, Raban makes us experience America with wonder, humor, and an unblinking eye for its contradictions.

Raban delivers himself of some of the most memorable prose ever written
about urban America. --Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times

When Raban describes America and Americans, he is unfailingly witty
and entertaining. --Salman Rushdie

Jonathan Raban, the author of Waxwings and Passage to Juneau, was born in England and has lived in Seattle since 1990. The National Book Critics Circle Prize, the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award, the PEN/West Creative Nonfiction Award, the Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association's Award, and the Governor's Award of the State of Washington are among his accolades.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780060182090
ISBN 10	0060182091
Title	Hunting Mister Heartbreak
Author	Jonathan Raban
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Year published	1991-05-01
Number of pages	372
Prizes	Winner of Thomas Cook Travel Book Awards Narrative Travel Book Category 1991
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.