American Appetites - by Joyce Carol Oates (Paperback)

About the Book

Finally returned to print in a beautiful new trade paperback edition, American Appetites is classic Joyce Carol Oates--a suspenseful thriller in which the happy facade of an affluent suburban couple crumbles under the weight of tragedy and scandal.

For twenty-six years, Ian McCullough, a demographics researcher at a social science think tank, has been happily married to Glynnis, a successful cookbook writer and a brilliant hostess.

When a drunken argument about a suspected infidelity turns physical, Ian accidentally pushes Glynnis through a plate glass window--or did she fall? Now, Glynnis is dead, Ian is charged with murder, and their American dream is shattered. And soon, in a courtroom where guilt and responsibility become two very separate issues, Ian will stand trial, fighting for his life.

A sophisticated, witty, and chilling novel from the incomparable Joyce Carol Oates, American Appetites explores our insatiable hunger for power, love, and success, and how comfortable, privileged lives--and the course of fate--can be dramatically transformed in an instant.

Book Synopsis

Finally returned to print in a beautiful new trade paperback edition, American Appetites is classic Joyce Carol Oates--a suspenseful thriller in which the happy facade of an affluent suburban couple crumbles under the weight of tragedy and scandal.

For twenty-six years, Ian McCullough, a demographics researcher at a social science think tank, has been happily married to Glynnis, a successful cookbook writer and a brilliant hostess.

When a drunken argument about a suspected infidelity turns physical, Ian accidentally pushes Glynnis through a plate glass window--or did she fall? Now, Glynnis is dead, Ian is charged with murder, and their American dream is shattered. And soon, in a courtroom where guilt and responsibility become two very separate issues, Ian will stand trial, fighting for his life.

A sophisticated, witty, and chilling novel from the incomparable Joyce Carol Oates, American Appetites explores our insatiable hunger for power, love, and success, and how comfortable, privileged lives--and the course of fate--can be dramatically transformed in an instant.

From the Back Cover

For twenty-six years, Ian McCullough, a demographics researcher at a social science think tank, has been happily married to Glynnis, a successful cookbook writer and a brilliant hostess.

When a drunken argument about a suspected infidelity turns physical, Ian accidentally pushes Glynnis through a plate-glass window--or did she fall? Now, Glynnis is dead, Ian is charged with murder, and their American dream is shattered. And soon, in a courtroom where guilt and responsibility become two very separate issues, Ian will stand trial, fighting for his life.

A sophisticated, witty, and chilling novel from the incomparable Joyce Carol Oates, American Appetites explores our insatiable hunger for power, love, and success, and how comfortable, privileged lives--and the course of fate--can be dramatically transformed in an instant.

Review Quotes

"The book kept me reading with interest right to the end." -- Los Angeles Times