The Wasties - (Vintage Contemporaries) by Frederick Reuss (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Michael "Caruso" Taylor is a man with a problem. He can't speak. In fact, he can't do much of anything the way he once used to. A successful English professor, he can hardly compose a coherent sentence, or remember much of anything he once knew. On top of this, he is slowly regressing toward infancy. He calls it "The Wasties," a condition with no known cause and no known cure. He throws his sippy cup. He bites his nurse. He tries to wall himself into his bedroom. He tries to run away. But as Caruso slips further and further away from sanity and adulthood, his mental life begins to soar.

Distinctive, funny and deeply affecting, The Wasties presents a unique vision that offers insights into madness, aging, notions of success, and the desire to abdicate from the responsibilities of adulthood.

Review Quotes

"Reuss has written a compelling story of a man's spiraling journey inward to an altered mental state.... hilariously on the mark." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Wasties is one of the most interesting...books of the year." --Rocky Mountain News

"Caruso's observations are by turns hilarious and devastating, and even as he gradually losses his sanity, they often ring true." --Washingtonian Magazine

"Reuss has finesse. He is able to evoke suffering and loneliness--especially as it is felt by Caruso's wife--but plays them as background tones in a monologue dominated by Caruso's bright, vibrant voice." --New York Sun

About the Author

Frederick Reuss is the author of Horace Afoot and Henry of Atlantic City. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two daughters.