“Two days before he was scheduled for jury duty and/or to commit suicide, Jimmy Lagowski received a postcard in the mail...” and so begins the title story in this masterful collection of interwoven narratives. Here: a badly-burned, depressed, and possibly alien 20-year-old is the lone vote of dissension in a controversial murder trial; a promising college sophomore ponders the implications of taking the morning-after pill; a retired maintenance man confronts his violent past in the checkout line of a discount supermarket; and a brilliant geologist struggles to recount the accidental death of an innocent child. Separately, these stories tell the tales of broken lives in 2012 Midwest America. Together, they tell a fearless and cohesive story of human tragedy, revenge, and forgiveness.
Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Pujolas's writing is strong, and he has a gift for subtly letting readers into a character's private moments... readers will embrace the tale and celebrate Jimmy's attempts to articulate justice as one of the qualities that can elevate humanity." -Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"Brilliant. Intimidatingly good. Very few books have the ability to make me second-guess my own talent as a writer. So, you know, f#%k you, Mr. Pujolas." -Mike Barker, American Dad Co-Creator & Executive Producer
"A talented writer who yanks you in by the throat. Thought-provoking and well done."
"After two or three stories, a reader may feel perplexed about these seemingly disjointed tales... Keep reading. It will soon become clear that Pujolas has a master plan: These stories are not only intertwined, but are building toward a conclusion of great consequence." -The Akron Beacon Journal
"A promising debut... Offers much for the reader to consider, not the least of which are meditations on the nature of humanity and justice--and how these two concepts relate to each other... We are broken, Pujolas suggests throughout this collection, yet not without hope." -Small Press Reviews
"Brilliant. Intimidatingly good. Very few books have the ability to make me second-guess my own talent as a writer. So, you know, f#%k you, Mr. Pujolas." -Mike Barker, American Dad Co-Creator & Executive Producer
"A talented writer who yanks you in by the throat. Thought-provoking and well done."
-Barbara Dzikowski, author, Searching for Lincoln's Ghost
"After two or three stories, a reader may feel perplexed about these seemingly disjointed tales... Keep reading. It will soon become clear that Pujolas has a master plan: These stories are not only intertwined, but are building toward a conclusion of great consequence." -The Akron Beacon Journal
About the Author
Nominated for a XXXVI Pushcart Prize, as well as two “Best of the Net” collections, Pat Pujolas has been featured in Outsider Writers, Connotation Press, Heartlands Today, and Writer's Digest (as a winner of the 1994 Short Story Competition). He's also credited with two episodes of MTV's animated series “3-South.” This is his first work of published fiction. Originally from Cleveland, Pujolas has also lived in San Francisco, Seattle, Hood River, Los Angeles, and coastal Maine; currently he resides in Akron, Ohio, with his wife and kids.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By M. Tuite
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Pat Pujolas delivers a phenomenal novel-in-stories that is unforgettable!!! If you haven't ordered a copy of this collection then GET ON IT!! "Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World," is one of those books that you don't want to put down and never want to end!!! Pujolas gives us memorable, incredibly visual scenes and characters that prove the most powerful when they direct our vision back to ourselves! We find out more about who we are through these beautiful and tragic characters.
I wish I could give it more than the five stars. It is a galaxy of brilliance that you won't ever forget!
I wish I could give it more than the five stars. It is a galaxy of brilliance that you won't ever forget!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By J. Knox
Format:Paperback
This is a good book to read on a stationary bike because it's funny and a bit odd, and it distracted me from the fact I was exercising. The book is well-written, quick-paced, interconnected and thought-provoking without trying too hard or being devisive, and it's just damn good.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Pat Pujolas has a real knack for weaving a great story--Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World is fresh and unconventional. Pujolas has created an off the beaten track mix of real and surreal characters that evoke a range of emotions, but his true gift is his ability to leave his readers baffled and wondering at each new chapter. However, once the dots are connected and the mystery is unlocked, the story leads you to a really interesting place . I look forward to Pujolas' next round of work...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jimmy saves my world
Charles Bukowski freely decreed that after he turned 40 he stopped reading. Nothing was good, he said. Nothing was worth it anymore. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alex M. Pruteanu
5.0 out of 5 stars
stories that send out beams that reflect on all the other stories
This book wasn't exactly what I had been expecting, but I think I liked it better than what I had been expecting. Read more
Published 4 months ago by D. S. Atkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jimmy Lagowski Saves The World - Clever Title
I found a review of this book on publishers Weekly, who had starred it as a particularly good book. Since I was considering submitting my book to PW for review, I wanted to know,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Lynn Schneider
5.0 out of 5 stars
world saver!
Pujolas has created a spectacular world in these connected stories, one in which a disparate cast of characters find their way in the world. Read more
Published 6 months ago by James Claffey
5.0 out of 5 stars
jimmy lagowski saves the world
The episodes alone in "Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World" are a masterful collection of middle-American life, rendered in vivid, heart-breakingly hilarious detail. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mark H
4.0 out of 5 stars
Every copywriter has an unfinished novel in their desk. Pat Pujolas...
To begin with, Pat Pujolas' Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World is, as far as I can tell, a work of fiction. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Them
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile read!!
*Received through Goodreads-First reads program
**Review also posted at barnesandnoble.com and Goodreads
Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World was a collection of short... Read more
**Review also posted at barnesandnoble.com and Goodreads
Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World was a collection of short... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Levina
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fooled
I was tricked. I thought I was reading a short story collection at first but then realized I was reading a novel, the way all of the characters and the narrative threads came... Read more
Published 10 months ago by ScottW
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jimmy Lagowski, c'est moi!
Pat Pujolas's Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World, a novel-in-stories made me long for my Midwestern home, with its unique mannerisms, oft' misunderstood oddities and, most of all, for... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Julie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Pujolas
Reflective of everything Pujolas I've read... nostalgic references, dark wit and slightly far out. Pujolas makes us feel like we all know our own Jimmy Lagowski or Doreen or... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Parma Joe
