Stars and Bars: A Novel [Paperback]

William Boyd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2001

Sharply observed and brilliantly plotted, Stars and Bars is an uproarious portrait of culture clash deep in the heart of the American South, by one of contemporary literature’s most imaginative novelists.

A recent transfer to Manhattan has inspired art assessor Henderson Dores to shed his British reserve and aspire to the impulsive and breezy nature of Americans. But when Loomis Gage, an eccentric millionaire, invites him to appraise his small collection of Impressionist paintings, Dores's plans quite literally go south. Stranded at a remote mansion in the Georgia countryside, Dores is received by the bizarre Gage family with Anglophobic slurs, nausea-inducing food, ludicrous death threats, and a menacing face off with competing art dealers. By the time he manages to sneak back to New York City–sporting only a cardboard box–Henderson Dores realizes he is fast on the way to becoming a naturalized citizen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Very shy and utterly British Henderson Dores comes to New York to work as an art expert. His strongest desire is to become a "real," spontaneous American, which occurs in unusual fashion after a painful trip to the South. PW gave a rebel yell for Stars and Bars, noting that it "pokes fun at the British and Americans, at lifestyles and responsibilities, at life in general."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“William Boyd has written a perfect book. He is funnier than Evelyn Waugh.”–Los Angeles Times

“Stands in the great tradition of the English comic novel.”–The Boston Globe

“There’s hardly a writer around whose work offers more pleasure and satisfaction.”–The Washington Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage International ed edition (July 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375705015
• ISBN-13: 978-0375705014
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Boyd is the author of ten novels, including A Good Man in Africa, winner of the Whitbread Award and the Somerset Maugham Award; An Ice-Cream War, winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Brazzaville Beach, winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; Any Human Heart, winner of the Prix Jean Monnet; and Restless, winner of the Costa Novel of the Year.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, witty plot shaped by Boyd's fine sarcasm, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stars and Bars: A Novel (Paperback)

I have been so pushed to buy and read this book that my expectation grew up and so did my fear for wasting money on another boring novel.Surprise!A bright plot that has captured my attention from the very first line.Two lifestyles: a proper tea-sipping english lad vs a beer-drinker american buddy.What a clash.The main character floats on a sea of hazards and casualties and beg you to sympathize with his helpless effort to "sort it out".Boyd's irony is the dressing to that weirdo salad.

Give it five minutes and you'll find yourself taking a shower with the waterproof edition.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical! Buy one for you and a friend., July 19, 2001

By 

E.Ford (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stars and Bars: A Novel (Paperback)

The first time I read this book I had to keep re-reading passages because it was so hilarious! I had tears in my eyes at one point. I recommend this book to everyone who loves the South and has a great imagination. The main character's portrayal of this odd range of Southern characters is priceless, as well as the New York City group. The plot is so full of twists and turns that you are constantly surprised. Out of all of William Boyd's books, this is the only one I have really enjoyed; I could hardly put it down and I reread it every couple of years. This is a true classic.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cartoon Stereotypes, April 17, 2002

By 

JSollami (Stamford, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stars and Bars: A Novel (Paperback)

This book was written in the 1980s when life in New York City was a bit wilder than what it's become today. New Yorkers figure prominently here, as do American "southerners" and a Britisher, who embodies all of that country's cultural archetypes: restraint, "shyness," proper behavior, etc. Put these characters together and you get the joke: a series of cultural clashes and bloopers, mad people, bizarre behavior, appalled reactions, humiliations, revelations, improbable plot twists, and all other manner of silliness. But is it any good, you ask? I guess it depends on your mood. If you're in the mood to watch cartoons and giggle at stereotypes (rude New Yorkers, dumb southerners, brash Jewish princesses) you'll think this work is good. If you want some substance with your humor, you probably should go elsewhere.
I stuck it out because the plot does move along eventually and some of the characters are sufficiently kooky to be interesting, but I was mildly offended by the constant hammering away at the stereotypes, all of which have been utterly exhausted by standup comics, the movies, TV, etc etc ad nauseam. Reader, beware!