You Deserve Nothing: A Novel [Paperback]

Alexander Maksik (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 30, 2011

Set in Paris, at an international high school catering to the sons and daughters of wealthy families, You Deserve Nothing is a gripping story of power, idealism, and morality.

William Silver is a talented and charismatic young teacher whose unconventional methods raise eyebrows among his colleagues and superiors. His students, however, are devoted to him. His teaching of Camus, Faulkner, Sartre, Keats and other kindred souls breathe life into their sense of social justice and their capacities for philosophical and ethical thought. But unbeknownst to his adoring pupils, Silver proves incapable of living up to the ideals he encourages in others. Emotionally scarred by failures in his personal life and driven to distraction by the City of Light's overpowering carnality and beauty, Silver succumbs to a temptation that will change the course of his life. His fall will render him a criminal in the eyes of some, and all too human in the eyes of others.

In Maksik's stylish prose, Paris is sensual, dazzling and dangerously seductive. It serves as a fitting backdrop for a dramatic tale about the tension between desire and action, and about the complex relationship that exists between our public and private selves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb debut novel."

-The Sunday Times

"With writing that is reminiscent of James Salter's in its sensuality, Francine Prose's capacious inquiry into difficult moral questions and Martin Amis's loose-limbed evocation of the perils of youth."

-The Christian Science Monitor

"Maksik depicts [his story] fearlessly--and brilliantly, with graceful exactitude.

-The Daily Beast (One of the Best Debuts of the Fall)

"The book is just too damned good to put down."
-The Stranger

"Maksik, in his account of adolescent yearning and grown-up fallibility, does something like what Hemingway did in his non-debut memoir, "A Moveable Feast" - he vividly evokes a destination for generations of foreign seekers."

-San Francisco Chronicle 

"A novel rivetingly plotted and beautifully written. . . [Maksik] writes about the moral ambiguity of Will's circumstances with dazzling clarity and impressive philosophical rigor."

-The New York Times

"One of the most engaged reads I've had in years."

(-Alice Sebold)

"Alexander Maksik deftly evokes the beauty and pathos of Paris, and the story of Will, Gilad and Marie-each compelled towards moral and sexual awakening- is at once dark and luminous. This is a book to be read all at once with a glass of wine in a café or a cup of tea while tucked safely in bed."

(-A.M. Homes)

"You Deserve Nothing is a powerful, absorbing novel about a charismatic expatriate teacher and the students whose lives he transforms, for better and worse. Alexander Maksik is an unusually gifted writer."

(-Tom Perrotta)

"You Deserve Nothing rings true from first page to last. Here is a writer who understands why the artful telling of a difficult story is a brave and important thing to do. Read this book."

(-John Burnham Schwartz)

"A provocative, constantly surprising, and original novel. This is a thrilling debut."

(-Susanna Moore)

"Maksik's superb novel takes on the most fundamental question-how are we supposed to live?-with a freshness and urgency that are nothing short of masterful. This is a gorgeous book, as honest and rich a depiction of life's contradictions as I've encountered in many years."

(-Ben Fountain)

"Alexander Maksik's first novel, You Deserve Nothing, is a thoroughly engaging, passionate, and challenging read that finely walks the line between morality and amorality. In a society, and at a time, when individual identity is so closely tied to collective narcissism, Maksik's novel asks what are the true sources of selfworth? And how shall we live?"

(-Tom Jenks, editor, Narrative magazine)

About the Author

Alexander Maksik's first novel, You Deserve Nothing was published in 2011 by Europa Editions (US) and John Murray Publishers/Hachette (UK). Subsequent translations will appear in Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia, Korea, and The Netherlands.

His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Tin House, The New York Times, Harvard Review, The New York Times Magazine and Narrative Magazine, among others.

A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he's presently the Provost's Postgraduate Writing Fellow in fiction at the University of Iowa.

He lives in Paris and Iowa City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Europa Editions; 1 edition (August 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1609450485
• ISBN-13: 978-1609450489
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alexander Maksik is the author of the novels You Deserve Nothing (Europa, 2011) and A Marker to Measure Drift (Knopf, 2013). His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Best American Nonrequired Reading, Harper's, Tin House, Harvard Review, The New York Times Magazine, Salon and Narrative Magazine, among other publications and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he is the recipient of fellowships from the Truman Capote Literary Trust and The Corporation of Yaddo. He has taught at the University of Iowa where he was the Provost's Postgraduate Visiting Writer in Fiction.

He lives in New York.

www.alexandermaksik.com

www.facebook.com/AlexanderMaksik

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

192 of 227 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Letter to the Editor November 30, 2011

By s.steen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Oct. 13, 2011
Dear Ms. Sebold,
I am writing in regard to the novel, "You Deserve Nothing," recently publish by Tonga at your selection. I'm sure you already know everything I'm going to say, but I could not in good conscience let it go unsaid. I was a student in the author's senior AP English class at the American School of Paris, 2005-2006, as well as a close friend of the girl he had an affair with during that time. I wonder if you had done much research into the author's past or his time at the American School of Paris (ASP). I would like to think that you may not have published this manuscript as a novel had you known it was strictly true.
It's not a bad book, I read it in one 5 hour sitting; but then again I had the advantage of already knowing the entire story. Within the author's retelling of my senior year of high school every plot point of significance was lifted directly from reality. The characters can all be generally identified as real teachers and students, all the major events are true, and the chronology is accurate.
Everyone from ASP has been talking non-stop about this book from the first press-release on. Rumors and speculation have been making the rounds, and now that we all have read it, there is more gossip still. This book stirred up a lot of unnecessary and unwanted memories for everyone, especially for the young woman in question. I happen to know that she has received emails from former teachers inquiring how she "feels" about the book. I am simply bringing this up as evidence that I am by no means the only one who acknowledges the extreme similarities between the book and reality. And because of the lack of disguise, there is speculation about what is factual and what is fiction.... Of course there are things that were invented, but those readers, who were not as close to the events and cannot distinguish, are likely mis-attributing actions and dialogue. Because of the sensitive nature of the events, it seems wrong to bring them up again like this, without the author clarifying his intentions.
Ironic, that the main theme of the book is bravery vs. cowardice, and yet the brave thing to do would have been to publish it as a memoir, or at least based on a true story; for the author to put himself out there and really confront the repercussions of his actions. Lucky for him, he wasn't fired from the school, simply asked to resign, which I will attribute to the cowardice of the school board and their aversion to negative publicity. From what I understand the incident never went on his record.
Let me be clear, I am not moralizing about the events portrayed in the book. I am questioning the ethics of labeling this book as a novel when I think you will find many, many people who can verify almost every occurrence and character. There can be no doubt that the author wrote this in part to process the events and his role in them. The writing and even the publishing of this book is not so much what concerns me. Call it what it is, some type of non-fiction. I am quite a fan of yours and that's part of the reason I was surprised that you would have been involved in this project if you knew what I've relayed. Despite being two completely different situations, the fact that you bravely wrote a memoir about your experience and this author chose to shield himself with a work of fiction pretty much sums up my point. This book could have been a more authentic and demanding experience for the reader and more cathartic for the author had he followed your lead by writing a memoir or at least a "based on a true story".
With fiction, the author has freed himself to explore character's voices and thoughts that he would not otherwise be able to had he written a memoir. I understand that this is what makes the book so appealing and intriguing. Considering that his characters are primarily real people, we can safely say that he has put words in their mouths and even distorted those things they actually did say. All of us from ASP are painfully aware that this is not fiction and that the young woman is having this period of her life put under a microscope again, as if it wasn't bad enough the first time around.
I hope I have made some points that you will take into consideration when working with this author in the future. I have tried to keep my own feelings about the events out of this letter, although I'm sure you can guess them. But I sincerely believe that this was the wrong way to go about things and I hope you can see our side...those of us for whom this wasn't a novel.

Regards,
Siobhan Steen Read more ›

123 of 149 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad ethics. November 30, 2011

By KH

Format:Paperback

To his credit, Alexander Maksik (or Mr. Maksik as I knew him) came out with a book only 5 years after his release from his job at ASP.

Until this book started getting publicity, I and most other students at ASP hadn't heard or seen anything about him since he didn't show up to teach that one day. And on that same day it was pretty much revealed to all of us that 1. Mr Maksik got fired the day before, or rather, forced to resign, because 2. he was sleeping with a student, 3. Yes, it was that girl, the smart one who was often seen giving announcements at the beginning of the school day for some of the academic clubs she was involved in. A nice girl. And unfortunately 4. She had to have an abortion. This was also an experience available to be read about on his blog soon after, which is now a similar excerpt in the book.

Cut to 5 years later, after a good number of us have heard he's got a book coming out, being edited by an author that most of us know of, and certainly we're impressed. Of course it must not have anything to do with that time he was fired for sleeping with that girl. Wouldn't that be funny? It would be hilarious. But then soon enough the synopsis is revealed to be about "a high school teacher at an international school in Paris." More jokes ensue, hahaha, what if he wrote about you know, his EXACT situation?

Then the book came out. It wasn't hilarious. It was sickening.

Unfortunately, while reading it there wasn't just a feeling of familiarity. It felt like reading an actual written record of that time, that particular school year. As if it was his diary and his fantasy of what Marie was thinking. Things "Mr. Silver" said in class, a particular analogy that he used ME as an example for, had happened.... An incredibly precise description of the fellow teacher that taught ME "The Flea" was there. Yes, we did rumor between ourselves about them seeing each other. "Mr. Silver" bringing in a lamp to put on the desk, a common Maksik thing to do. Many daring questions on life and god. The intro to our class included a short speech on being able to leave the classroom if we wanted, he didn't care, and he reiterated this around exam times as well. On and on. The girl described completely. Mr. Maksik describing himself. Numerous details of students that were really there. The school physically described to a T. A fellow student of mine, who was in the year above, said that a whole dialogue came from one of her English classes with him.

I was surprised to hear it took 3 years to write, but then again, he had to come up with lots of good things to say about himself from his imaginary male student. Gilad was a dream of Mr Maksik's, a true student he would have loved to have, who doesn't want an(other) admirer? Then he had to dream up thoughts of a 17 year old girl. This part made me cringe the most. I hoped hard that "Marie" would never read it. It takes a lot of balls to write a book like this. A book about how innovative, clear-thinking, and rebellious you are, a dream teacher that has admiring students, dear students whose lives you've changed, and somehow, oh an affair just fell upon you... A sweet young girl (you imagine) whose thoughts don't stray from sex, boys, texting, etc, and well, apparently it's not your problem. Apparently it isn't your responsibility to do anything about it. You're a free-thinker, right? A real existentialist, living right here in the moment and it doesn't matter. Nothing matters. You're just one man. Who doesn't even wear condoms, you know, the ones you can buy all over Paris in the Metros.

It takes a great pair for you to write this book and pretend it wasn't you. It takes a great pair to say in interviews that your inspiration for the book was a curiosity about teachers, you know, like your parents were before. It takes a MASSIVE pair of balls to never mention that you also were a teacher at an international school in Paris. Takes the biggest pair to do something this despicable to a girl that you were involved with, and this is ON TOP of her being a student and you a teacher. You wrote that book about a fellow human being, someone whose life you affected. What an enormous pair. It takes an even bigger pair to think that WE wouldn't say anything. That was your mistake.

How dare you.

As an 11th grade student, learning about what you did, I assumed it was some sort of adult situation I couldn't understand. I thought of any sort of excuse to cover up the simplest one, you were an idiot. After reading your book, well, you didn't disprove the latter. Read more ›

114 of 142 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Based on a true story November 30, 2011

By ASP Student

Format:Paperback

This book may be well written or have various admirable literary qualities but every reader should know when they start reading it that it is based on a true story. Alexander Maksik was a teacher at the American School of Paris and was released in 2006 after having an affair with a student. I was a student at ASP at the time and remember the scandal. To highly rate this book or even buy it is on some level acknowledging or approving that what this man did was acceptable. It was not. The student was underage and the affair was highly inappropriate. Please do not mistake the contents of the novel for a creative story by a deep and thoughtful author but a true story by a former teacher who finds it appropriate to sleep with his underage students.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Regardless of basis on author's real life, this fails as a novel December 25, 2011

By Leah

Format:Paperback

The three stars is largely for the early chapters of YOU DESERVE NOTHING. Maksik's descriptions of lonely, stoic people wandering through Paris and a Greek seaside village are spare and lovely and obviously owe much to Hemingway. It's when the school year starts that things go downhill.

Will Silver, an English teacher at a gated, insular American high school in Paris, is recovering from a failed marriage and compensating by courting the adoration of his students. This leads, unsurprisingly, to a sexual relationship with seventeen-year-old student Marie. Will and Marie's arc is balanced against Gilad, a new male student at the school who also falls under Will's seductive spell and gradually finds himself disillusioned with his charismatic teacher and the world at large.

Where Maksik stumbles is in the classroom scenes. Will teaches his AP class Sartre and Camus, and Maksik painstakingly details their all-too-high-school-caliber philosophical discussions. We're meant to see Will as a Dead Poets' Society-style firebrand whose passion and authenticity inspires his students to live life fully etc. etc., but Maksik never rises above cliche here. He focuses too much on eye-glazing Philosophy 101 rather than delving into the students' lives. There's little sense that Literature plays a role in any of these characters' lives, except for the requisite shoehorned-in scene where Gilad has his first foul taste of political protest.

I mentioned Hemingway above, and I think the comparisons to Hemingway are less flattering than intended. Hemingway was a master of tip-of-the-iceberg writing. He could evoke complex inner lives with very spare, deceptively simple prose and dialogue.... Maksik is clearly aiming for something similar but his imitation is superficial, only emulating the stylistic qualities of Hemingway's prose. Will is depressed over his failed marriage, but what is really driving him? Marie is seeking something from him, but what does she want? Gilad is a walking caricature of the Young Existentialist; why? The entire novel reads like a thinly-fictionalized autobiography-meets-Introduction to Existentialism.

Really? A novel about Paris that's an allegory for existentialism?

It all feels too unsubtle, too inelegant, too un-Parisian. Which is disappointing, as Maksik was clearly wary of this un-Parisian-ness and ably avoided it early on.

A similar story, handled far more deftly, is Joshua Gaylord's charming, light-hearted HUMMINGBIRDS, about life at an all-girl prep school, right down to the inevitable teacher/student sex scandal. Gaylord's novel has depth where Maksik only simulates depth. Read more ›