Shamp of the City-Solo: A Novel (Recovered Classics)

by Jaimy Gordon

Description

This "fantasy novel" occurs in what may be thought of as a dystopian parallel-universe, a world recognizable to ours but set in an odd remove where the hero's hunger for fame shows its mythic origin. Hughbury Shamp is the reluctant teen-age hero who becomes apprenticed to three "masters" at the West Poolesville Depot on the Sumpsky Prospect, across the River Sump from Big Yolk, the City-Solo. his education involves a series of preposterous and hilarious misadventures with the likes of the show more impresario Sergei Shipoff, Dr. Harry Analarge, and the World Friar Tapsvine, all the while he is being propelled toward stardom as prize-winning speaker at the murderously competitive Arslevering Ox-Roast. show less

Recommendations

Post-Exoticism in Ten Lessons, Lesson Eleven by Antoine Volodine

Post-Exoticism in Ten Lessons, Lesson Eleven

Antoine Volodine

Now Voyagers: Some Divisions of the Saga of Mawrdew Czgowchwz, Oltrano, Authenticated by Persons Represented Therein, Book One: The Night Sea Journey by James McCourt

Now Voyagers: Some Divisions of the Saga of Mawrdew Czgowchwz, Oltrano, Authenticated by Persons Represented Therein, Book One: The Night Sea Journey

James McCourt

She Drove without Stopping: A Novel by Jaimy Gordon

She Drove without Stopping: A Novel

Jaimy Gordon

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Ember

Jeanne DuPrau

Prehistoric Times by Éric Chevillard

Prehistoric Times

Éric Chevillard

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver

Lois Lowry

My Two Worlds by Sergio Chejfec

My Two Worlds

Sergio Chejfec

Log of the S.S. the Mrs Unguentine by Stanley Crawford

Log of the S.S. the Mrs Unguentine

Stanley Crawford

Bogeywoman by Jaimy Gordon

Bogeywoman

Jaimy Gordon

The Planets by Sergio Chejfec

The Planets

Sergio Chejfec

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe

Neal Shusterman

Some instructions by Stanley Crawford

Some instructions

Stanley Crawford

Prae, Vol. 1 by Szentkuthy Miklós

Prae, Vol. 1

Szentkuthy Miklós

The Sea-Rabbit; or, The Artist of Life by Wendy Walker

The Sea-Rabbit; or, The Artist of Life

Wendy Walker

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon

Lord of Misrule

Jaimy Gordon

Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things by Gilbert Sorrentino

Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things

Gilbert Sorrentino

The Logic of the World and Other Fictions by Robert Kelly

The Logic of the World and Other Fictions

Robert Kelly

Seaview by Toby Olson

Seaview

Toby Olson

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Motorman by David Ohle

Motorman

David Ohle

Complete Fiction of W.M. Spackman (American Literature Series) by W. M. Spackman

Complete Fiction of W.M. Spackman (American Literature Series)

W. M. Spackman

AVA by Carole Maso

AVA

Carole Maso

Two or Three Years Later: Forty-Nine Digressions by Ror Wolf

Two or Three Years Later: Forty-Nine Digressions

Ror Wolf

Laura Warholic: Or, The Sexual Intellectual by Alexander Theroux

Laura Warholic: Or, The Sexual Intellectual

Alexander Theroux

The Scorpions by Robert Kelly

The Scorpions

Robert Kelly

Springer's Progress by David Markson

Springer's Progress

David Markson

The Incompletes by Sergio Chejfec

The Incompletes

Sergio Chejfec

A Smugglers Bible by Joseph McElroy

A Smugglers Bible

Joseph McElroy

Selected Prose of Heinrich von Kleist by Heinrich von Kleist

Selected Prose of Heinrich von Kleist

Heinrich von Kleist

On the Ceiling by Éric Chevillard

On the Ceiling

Éric Chevillard

Collected Works • Volume Three: 1987–1996 by Paul Metcalf

Collected Works • Volume Three: 1987–1996

Paul Metcalf

The Glory of the Empire by Jean d'Ormesson

The Glory of the Empire

Jean d'Ormesson

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Yukio Mishima

Centuria: One Hundred Ouroboric Novels by Giorgio Manganelli

Centuria: One Hundred Ouroboric Novels

Giorgio Manganelli

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son

Pierce Brown

The Fountains of Neptune by Rikki Ducornet

The Fountains of Neptune

Rikki Ducornet

The Jade Cabinet by Rikki Ducornet

The Jade Cabinet

Rikki Ducornet

Travel Notes (From here―to there) by Stanley Crawford

Travel Notes (From here―to there)

Stanley Crawford

The Jokers by Albert Cossery

The Jokers

Albert Cossery

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

Cyclops by Ranko Marinković

Cyclops

Ranko Marinković

The Way through Doors by Jesse Ball

The Way through Doors

Jesse Ball

Mobile (French Literature) by Michel Butor

Mobile (French Literature)

Michel Butor

Counternarratives by John Keene

Counternarratives

John Keene

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone

Tomi Adeyemi

Mulligan Stew by Gilbert Sorrentino

Mulligan Stew

Gilbert Sorrentino

Splendide-Hôtel by Gilbert Sorrentino

Splendide-Hôtel

Gilbert Sorrentino

Collected Works • Volume Two: 1976–1986 by Paul Metcalf

Collected Works • Volume Two: 1976–1986

Paul Metcalf

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles

Karen Thompson Walker

The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns

The Juniper Tree

Barbara Comyns

Complete Recommendations

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

All Ratings
2
1

1 review

earthwind 108 reviews

Hughbury Shamp, a teenager with a yen for fame (shows its mythic origin) follows three masters in Big Yolk, the 'city-solo', which sounds like New York, but is really a dystopian parallel-universe. Our reluctant hero is being propelled toward stardom as prize-winning speaker at the murderously competitive Arslevering Ox-Roast.

Ratings