Two things for those of you who have read or are reading The New Men:
The blog tour seems to be driving traffic toward this site. Or, if not proper traffic, at least a few lost drivers who stop to ask directions to Mira Jacobs. So I thought I’d repeat an earlier offer…
Given how many copies The New Men is likely (not) to sell and the disappointing lack of an emerging TNM slash fiction subculture (slash fiction: a key sign of valid, substantive literature), I’m not kidding myself that there’s a huge demand out there for further information about the novel.
But if you’re the sort of person who has questions about a novel after you’ve read it (or even as you read it) and wish you could ask the author what’s up with that, well, I’m lonely and starved for attention. So ask away. I can’t answer every question,* but I do promise to try.
This offer is valid from now until further notice.
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* — For example, I won’t answer a question like “How can I learn to move objects with my mind?”*
** — Oh, heck, I’ll answer that one: Get an engineering degree.
Readers’ Oasis has just offered a thoughtful and positive review of The New Men:
Good historical fiction, for me, should do two things: first, offer a compelling story, and second, teach me something new about a period in the past. The New Men does both. The story of Tony and his family’s journey from Italy to America, and Tony’s emotional journey through his work at Ford’s Sociological department, is both absorbing and interesting …
[O]verall, The New Men is a well-written, impeccably researched, and original historical novel. I would recommend The New Men to readers who like literary fiction, as well as those who read primarily historical fiction. I will look forward to whatever topics Jon Enfield chooses to tackle next in his fiction!
Thanks, Readers’ Oasis! Now, I promised my publisher I wouldn’t divulge too many details about the subject matter of my upcoming novel. But, apropos of nothing, doesn’t it seem like there’s a real paucity of leprechaun erotica set in fifteenth-century Norway?
Walking With Nora just reviewed The New Men:
The New Men by Jon Enfield is a raw, honest story… Enfield writes a compelling story, with honest characters who aren’t afraid to examine their flaws and make tough decisions. It’s hard to write historical fiction book that hits the mark of intrigue and accuracy, but Enfield pulls it off. This isn’t a book I’d normally pick up on my own, but I found it pleasantly surprising.
Thanks, Nora! Now I just have to figure out a way to involve Josh Lyman, and my day will be complete.
Wendy at Wensend has been doubly kind to me this week.
First, she had this to say about The New Men:
So this sounds like a good read, right? I can tell you it is. Tony is such a likeable character, … very rich and developed, as were the other characters. This is something that I find very important and have missed in other novels I’ve read lately. Enfield did a great job developing the characters throughout…
Second, she generously allowed me to guest blog about the novel, particularly about where the idea came from and how I researched it. My post is scheduled to appear on Wensend Saturday, August 9.
No More Grumpy Bookseller just reviewed The New Men:
The New Men is a pretty great historical fiction. I was not only impressed by how much effort Enfield obviously put into the history side of the tale (and he does outline some of his research in the Historical Note) but how well the story read as a whole. The characters were real and the plot was interesting.
Thanks, No More Grumpy Bookseller! (And thanks for not changing your name to an unpronounceable symbol, which would’ve made writing this blog entry much more complicated.)
Lisa at Bibliophiliac just wrote a positive and (therefore?) insightful review of The New Men. Some snippets:
What I look for in a novel is a cast of characters who are real to me, enough craft that reading is a pleasurable experience, and that immersive feeling of sinking into a good story. It’s an added bonus when the narrative is one that tells me something surprising and new about a time or place. The New Men, Jon Enfield’s debut novel, does all of the above …
I highly recommend The New Men for readers of historical fiction who might be ready for something a little different, and for anyone who enjoys the play of big ideas and fine writing.
Thanks, Lisa! And, indeed, thanks to everybody on the blog tour who has taken the time to review The New Men. Small press publishing relies on the goodwill and investment of readers who seek out books that don’t have a marketing push behind them, and reviews like these are crucial to that.
Meanwhile, over at Jen’s Book Thoughts, the eponymous Jen just said some nice things about The New Men:
Much of the well-researched history was fascinating; not your average history class facts… I felt as though I was learning about a whole world I never knew before…
While The New Man isn’t written as a suspense novel, there is a strong tension in the plot as colleague turns on colleague…
I found The New Men to be an enlightening read and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the auto industry and/or early Twentieth Century American history.
Extra thanks to Jen for forgiving The New Men for not being a mystery novel featuring a pistol-packing woman in stilettos and stockings. In hindsight, I pretty much blew it on that one.
To Burn from Within 