FICTION

Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?

Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? Knopf. Jun. 2014. 208p. ISBN 9781101874196. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9780307947543. F
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Thomas is mad as hell. Life isn't going according to his grand plan, his government has made some bad decisions, and the folks he needs to talk with won't respond. Thomas has never hurt anyone—in fact, he considers himself a principled man—but he's so angry and his head hurts, and he just wants someone to share his umbrage. Using a trick he picked up from a TV cop show, Thomas begins his search for the truth by chloroforming and kidnapping Kevin, a NASA astronaut and former instructor. His destination is Fort Ord, an abandoned army base in California, and an ideal location for holding prisoners. Interviewing his captives about war, police brutality, and pedophilia, Thomas reveals the layers of his troubled soul. Like the biblical prophets of the title, he hopes to elicit repentance from those who have committed grave wrongs.
VERDICT A quick read, part psychological thriller, part political screed, this novel poses important questions but offers frustratingly few answers. Eggers was a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award (What Is the What) and the National Book Award (A Hologram for the King). Though this slight novel falls short in comparison, fans will still be asking about it. [See Prepub Alert, 4/14/14.]
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